▁Sept im ius ▁Sever us , ▁lost ▁favour ▁with ▁his ▁troops ▁by ▁assass in ating ▁his ▁own ▁brother ▁and ▁co - em peror , ▁G eta , ▁immediately ▁after ▁his ▁succession . ▁He ▁also ▁created ▁problems ▁by ▁trying ▁to ▁re create ▁a ▁Mac ed onian ▁ph al an x ▁witness ed ▁previously ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Army . ▁Finally , ▁in ▁ 2 1 7 , ▁while ▁on ▁campaign ▁in ▁the ▁Orient , ▁he ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁at ▁the ▁inst ig ation ▁of ▁his ▁pre fect ▁Mac r inus . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁the ▁latter , ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ▁opposed ▁the ▁new ▁em peror ▁El ag ab alus , ▁priest ▁of ▁the ▁orient al ▁cult ▁of ▁El ag ab al , ▁and ▁replaced ▁him ▁by ▁his ▁ 1 3 - year - old ▁cousin ▁Sever us ▁Alexander ▁in ▁ 2 2 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁period ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Pra et or ian ▁pre fect ▁in ▁Italy ▁came ▁increasing ly ▁to ▁res emble ▁a ▁general ▁administrative ▁post , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁t endency ▁to ▁appoint ▁jur ists ▁such ▁as ▁Pap in ian , ▁who ▁occupied ▁the ▁post ▁from ▁ 2 0 3 ▁until ▁his ▁elim ination ▁and ▁execution ▁at ▁the ▁as cent ▁of ▁Car ac alla . ▁Under ▁Sever us ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁pre fect ure ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁lawyer ▁Ul p ian ▁until ▁his ▁assass ination ▁by ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁himself