Or how to learn to be scary in three easy lessons
Despite his brief reign, Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus has left a deep mark in history. Surely not that name, nor that of Lucius Septimius Basiano say nothing or almost nothing, nobody. However, Caracalla yes, and that it is not just a motto. And although it did not reach the levels of extravagance and folly of other emperors altoimperial our hero today was really special and, from my point of view, exciting.
Basiano Lucius Septimius was born on 4 April 188, in what is now Lyon, then called Lugdunum. His father, Lucius Septimius Severus, was the governor of the province at the time, but soon went to Pannonia (in the Empire's Danube frontier, more or less south of present-day Hungary), where he would receive the command of several legions. However, it's political career would take a considerable leap in 193.
On New Year's Eve last year the Emperor Commodus was killed (yes, the Gladiator ), and a senator was put in place, Pertinax. But this imposition did not like the legions, who preferred to one of the guild. It lasted only three months, after which the throne was literally bought by Julian Dido. And madness broke out. For something called "the year of the Five Emperors." Dido was, of course, murdered, and Septimius Severus, who was strong enough, it planted in Rome with his legions. He was proclaimed Emperor, but as you all are skinny dog \u200b\u200bflea, soon jumped two more chances: Prescenio Niger and Clodius Albinus, Syria and Britain, respectively. The first was struck and the second purchased on charges ... But he lasted little joy in 195 was defeated at the Battle of Lugdunum, most fratricidal battle waged in Rome. Severo was thus ruling alone.
So with only five years old Basiano was the son of the Emperor. With seven Caesar (something like the crown prince, but at the time co-emperor, in a sense, to be learning the position). With ten years August, thus obtaining the imperial dignity, becoming co-emperor with all of the law. Sources say Basiano, like his brother Geta were young people friendly, respectful and kind. However, everything would change. His character was more bitter with time and his meteoric rise did nothing but aggravate it. Began to target ways, so to speak.
Caracalla child. The sources say what they want, but kid has a face that is not lame (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons )
His father decided rename the naming Caesar, to be renamed from the time Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Why? Septimius Severus was only an emperor legion tax base, by brute force, in addition to "Little Roman" (his ancestry was mainly Berber and Punic, with little Italian blood) and needed some kind of legitimacy. Despite being really cantoso (and tasteless) change so radical a name for connecting with the previous dynasty (the Antonina: Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, the people), did so mainly through his son, who gave the name of the last "big" because of this co-emperor died Early and his son, Commodus was sentenced to damnatio memoriae, the eradication of his name and figure of all the inscriptions and statues of the Empire, and although his rehabilitation did Septimius Severus and deification (to ingratiate himself with genuine Antonines) say that his image was very stained for the plebs. He in turn took the name of Pertinax and invented a genealogy that connects with the Antonines. With a pair.
A crucial year is 198, when Caracalla was appointed co-emperor. At the same time, his brother Publius Septimius Geta a year younger than him, he was promoted to Caesar. Although the idea was his father who ruled the empire together for better management, a growing rivalry between the brothers was born. In 209, two years before he died Severus, Geta was appointed August and thus become co-emperor in the third.
A clear example of how he spent Caracalla is found in their marital life. He was married in 202 a daughter of the chief of the Praetorian (the emperor's guard and who ultimately deposed and put to them), to earn his will clear. But the boy never got along with Fulvia Plautila. In 205 the praetorian bribed to declare that the father of this planning some kind of treason against the Emperor. And he had no choice but out of the way to Fulvio Plautianus. And by the way, just in case, the girl detained on an island.
The Three Emperors marched to Britain in 208, to crush a few islanders to stay calm, strengthen Hadrian's Wall, those things. The family that launched the campaign together, stays together. But Dad was really bad for gout (poor, would be deprived of food, insurance), and died in York in 211. It is said that their children recommended the following: maintain peace, enrich the soldiers and the rest burlaos . Caracalla took him to the letter.
If the relationship between the brothers was not good, since the death of his father only worsened. History shows us a Caracalla ambitious, tyrannical, and indeed that is the image that he himself chose to pass him. I hate, as I fear ... he would say. Or at least attached to it. And is that seeing the imperial busts of himself, really trying to be scary.
