| Caracalla | |
| Emperor of the Roman Empire | |
 |
|
| Reign | 198 - 209 (with Severus); 209 - February 4, 211 (with Severus & Geta); February - December 211 (with Geta); December 211 - 8 April 217 (alone) |
|---|---|
| Full name | Marcus Aurelius Septimius Bassianus Antoninus Augustus Caracalla |
| Born | April 4, 188 |
| Birthplace | Lugdunum |
| Died | April 8, 217 (aged 29) |
| Place of death | Near Harran |
| Predecessor | Septimius Severus (alone) |
| Successor | Macrinus |
| Wife | Fulvia Plautilla |
| Dynasty | Severan |
| Father | Septimius Severus |
| Mother | Julia Domna |
 The Severan Tondo |
|
| Septimius Severus alone | |
|---|---|
| Children | |
| Geta | |
| Caracalla | |
| Septimius Severus, with Geta and Caracalla | |
| Geta and Caracalla | |
| Caracalla alone | |
| Interlude, Macrinus | |
| Elagabalus | |
| Children | |
| Alexander Severus, adoptive | |
| Alexander Severus | |
Caracalla (April 4, 188 – April 8, 217), born Lucius Septimius Bassianus and later called Marcus Aurelius Septimius Bassianus Antoninus Augustus Caracalla, was the eldest son of Septimius Severus and Roman Emperor from 211 – 217. The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Events By Place Roman Empire Publius Septimius Geta, son of Septimus Severus, receives the title of Caesar. For the area code see Area code 209. Events By Place Roman Empire Publius Septimius Geta receives Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons For the N11 code see 2-1-1. Events By Place Roman Empire Septimus Severus dies in Britain Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Publius Septimius Geta ( March 7, 189 &ndash December 26 211) was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus For the N11 code see 2-1-1. Events By Place Roman Empire Septimus Severus dies in Britain Publius Septimius Geta ( March 7, 189 &ndash December 26 211) was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus For the N11 code see 2-1-1. Events By Place Roman Empire Septimus Severus dies in Britain Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Events By Place Roman Empire April 8 — Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Guard Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Events By Place Roman Empire Pertinax becomes Consul of Africa. This article is about the city in Gaul for other uses of Lugdunum see Lugdunum (disambiguation Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (modern Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Events By Place Roman Empire April 8 — Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Guard Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus (ca 165 - June 218 was Roman emperor for fourteen months in 217 and 218 Publia Fulvia Plautilla, Fulvia Plautilla or Plautilla (around 188/189 - early 212 was a Roman Princess briefly Roman Empress and the only wife to The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial Dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Julia Domna (170-217 was a member of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire. The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial Dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. The Severan Tondo, from circa AD 200 is one of the few preserved examples of Panel painting from Classical Antiquity. Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Publius Septimius Geta ( March 7, 189 &ndash December 26 211) was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Publius Septimius Geta ( March 7, 189 &ndash December 26 211) was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus Publius Septimius Geta ( March 7, 189 &ndash December 26 211) was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus Marcus Opellius Macrinus (ca 165 - June 218 was Roman emperor for fourteen months in 217 and 218 Elagabalus (c 203 &ndash March 11 222) also known as Heliogabalus or Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, was a Roman Emperor of the Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, commonly called Alexander Severus, (October 1 208 &ndash March 18, 235) was the last Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander, commonly called Alexander Severus, (October 1 208 &ndash March 18, 235) was the last Roman emperor Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Events By Place Roman Empire Pertinax becomes Consul of Africa. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Events By Place Roman Empire April 8 — Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Guard Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC [1] He was one of the most nefarious of Roman emperors. [2][3] Caracalla's reign was notable for:
- the Constitutio Antoniniana, granting Roman citizenship to freemen throughout the Roman Empire in order to increase taxation;
- debasing the silver content in Roman coinage by 25% in order to pay the legions; and
- the construction of a large thermae outside Rome, the remains of which, known as the Baths of Caracalla, can still be seen today. The Constitutio Antoniniana ( Latin: "Constitution Edict of Antoninus" (aka Edict of Caracalla was an edict issued in 212, by the Roman Emperor Citizenship in the time of Ancient Rome was a privileged status afforded to certain individuals with respect to laws property and governance The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial This page is on buildings used for Roman bathing For the activity in general see Ancient Roman bathing. The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths or Thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216 during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla
Contents |
Rise to power
Caracalla, of Berber[4][5] and Arab descent (from Syria),[6] was born Lucius Septimius Bassianus in Lugdunum, Gaul (now Lyon, France), the son of the later Emperor Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية This article is about the city in Gaul for other uses of Lugdunum see Lugdunum (disambiguation Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (modern Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Lucius Septimius Severus (or rarely Severus I) ( April 11 145 - February 4 211) was a Roman general and Roman Emperor Julia Domna (170-217 was a member of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire. At the age of seven, his name was changed to Marcus Aurelius Septimius Bassianus Antoninus to solidify connection to the family of Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (often referred to as "the wise" ( April 26, 121 – March 17, 180) was Roman Emperor He was later given the nickname Caracalla, which referred to the Gallic hooded tunic he habitually wore and which he made fashionable.
