[67] In response, Caracalla used the opportunity to start a campaign against the Parthians. [38] Popular rumors spread alleging he was not actually the son of Marcus Aurelius, but of a gladiator his mother Faustina had taken as a lover at the coastal resort of Caieta.[39]. [5] He was the son of the reigning emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and Aurelius' first cousin, Faustina the Younger, the youngest daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius, who had died only a few months before. Just as she had engineered the beginning of his career, Julia Maesa masterminded the end of Elagabaluss controversial rule. After repeated attempts on Commodus' life, Roman citizens were often killed for making him angry. "Constitution of Antoninus", also called "Edict of Caracalla" or "Antonine Constitution") was an edict issued in 212 by Caracalla declaring that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be given full Roman citizenship,[40] with the exception of the dediticii, people who had become subject to Rome through surrender in war, and freed slaves. Speidel, "Commodus the God-Emperor and the Army,", This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 18:46. Pescennius Niger dealt with the deserters in Gaul in a military campaign. Photograph by ATLANTIDE PHOTOTRAVEL/CORBIS/CORDON PRESS. Updated on January 31, 2019. For the felid species, see, Eighteenth-century artworks and the French Revolution. Despite such lavish preparations, his end was brutal and inglorious. [13] In 202, he was Roman consul, having been named consul designatus the previous year. [98] The history professors Molefi Asante and Shaza Ismail note that Caracalla is known for the disgraceful nature of his rule, stating that "he rode the horse of power until it nearly died of exhaustion" and that though his rule was short, his life, personality, and acts made him a notable, though likely not beneficial, figure in the Roman Empire. Quadratus and Quintianus were executed. The legendary Roman historian Tacitus even used Claudius' work as a source for his own writings. On 27 November 176, Marcus Aurelius bestowed the title of Imperator on Commodus. [65], In 216, Caracalla pursued a series of aggressive campaigns in the east against the Parthians, intended to bring more territory under direct Roman control. Didius Julianus, the future emperor and a relative of Salvius Julianus, was dismissed from the governorship of Germania Inferior. The short reign of Elagabalus, Rome's hard-partying emperor. Proclaimed co-ruler by his father . War broke out in Dacia: few details are available, but it appears two future contenders for the throne, Clodius Albinus and Pescennius Niger, both distinguished themselves in the campaign. After this had succeeded, Caracalla felt the need to repay the gods of Rome by returning the favour to the people of Rome through a similarly grand gesture. At the urging of his mistress Marcia, Commodus had Cleander beheaded and his son killed. Learn about the rise and fall of this ancient civilization and how its influence still endures today. He offered the king of Parthia, Artabanus IV of Parthia, a marriage proposal between himself and the king's daughter. Suetonius a possible lover of Sabina: One interpretation of, Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and. He instructed them in sexual practices and spurred them on, promising generous prizes if they complied with his bizarre demands. [13][17][12], During the reign of his father, Caracalla's mother Julia Domna had played a prominent public role, receiving titles of honour such as "Mother of the camp", but she also played a role behind the scenes helping her husband administer the empire. In AD 191, Commodus took more of the reins of power, though he continued to rule through a cabal consisting of Marcia, his new chamberlain Eclectus, and the new praetorian prefect Quintus Aemilius Laetus. At the urging of his mother, aunt, and grandmother, Emperor Elagabalus named his cousin Alexianus (the future Alexander Severus) as his heir in the summer of 221 CE. Cleander was in fact the person who had murdered Saoterus. But, given the promise of this preliminary research, it's worth the effort to dig into this hypothesis to determine whether climate data actually jibes with assassination dates, from the empire's start in 27 B.C. He is best known to history as the assassin of the Roman Emperor Commodus, by whom he was employed as a wrestling partner [2] [3] and personal trainer in order to train Commodus for his self-indulgent appearances in the Colosseum as a gladiator. 2y. Disdaining the more philosophic inclinations of his father, Commodus was extremely proud of his physical prowess. This was a reflection of the god's central role during Caracalla's reign. This great empire flourished through innovation and incorporation of the diverse cultures they conquered, such as the adoption of Latin and gladiatorial combat. Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164. Olivier Hekster, Nicholas Zair, and Rowan challenge this presentation because the majority of people who were enfranchised by the edict would have been poor. Geta died in his mother's arms. As a result, Commodus appeared more rarely in public, preferring to live on his estates. [77], Caracalla was not subject to a proper damnatio memoriae after his assassination; while the Senate disliked him, his popularity with the military prevented Macrinus and the Senate from openly declaring him to be a hostis. The ancient sources portray Caracalla as a tyrant and as a cruel leader, an image that has survived into modernity. Inside South Africas skeleton trade. It is widely accepted, and clearly most likely, that Caracalla ordered the assassination himself, as the two had never been on favourable terms with one another, much less after succeeding their father. In one account he is said to have amazed the Roman people with his naumachiae, simulated naval battles held in the Circus Maximus, with ships floating on wine to evoke the wine-dark sea of Homers Odyssey. [31][32] Caracalla responded to this insult by slaughtering the deputation of leading citizens who had unsuspectingly assembled before the city to greet his arrival in December 215, before setting his troops against Alexandria for several days of looting and plunder. Lucilla was exiled to Capri and later killed. [10] Among his teachers, Onesicrates, Antistius Capella, Titus Aius Sanctus, and Pitholaus are mentioned.