Bust of Caracalla. If my memory serves me, is the only imperial bust that looks forward, but to one side. And with a host of bad side to match. Judge you (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons )
One of his first acts as emperor and with his brother, was killed. And not in a discrete way, or by murderers or the like. In the imperial palace, with his hands in front of his mother. If there is a graphical representation of fratricide, that is it.
And thereupon ordered that he be eliminated from history. The year was 212 and Caracalla's reign of terror had only begun. In fact, very few are preserved Geta graphic references, some money and very few busts for someone of his status. Memoriae damnatio pure. Perhaps most curious is that this practice is rarely completely eliminated, for example, the inscription with the name of the offender, but left the hole where once stood. Something like "been there, but not anymore, who knows." The tondo Septimius Family Severo is an example: not destroyed, faded Geta's face and had to continue as if nothing hanging in the office of the officer on duty in that region of Egypt where it was found.
The tondo mented: Septimius Severus Julia Domna and above, Geta and Caracalla, below. Along with the manuals memoriae damnatio should appear this painting (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons )
The classic idea is that they were an angel and devil but today it is thought rather than Caracalla all he did was to attack first. And it was matter of time before one of them would realize that he could govern alone, without other's help. Caracalla was faster, nothing else. But as he won the infamous ...
And part of that fame grew after the fratricide, then made sure that not a single living witness. And the reprisals were several thousand. Twenty thousand some say, between the aforementioned witnesses, Geta clients, friends and like-minded people, and someone passing by when he should not. And despite the building industry policy (las fabulosas termas antoninanas, el conjunto termal más grande jamás edificado), Roma le odiaba. Y como a nadie le gusta estar donde no le quieren, dejó a sus perros al cuidado de su finca particular y se fue a repartir estopa a las fronteras del Imperio. No volvería a Roma.
Tras tranquilizar a los germanos por el norte, marchó hacia Oriente. Otro episodio de crueldad y brutalidad imperial lo encontramos en su visita a Alejandría. Hacía furor una farsa que dejaba en mal lugar al Emperador (algo sobre cierto asesinato de cierto hermano que nunca sucedió, ya me entienden), algo que le enfureció sobremanera. El resultado, the obvious: the city destroyed and thousands of citizens who had done nothing killed. While mingling with the soldiers, lacked the popular heat. And that would end up paying.
However, what most know Caracalla, although many do not know, is falsely attributed to its policy towards Christianity. In fact, he followed his father, who in turn was simply following tradition: let them be, while not being reported, and there used to be if they refused to live with Roman religion and stuff. And at a time, left in the hands of local governors application of laws against Christians. But Christians are awarded a false image, as if they were the perpetrators of the repression they experienced. And it had to blame someone, point a finger at the enemy. And in this case, the devil took on the appearance of the Emperor. Both his image as his father have spent the popular Christian imagination embodying evil, the devil. You back to the beginning of the article and tell me what be the Christian mythology has forked beard ...
The end of Caracalla is expected for one so difficult to appreciate. Someone who strives to be feared ends being terribly hated. And if one of those people who loath your existence is the one who is holding the easiest way to kill you, is that something you did wrong. That person was Macrinus, the praetorian prefect, head of the Praetorians. And we know what happens to these people. But someone came forward with the plans of Macrinus, one of the Emperor's bodyguard, Julio Marcial. Caracalla was with his troops in the East, on his way to Parthia (Iran, Iraq, the area). Reaching Carras (curiously, the place where the Roman Republic took its biggest military setback when Marcus Licinius Crassus was defeated and captured in 53 BC (1) ) did the assassination. Two different historians show two different motivations: Herodian says that he or she sent days before Caracalla's brother Marcial run unfairly and without proof, Dio Cassius says that he was out of resentment, not granted promotion to centurion. Anyway, Caracalla was relaxed from his guard, so it was not difficult to assassinate Marcial, a simple lunge. He tried to flee but was hit by an arrow or a spear and died for it.
The Macrino mented seized the throne for a brief period (fourteen months), until the women of the dynasty moved the Severe wires for the nephew of our hero was recognized as Emperor Caracalla's illegitimate son (presumably with his own cousin), and incarnation of the Sun Your name Elagabalus. But that's another story ...
(1) And no, the phrase "big mistake" not of that defeat ... Crassus is a learned word meaning fat or inexcusable. Coincidence that those who commit the most serious mistake of the Roman Republic was called Crassus.
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