His father, who had taken the imperial throne in 193, died in 211 while touring the northern marches at Eboracum (York), and Caracalla was proclaimed co-emperor with his brother Publius Septimius Antoninius Geta. Events By Place Roman Empire January 1 — Pertinax is proclaimed Roman Emperor. For the N11 code see 2-1-1. Events By Place Roman Empire Septimus Severus dies in Britain Eboracum was a fort and City in Roman Britain. Today it is known as York, located in North Yorkshire, England. York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. Publius Septimius Geta ( March 7, 189 &ndash December 26 211) was a Roman Emperor co-ruling with his father Septimius Severus However since both of them wanted to be the sole ruler, tensions between the brothers were evident in the few months they ruled the empire together (they even considered dividing the empire in two, but were persuaded not to do so by their mother). In December 211, Caracalla had Geta, the family of his former father-in-law Gaius Fulvius Plautianus, his wife Fulvia Plautilla (also his paternal second cousin), and her brother assassinated. Gaius or Lucius Fulvius Plautianus (? - 22 January 205) was a Roman who lived in the 2nd century and 3rd century Publia Fulvia Plautilla, Fulvia Plautilla or Plautilla (around 188/189 - early 212 was a Roman Princess briefly Roman Empress and the only wife to He persecuted Geta's supporters and ordered a damnatio memoriae by the Senate against his brother. Damnatio memoriae is the Latin phrase literally meaning "damnation of memory" in the sense of removed from the remembrance.
Reign
In 213 Caracalla went north to the German frontier to deal with the Alamanni who were causing trouble in the Agri Decumates. Events By Place Roman Empire Caracalla leaves Rome never to return The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany Agri Decumates was a region of the Roman Empire, covering the Black Forest area between the Main river and the sources of Danube and Rhine The emperor managed to win the sympathy of the soldiers with generous pay rises and popular gestures, like marching on foot among the ordinary soldiers, eating the same food, and even grinding his own flour with them.
Caracalla defeated the Alamanni in a battle near the river Rhine, but failed to win a decisive victory over them. The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main river ( Germany The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge After a peace agreement was brokered, the senate conferred upon him the title "Germanicus Maximus". In the next year the emperor traveled to the East.
When the inhabitants of Alexandria heard Caracalla's claims that he had killed Geta in self-defense, they produced a satire mocking this claim, as well as Caracalla's other pretensions. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια Caracalla responded to this insult savagely in 215 by slaughtering the deputation of leading citizens who had unsuspectingly assembled before the city to greet his arrival, and then unleashed his troops for several days of looting and plunder in Alexandria. Events By Place Roman Empire Caracalla 's troops massacre the population of Alexandria Egypt. According to historian Cassius Dio, over 20,000 people were killed. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was
During his reign as emperor, Caracalla raised the pay of an average legionary to 675 denarii and lavished many benefits on the army which he both feared and admired, as instructed by his father Septimius Severus who had told him[1] to always mind the soldiers and ignore everyone else. The Roman Currency system included the denarius (plural denarii) after 211 BC a small Silver coin,
Seeking to secure his own legacy, Caracalla also commissioned one of Rome's last major architectural achievements, the Baths of Caracalla, the largest public bath ever built in ancient Rome. The Baths of Caracalla were Roman public baths or Thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216 during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla The main room of the baths was larger than St. Peter's Basilica, and could easily accommodate over 2,000 Roman citizens at one time. The Basilica of Saint Peter (Basilica Sancti Petri officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St The bath house opened in 216, complete with private rooms and outdoor tracks. Events By Place Roman Empire The Baths of Caracalla in Rome are completed Internally it was decorated with golden trim and mosaics.
