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Caracalla

Bust of Caracalla. Centrale Montemartini, Rome (Italy). Photo Jona Lendering.
Caracalla (Centrale
Montemartini, Roma; ©**)
Caracalla: emperor of the Roman world (211-217).

Names:

  • 4 April 186: Lucius Septimius Bassianus 
  • Nicnames: Caracalla, Tarautas 
  • 4 April 196: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Caesar
  • Autumn 197: Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus 
  • 4 February 211: Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Pius Augustus 
  • Britannicus maximus (210), Parthicus maximus (211), Arabicus maximus (211), Adiabenicus maximus (211) Magnus (213), Germanicus maximus (213)
  • 8 April 217: murdered by Macrinus
Successor of: Lucius Septimius Severus

Relatives:

Early career:

Main deeds:

  • 211 Death of Lucius Septimius Severus; Caracalla and Geta are recognized; return to Rome; execution of Plautilla; Caracalla kills Geta
  • 212 Constitutio Antoniniana (Roman citizenship to all freeborn men)
  • 213 Consul IV (with Decimus Calvius Calvinus Balbinus); successes against the Germanic tribes (the Alamans); visits Mainz
  • 214 Leaves for the east; visits the Lower Danube, Asia, visits Nicomedia
  • 215 Stay in Antioch; his mother Julia Domna in charge of the offices of a libellis and ab epistulis; proceeds to Alexandria
  • 216 Return to Antioch; preparations for war against the Parthian Empire; attack on Arbela
  • 217 Killed near Harran; succeeded by Macrinus, his praetorian prefect
The road from Edessa to Harran. Photo Jona Lendering.
The road from Edessa to Harran
Buildings: Baths of Caracalla in Rome; Baths of Caracalla in Ankara

Succeeded by: Macrinus

Contemporary events:

  • 212 Death of Papinianus

Links:

This brief article has been written to offer background information
to the real articles on Livius.Org. One day, this webpage will be
improved. A list of completed articles can be found here.
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