Leptis Magna was enlarged and embellished by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor. It was one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire, with its imposing public monuments, harbour, market-place, storehouses, shops and residential districts.
The archaeological ruins in Lybia, mainly Roman, are truly exceptional because of their size and preservation. Beyond its archaeological dimensions, Leptis Magna symbolizes the myth of Rome more than any other site. Similar to the American myth, Septime Sèvère the African showed that every citizen of Rome could become Emperor and develop the civilization even in the desert.