Annius Severus

Annius Severus was a friend and correspondent of Pliny the Younger in the late first and early second century AD, known almost entirely from the five letters Pliny addressed to him. The letters show him as a man of means and cultivated tastes within Pliny's social circle: Pliny consults him about a legacy and the duties of an heir, asks his advice, and in one well-known letter (Ep. 3.6) describes a small Corinthian bronze statue he has bought and intends to dedicate, asking Severus to oversee its placement. Beyond these glimpses he is otherwise little attested, and no public offices, firm dates, or biographical details are independently documented; he is best understood as a propertied member of Pliny's network of friends, probably resident at or connected to Rome.