Severus Alexander (222 - 235CE)

Severus Alexander (11 March 222 - 18 March 235CE). Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander was the last emperor of the Severan dynasty. He improved the condition of the empire under the influence of his mother. Coinage was ultimately enhanced by increasing the purity and silver content, taxes were reduced, literature, art and science encouraged, and loan offices created for lending money at a reasonable rate of interest. Although his peacetime reign was marked with prosperity, he proved to be an incompetent general and was assassinated together with his mother while campaigning in Germania. His death marked the start of the Crisis of the Third Century.