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| “ | You will be a god, but you aren't alive. | „ |
| ~ Caracalla to his brother Geta |
Caracalla was a Roman emperor, belonging to the Severan dynasty, who reigned from 198 to 217, the year of his death.
Biography edit
Early life edit
Caracalla was born on the 4th of April 188 in Lugdunum, Gallia Lyons. He was the son of Lucio Septimius Severus and Giulia Domna and was the major brother of Publius Septimius Geta. In 198, he began to be associated with the leadership from an early age, although he had effective power only when his father died.
Relationship with Fulvia Plautilla edit
In 200 a.C, the praetorian prefect Gaius Fulvius Plautianus made an agreement with Septimius Severus to give his young daughter Fulvia Plautilla as a wife to Caracalla. The two married with great pomp. The historian Cassio Dione, one of the major sources on Caracalla, had also participated in the wedding banquet. However, in 202 A.D., only 2 years later, Caracalla accused of high treason and had Plautianus executed. Plautilla became an uncomfortable character, so her husband decided to accuse her of adultery and divorce her. After her divorce Caracalla exiled Plautilla and her brother Ortensiano on the island of Lipari, where in 212 A.D. they were executed.
Murder of the brother Geta edit
After the death of Septimius Severus during the military expedition against the tribes in Northern Britain in 211 A.D. , by the will of his advisers, Caracalla succeeded his father together with his brother Geta. The brothers quickly made peace with the barbarians and returned to Rome, where the situation soon became unbearable. Neither brother was willing to divide the imperial power and they had isolated themselves reciprocally.
Following some disagreements, Caracalla killed Geta with the sword, uselessly defended by his mother Giulia Domna, who in her heat was wounded in her hand. Caracalla fled the palace and obtained the support of the praetorians by convincing them that he had been threatened with death by his brother and above all by promising them large donations for their support.
Caracalla appeared in the Senate with armor under his toga and escorted by his guards, to give the inauguration speech for approval by the Senate. The Senate, now devoid of effective political power, confirmed him emperor. Having taken power, he raged against the party of his brother's supporters in Rome, killing them, without sparing women and children.
Barbaric invasion of the 3rd century edit
In 212 A.D., along the Germanic-Rhaetian limes, the confederation of the Alemanni appeared for the first time, a group of peoples, grouped along the borders of the provinces of Upper Germany and Rezia. Later, the Alemanni broke through the limes and forced the emperor to rush along this strategic sector to stem their possible invasion the following year. He had the communication routes of the Noricum repaired, where he created a new route from the Danube towards Linz, and in Rezia and Pannonia, as evidenced by the found milestones.
Also in Caracalla other successes on the barbarian populations along the middle-lower course of the Danube such as Quadi, Free Dacians, Goths and Carpi in 214 AD should be attributed. and first part of 215 A.D.
Attempted incorporation of the Kingdom of the Parties edit
Wanting to incorporate the Parthian Kingdom into the empire, which was then divided by internal discords, he meticulously prepared the troops, auxiliaries and two large war machines, transported by ships. When he crossed the Hellespont, he risked shipwreck due to a failure of the ship carrying him. He went to Ilium, ancient Troy, where he made a sacrifice at a friend's funeral pyre, cutting off a lock of hair (imitating Achilles). Subsequently he asked to marry the daughter of the Parthian king, but he refused, so in 215 AD. he had the pretext to attack them. The expedition, however, had no luck, due to the sudden assassination of the emperor.
Death edit
In 217 A.D. was assassinated by his subordinate named Martial, who pierced him taking advantage of the fact that the emperor for a corporal need had dismounted from his horse and had secluded himself from the guards, while he was on his way to Carre to visit a sanctuary of the local god Sin or Lunus, during the second Parthian expedition. Caracalla's body was cremated and the ossuary of his remains was placed in Rome with his parents inside the mausoleum of the Antonines.
Politics edit
Reorganization of the army edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
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.
Gallery edit
Images edit
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Statue rappresenting Caracalla. -
Venice, bust of a young Caracalla. -
Bust of Caracalla. -
Head of Caracalla. -
Coin depicting Caracalla. -
Gold coin with the face of Caracalla on it. -
Caracalla's face on a military decoration. -
Medallion of Caracalla in military clothes while making a sacrifice on an altar among trophies.
Trivia edit
- Caracalla was fond of astrology.
- He killed 20.000 Alexandrians in Egypt and looted the whole Alexandria for just making a play about him.
- He is the cousin of another roman emperor: Elagabalus.
- He was inspired by Achilles and Alexander the Great.
- He liked to wear Macedonian light armor when he had to fight.
- Caracalla admired the valor of Germanic warriors and enlisted several in his personal escort.
- It is believed that he was sterile.