Clodius Albinus, an African from Hadrumentum, achieved military success in the campaign against the Dacians in the reign of Commodus. Later he became Governor of Britain, and was given the title Caesar by Septimius Severus when the latter became emperor. They shared the consulship in 194 A.D. and Clodius subsequently issued coinage proclaiming himself Augustus. Clodius gained control of Gaul until Severus turned against him and defeated him at Lyons in February 197 A.D., whereupon Clodius committed suicide and Severus reputedly rode his horse over the corpse.

For a portrait of Clodius (also attributed to Septimius Severus), cf., G. B. Waywell, The Lever and Hope Sculptures, Berlin, 1986, no. 55; also, K. Fittschen and P. Zanker, Katalog der römischen Porträts in den Capitolinischen Museen, Mainz am Rhein, 1985, Band I, taf. 101-102, no. 82; and J. Balty, Essai d'iconographie de l'empéreur Clodius Albinus, Latomus, 85, 1966, 38, no. 10