Life
Little is known about Papinianus. He was of Syrian birth and a native of Emesa, for he is said to have been a kinsman of Septimius Severus' second wife, Julia Domna.
One source shows him as a follower of the casuistry of Quintus Cervidius Scaevola, another shows him to have been his pupil. A concurring (but dubious) passage in the Augustan History claims that he studied law with Severus under Scaevola.
Papinianus was an intimate friend of the emperor Severus and accompanied him to Britain during 207,where he served in "the forum of York" in response to an uprising by Scottish Highlanders. He was at some time made a master of petitions (requests), magister libellorum, by Severus. He also served as Treasurer and Captain of the Guard for the Emperor. Before the emperors' death, he commended his two sons Caracalla and Geta into the lawyers' charge. Sharing in the governship of the Roman Empire with Geta proved unsatisfactory for Caracalla, who decided at sometime to usurp his brother. Papinian trying to keep peace between the brothers, only proved to encourage the hatred of Caracalla, consequently passing an order to have the lawyer beheaded (Spart. Caracall. 4), and his body dragged through the streets of Rome. His death was following the 212 fratricide of Geta, amongst the general slaughter of his friends and those perceived associated with him, according to one source estimated as 20,000 persons.
The author of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article though states that the details of Papinianus' death "are variously related, and have undergone legendary embellishment."
Read more about this topic: Aemilius Papinianus
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