THE SCENE: When it came to his personal habits, the emperor Severus lived up to his name. The identity of his favorite vegetable, however, remains a mystery to this day.
THE TEXT: This emperor wore such meagre clothing that even his tunic scarcely had any purple, while he covered his shoulders with a shaggy cloak. He ate sparingly, being very addicted to his native vegetable, sometimes found of wine, often abstaining from meat. His person was handsome, he was of huge size, with a long beard and curly white hair. His face inspired reverence, his voice was resonant but with a trace of an African accent right up to his old age. He was equally beloved after his death, when envy, or the fear of his cruelty, had disappeared.
– The Augustan History, Aurelius Spartianus, 4th Century AD
