Youngest son of Septimius Severus, who had himself been an influential general under Sulla, Marcianus ruled jointly with Sulla for 11 years before his adoptive father died. For this reason, there was no succession to acknowledge a transfer of powers with little political pomp to mark the transition from dual emperors to a sole ruler beyond naming Marcian as pontifex maximus and holding a funeral for Sulla. The non-event that was this succession, especially after earlier reforms of the guard, sidestepped the usual donativum that a new emperor would hand out to the Praetoriani or armies on the frontier.