[10][11]. 3. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). According to a new study, we can blame it on the rain. Report Save. During 191, the city of Rome was extensively damaged by a fire that raged for several days, during which many public buildings including the Temple of Pax, the Temple of Vesta, and parts of the imperial palace were destroyed. [91], Caracalla's memory was revived in the art of late eighteenth-century French painters. Executed Roman emperors (18 P) R. Roman emperors murdered by the Praetorian Guard (2 C, 13 P) Pages in category "Murdered Roman emperors" The following 31 pages are in this category, out of 31 total. Then, Christian pulled data on military mutinies and emperor assassinations in ancient Rome. The edict gave all the enfranchised men Caracalla's adopted praenomen and nomen: "Marcus Aurelius". He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. [13], In 205, Caracalla was consul for the second time, in company with Geta his brother's first consulship. [12] He thus technically became a part of the well-remembered Antonine dynasty. J. Gag, "La mystique imperiale et l'preuve des jeux. [23] His name became Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Pius Augustus. Christian, who considers himself an economic historian, made the discovery by using ancient climate data from a 2011 study in the journal Science. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. He never had intercourse with the same woman twice except with his wife, the Augustan History relates, and he opened brothels in his house for his friends, his clients, and his slaves.. He turned out to be an incompetent general, too, leading his army to defeat against the Parthians, Romes great enemy in the Middle East. It was "a most disgraceful business", said the disgusted historian Cassius Dio who was in Rome at the time. They were persuaded not to do this by their mother. [12], In early 195, Caracalla's father Septimius Severus had himself adopted posthumously by the deified emperor (divus) Marcus Aurelius (r.161180); accordingly, in 195 or 196 Caracalla was given the imperial rank of Caesar, adopting the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Caesar, and was named imperator destinatus (or designatus) in 197, possibly on his birthday, 4 April, and certainly before 7 May. [90], Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical History of the Kings of Britain makes Caracalla a king of Britain, referring to him by his actual name "Bassianus", rather than by the nickname Caracalla. [13][12] His brother Geta was proclaimed nobilissimus caesar on the same day, and their father Septimius Severus was awarded the victory name Parthicus Maximus. There he served as high priest of the sun god Elah-Gabal, a local form of the god Baal. [67] In the following winter, Caracalla retired to Edessa, modern anlurfa in south-east Turkey, and began making preparations to renew the campaign by spring. The secret superpowers of elephants, in stop motion, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Commodus was also known for fighting exotic animals in the arena, often to the horror and disgust of the Roman populace. [33] A fragmented inscription found in the church of Sant' Agata dei Goti in Rome records the construction, or possibly restoration, of a temple dedicated to the god Serapis. [17][24] Caracalla and Geta considered dividing the empire in half along the Bosphorus to make their co-rule less hostile. ), The accounts of his life spill into the fantastical. In that study, researchers analyzed thousands of fossilized tree rings from France and Germany and calculated how much it had rained there (in millimeters) every spring for the past 2,500 years. In the view of Cassius Dio, his accession marked the descent "from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust".[22]. His reign is commonly thought as marking the end of a golden age of peace and prosperity in the history of the Roman Empire (the . He refused to adopt the traditional gods of Rome and abandon his own. [67], At the beginning of 217, Caracalla was still based at Edessa before renewing hostilities against Parthia. Published: April 8, 2020 at 4:30 pm. Alarmed, Elagabalus plotted to have him killed, but news of the assassination plot triggered a military revolution. The other eastern legions were quick to follow in recognizing him. He even profaned the House of the Vestal Virgins in the Forum by taking one of the sacred virgins as his wife. Macrinus succeeded him as emperor three days later. He persecuted Christians and was later taken captive by the Persian emperor Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, becoming the first Roman emperor to be captured as a prisoner of war, causing shock and instability throughout the Roman Empire. The fall of Perennis brought a new spate of executions: Aufidius Victorinus committed suicide. Commodus also had a passion for gladiatorial combat, which he took so far as to take to the arena himself, dressed as a secutor. Perhaps seeing this as an opportunity, early in 192 Commodus, declaring himself the new Romulus, ritually re-founded Rome, renaming the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. The young Roman Emperor Alexander Severus secured the imperial throne after the assassination of his cousin Elagabalus by the Praetorian Guard in 222 CE. Why am I always sleepy even when