Fall
Caracalla was in essence a military dictator, and was consequently very unpopular except with the soldiers. Ironically, while travelling from Edessa to begin a war with Parthia, he was assassinated while urinating at a roadside near Harran on April 8, 217 by Julius Martialis, an officer in the imperial bodyguard. Edessa ( Greek:) is the historical name of a Syriac town in northern Mesopotamia, refounded on an ancient site by Seleucus I Nicator Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Events By Place Roman Empire April 8 — Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Guard Herodian says that Martialis' brother had been executed a few days earlier by Caracalla on an unproven charge; Cassius Dio, on the other hand, says that Martialis was resentful at not being promoted to the rank of centurion. For the grammarian see Aelius Herodianus. For the dynasty see Herodian Dynasty. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was The escort of the emperor gave him privacy to relieve himself, and Martialis ran forward and killed Caracalla with a single sword stroke. He immediately fled on horseback, but was killed by a bodyguard archer.
Caracalla was succeeded by the Praetorian Prefect of the Guard, Macrinus, who almost certainly was part of the conspiracy against the emperor. Marcus Opellius Macrinus (ca 165 - June 218 was Roman emperor for fourteen months in 217 and 218
His nickname
According to Aurelius Victor in his Epitome de Caesaribus, the cognomen "Caracalla" refers to a Gallic cloak that Caracalla adopted as a personal fashion, which spread to his army and his court. Sextus Aurelius Victor (ca 320-ca 390 was an historian and politician of the Roman Empire. The cognomen (plural cognomina) was originally the third name of an Ancient Roman in the Roman naming convention. A cloak is a type of loose Garment that is worn over indoor Clothing and serves the same purpose as an Overcoat &mdashit protects the wearer from the cold [7] Cassius Dio[8] and the Historia Augusta[9] agree that his nickname derived from his cloak, but do not mention its country of origin. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus ( Greek:) (c 155 or 163/164 to after 229 known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was The Augustan History ( Lat Historia Augusta) is a late Roman collection of biographies in Latin of the Roman Emperors their junior
Legendary king of Britain
Geoffrey of Monmouth's legendary History of the Kings of Britain makes Caracalla a king of Britain, referring to him by his actual name "Bassianus", rather than the nickname Caracalla. Geoffrey of Monmouth ( Gruffudd ap Arthur or Sieffre o Fynwy) (c The Historia Regum Britanniae ( English: The History of the Kings of Britain) is a pseudohistorical account of British history After Severus's death, the Romans wanted to make Geta king of Britain, but the Britons preferred Bassianus because he had a British mother. The two brothers fought a battle in which Geta was killed, and Bassianus succeeded to the throne. He ruled until he was betrayed by his Pictish allies and overthrown by Carausius, who, according to Geoffrey, was a Briton, rather than the Menapian Gaul that he actually was. The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius (died 293 was a military commander of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century The Menapii were a Belgic tribe of northern Gaul in pre-Roman and Roman times [10]
See also
References
- ^ "Caracalla" The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary. This is a family tree of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire. Tony Deverson. Oxford University Press 2004. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
- ^ "Caracalla" A Dictionary of British History. Ed. John Cannon. Oxford University Press, 2001. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
- ^ "Caracalla" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2005. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Marcel Le Glay. Rome : T2, Grandeur et chute de l'Empire p336. Librairie Académique Perrin, 2005. ISBN 978-2262018986
- ^ Gilbert Meynier. L’Algérie des origines :De la préhistoire à l’avènement de l’Islam p74. La découverte, 2007. ISBN 978-2707150882
- ^ See Julia Domna for references
- ^ Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus 21 (translation). Julia Domna (170-217 was a member of the Severan dynasty of the Roman Empire. Sextus Aurelius Victor (ca 320-ca 390 was an historian and politician of the Roman Empire. For information on the caracallus garment, see William Smith Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities: "Caracalla"
- ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History 79.3
- ^ Historia Augusta: Caracalla 9.7, Septimius Severus 21.11
- ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae 5.2-3
External links
- Life of Caracalla (Historia Augusta at LacusCurtius: Latin text and English translation)
| Preceded by Septimius Severus |
Roman Emperor 198 – 217 with Septimius Severus (198–211) and Geta (209–211) |
Succeeded by Macrinus |
| Preceded by Geta |
Legendary kings of Britain | Succeeded by Interregnum - Carausius |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Caracalla |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lucius Septimius Bassianus; Marcus Aurelius Antoninus |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Roman emperor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4 April 186 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lugdunum, Gaul |
| DATE OF DEATH | 8 April 217 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | near Harran |
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