Septimus Severus

Septimus Severus (145-211) was Roman emperor during the turn of the second century. He seized power in a coup in 193, the so-called Year of the Five Emperors. Five Romans seized the throne in coups, but it was Septimus Severus who was able to hold it, seizing power on June 1 and defeating further coup attempts until he had consolidated his imperial authority. Septimus remained on the throne until his death (caused by an unknown illness) in 211, and he founded the Severan Dynasty, which remained in power till 235.

Septimus Severus in The War That Came Early
Samuel Goldman, on learning of the death of Winston Churchill in 1940, immediately suspected a government-sponsored, politically motivated assassination. He reflected that, while such things were commonplace in totalitarian states such as Germany, Italy and the USSR, they were unheard of in modern democratic Britain. He also reflected that such tactics--arranging to have a prominent political critic ran down in the street--was something in keeping with the political style of Septimus Severus, though Septimus would certainly not have used a Bentley.