I get enough sleep? After these attempts on his life, Commodus spent much of his time outside Rome, mostly on the family estates at Lanuvium. According to the ancient historian Cassius Dio, after murdering Emperor Pertinax in A.D. 193, the Praetorian Guard tried to cash . Wood also notes the similarity between Caracalla and his crimes leading to his assassination and the eventual uprising against, and death of, King Louis XVI: both rulers had died as a result of their apparent tyranny. [38], Caracalla also erected a temple on the Quirinal Hill in 212, which he dedicated to Serapis. But while rain may have played a role, so did other factors, Conant said. Marcus Aurelius was the first emperor since Vespasian to have a legitimate biological son, though he himself was the fifth in the line of the so-called Five Good Emperors, also known as the Adoptive Emperors, each of whom had adopted his successor. The thermae are named for Caracalla, though it is most probable that his father was responsible for their planning. Like Decius before him, he . The evidence for this exists in two inscriptions found near the temple that appear to bear their names. She may have represented her son and played a role in meetings and answering queries; however, the final authority on legal matters was Caracalla. An emblem of Roman decadence, an aura of fascination clings to this teenage emperor who, because of his association with the cult of Elah-Gabal, came to be known as Elagabalus. [47] On other occasions, Commodus killed three elephants on the floor of the arena by himself,[48] and a giraffe.[49]. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (/krkl/)[3] was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD. Here's the reasoning: When rainfall was low, troops in the Roman military who depended on the rain to water crops grown by local farmers would have starved. [80] Dio explicitly presented Caracalla as an emperor who marched with the soldiers and behaved like a soldier. Modern historians not only cast a great deal of doubt on his account, but also consider that Aelius is an assumed name. Unauthorized use is prohibited. For centuries, becoming emperor of the Roman Empire was an enticing prospect, and numerous people . (Read about the power and influence of Rome's Vestal Virgins. [9], Caracalla was born in Lugdunum, Gaul (now Lyon, France), on 4April 188 to Septimius Severus (r.193211) and Julia Domna, thus giving him Punic paternal ancestry and Arab maternal ancestry. [64][65] He began openly mimicking Alexander in his personal style. The latter was a strong indicator of Geta's effort to be seen as the true successor to their father, an effort that came to naught when he was murdered. Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree. Also, in Britain in 184, the governor Ulpius Marcellus re-advanced the Roman frontier northward to the Antonine Wall, but the legionaries revolted against his harsh discipline and acclaimed another legate, Priscus, as emperor. [16] The wedding took place between the 9 and the 15 April. Modern works continue to portray Caracalla as an evil ruler, painting him as one of the most tyrannical of all Roman emperors. Unlike the preceding emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, he seems to have had little interest in the business of administration. Share. [61] He spent much of his time with the soldiers, so much so that he began to imitate their dress and adopt their manners. This area once comprised the Roman frontier, where military troops were stationed. After the murder of the powerful Saoterus, Perennis took over the reins of government and Commodus found a new chamberlain and favourite in Cleander, a Phrygian freedman who had married one of the emperor's mistresses, Demostratia. Aurangzeb and Murad fought Dara and exiled him, then battled and executed Shuja. According to Cassius Dio, Perennis, though ruthless and ambitious, was not personally corrupt and was a generally good administrator.[23]. [27][28] During the campaign of 213214, Caracalla successfully defeated some of the Germanic tribes while settling other difficulties through diplomacy, though precisely with whom these treaties were made remains unknown. More posts from the WhitePeopleTwitter community. P. A. Brunt, "The Fall of Perennis: Dio-Xiphilinus 79.9.2". All the months of the year were renamed to correspond exactly with his (now twelve) names: Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, and Pius. 5. 9. [27][33], In spring 216 he returned to Antioch and before 27 May had set out to lead his Roman army against the Parthians. Art historian Susan Wood suggests that this reform was for the absolute monarchy to become a constitutional monarchy, as per the original goal of revolution, rather than the republic that it eventually became. The emperor now changed his name to Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus. He was later given the nickname Caracalla, which referred to the Gallic hooded tunic he habitually wore and which he made fashionable. Valentinian got so mad at some Quadi Envoys that he had an aneurysm and dropped dead. At his death, the Roman Empire had the greatest extent it would ever have, encompassing an area of 2 million square miles (5.18 million sq. This was most likely done to cast Serapis into the role of Caracalla's protector from treachery. The most coveted positions of state were held by the charioteers, athletes, and slaves whose job it was to satisfy Elagabaluss carnal needs. He also believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and enjoyed fighting in an arena as a gladiator. The revolt in Brittany was put down by two legions brought over from Britain. [13], When the inhabitants of Alexandria heard of Caracalla's claims that he had killed his brother Geta in self-defence, they produced a satire mocking this as well as Caracalla's other pretensions. 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