Category:Caracalla (subject)
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (186 – 217 CE) succeeded to his father, Septimius Severus in 211 and reigned till 217 CE.
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Overview
Caracalla, the elder son of Septimius Severus succeeded to his father in 211 CE. He is remembered for the Constitutio Antoniniana which granted Roman citizenship to all free provincials as well as for the erection of the huge Baths of Caracalla in Rome. He was succeeded by Macrinus, the praetorian prefect, who had him murdered in 217 CE.
Early Career
Lucius Septimius Bassianus was born at Lugdunum the son of Septimius Severus and of Julia Domna in 187 CE. His father the future emperor Septimius Severus, who stemmed from an equestrian family of African origin, had been elevated to the Senatorial rank by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His mother Julia Domna was the daughter of Julius Bassianus, the high priest of the sun god of Emesa. Lucius Septimius Geta, his younger brother was born in 189 CE. When his father was acclaimed emperor by the legions of Pannonia, he changed the name to his son to Marcus Aurelius Bassianus Antoninus to stress his connections to the Antonine dynasty, of which he saw himself as the political heir. Caracalla, so nicknamed because he wore the caracalla, a hooded tunic of Gallic origin, was married to Fulvia Plautilla, the daughter of Gaius Fulvius Plautianus, the praetorian prefect. Together with his younger brother Geta, Caracalla followed his father in the expedition in Britain.
Imperial Succession
On his deathbed at Eboracum in 211 CE, Septimius Severus had his elder son Caracalla acclaimed emperor by the army, together with his brother Geta. For a whole year he remained in Britain, campaigning against the hostile Caledonian tribes. Back in Rome, after various squabbles with his brother Geta, he had him murdered in the hands of his mother Julia Domna. After the assassination, he ordered the Senate to declare a damnatio memoriae for his brother. Caracalla also had his wife, executed in the wake of persecutions against the alleged supporters of Geta. In 212 C.E., Caracalla published the Constitutio Antoniniana, giving the Roman citizenship to all free provincials. It seems that the main reason was probably to increase the taxation. Caracalla’ main economic reform was the debasing of the silver content of the Roman denarius by 25%, and the introduction of the antoninianus, a double denarius, in order to raise the pay of the legions to 675 denarii, and distribute them various bounties. At Rome, the reign of Caracalla was characterized by the erection of the huge Baths of Caracalla. In 213 CE, Caracalla went campaigning in the Agri Decumates in Germany against the Alamanni. The Germanic tribes were defeated, but no decisive victory was won. He was conferred by the Senate the title of Germanicus Maximus. In 214 CE, Caracalla left once more Rome for the East to open a campaign against Parthia. In 215 CE, while visiting Alexandria, he was mocked by the locals as he claimed to have had his brother killed in self defense. Caracalla reacted having the leading citizens executed and the city looted and plundered for several days. In 217 CE, while campaigning against Parthia he was assassinated by Julius Martialis, an officer in the imperial bodyguard. Caracalla was succeeded by Macrinus, the Praetorian Prefect.
Caracalla and the Jews
The Life of Caracalla refers to the positive and friendly attitude of the future emperor, still heir to the throne to a playmate, who was a proselyte to Judaism (SHA, Antoninus Caracalla 1: 6). Caracalla, together with his father, Septimius Severus, confirmed laws regulating the participation of Jews in public offices, enacted during the later Antonines (Digesta 50.2.3.3.). It seems that when Caracalla, in 212 C.E. enacted the Constitutio Antoniniana de Civitate the Jews were also included between those who benefited from the new law. In fact, before the Constitutio Antoniniana, only the Jews who were Roman citizens were subjects to Roman law; however, once Roman citizenship was awarded to all peregrini, a concession, never officially recognized de jure, was made in favor of all the Jews in the Empire, by which they were allowed to retain some of the institutions of Jewish law. Thus, probably most of the Jews living in Roman Italy, who had the status of peregrini, received Roman citizenship, improving their status. Caracalla visited Palestine in 214 CE, and possibly he met the Jewish Patriarch Judah ha – Nasi. Rabbinic sources, which refer to Antoninus friend of Rabbi, possibly refer to him. The city of Sepphoris, where the Jewish Patriarch lived minted a medallion to celebrate the friendship with the emperor.
Caracalla in ancient sources
- Caracalla (sources) -- survey of ancient sources
Caracalla in literature & the arts
- Caracalla (arts) -- survey of fictional works
Caracalla in scholarship
- Caracalla (research) -- survey of scholarly works
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