Editing Caracalla (section)

== Politics ==

=== Reorganization of the army ===
He raised the legionnaire's pay, bringing it to 675 denarii, and granted many benefits to the troops, with whom he often shared the campaigns and the hard military life, thus guaranteeing the loyalty of the army. Noting that the Roman infantry was not effective against the Parthian cavalry, he added a new military unit, enlisted in Greece: the Macedonian phalanx for the campaign against the Parthians.

=== Monetary reform ===
During the Severan period, trade with the East and in particular with Palmyra, Ethiopia, Syria and India developed greatly. The trade mainly concerned spices, silk and exotic animals indispensable for circus games. Caracalla's army also possessed elephants, but the continuous wars nevertheless put the imperial coffers in difficulty and forced the emperor to decrease the amount of silver in the money by 25%, due to the increase in the soldiers' pay; then he minted a new coin, in 215 A.D., which was worth two regular denarii.

=== Religious politics ===
In the religious sphere Caracalla was tolerant. In fact, Caracalla displayed meticulous respect for all the gods and often visited the main sanctuaries and oracles. He was passionate about astrology, so he sometimes made decisions and assigned assignments based on dates and zodiac signs. He built great new temples in Rome for Isis and Serapis. He did not engage in persecution against Christians or Jews. In this period, new oriental cults such as Sol Invictus and Mithraism spread to Rome, brought by the troops who were under his command.

=== Extension of citizenship ===
To cope with the increased military expenses and to try to increase revenues, in 212  AD, Caracalla issued the "''Constitutio antoniniana''". Thus became citizens (and taxpayers) of the Empire all the free inhabitants who populated it, except the Dediticii, literally meaning those who surrendered, but who perhaps in this context designates the populations extraneous to the Greco-Roman culture.

=== Public structure ===
Caracalle gave numerous games and shows to amuse the Roman people. He himself took part in circus games. In 212 A.D., he began work on the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, the most grandiose ever built. For the water supply in 212 AD. a branch of the Aqua Marcia was created, called "Aqua Antoniniana", which crossed the Appia street. The baths, completed in 217 A.D. and embellished with marble and precious sculptures, they were strongly desired by the emperor to ingratiate himself with the people and to give a sign of his power. He had the Octavia's Fron Porch restored, damaged by a fire. During the military campaigns he was ready to inaugurate new bridges, valleys, forts and defensive walls where necessary.