Roman Emperor Caracalla: Reign, Legacy, and the Baths

Introduction: Who Was Caracalla?

Caracalla was born Lucius Septimius Bassianus in April of 188 CE. He was later known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus (Meckler, 1994). He was the eldest son of Septimius Severus and served as Roman Emperor for six years, from 211 until his death in 217 (Meckler, 1994). He was considered one of the most nefarious and problematic of the Roman Emperors, and his reign is generally remembered for a few key things:

He granted Roman citizenship to all free men throughout the Roman Empire. While this sounds like a generous act, it was done primarily to increase the tax base. In order to pay the legions, he debased the silver content of Roman coins by 25%. He also constructed the Baths of Caracalla outside of Rome — the remains of which can still be seen today and which remain one of the central things people associate with his name (Meckler, 1994).

When Caracalla was born he was called Lucius, but at the age of seven his name was changed to Marcus Aurelius to signify and solidify his connection to that imperial family (Meckler, 1994). The nickname "Caracalla" came about later and was a reference to the Gallic hooded tunic he almost always wore (Meckler, 1994). He ultimately made this style of tunic very fashionable during his time.

The Rise to Power

When Caracalla's father died, he and his brother were named co-emperors (Chastagnol, 1994). However, Caracalla wanted sole control over the empire, and tension between the brothers continued to grow (Chastagnol, 1994). It became clear that joint rule was unworkable, and the brothers considered dividing the empire between them (Chastagnol, 1994). Their mother persuaded them not to do this. It was not long before Caracalla began having people close to him and within his brother's family assassinated (Chastagnol, 1994). He managed to persecute his brother as well, and ultimately seized sole power over the Roman Empire (Chastagnol, 1994).

He was much like his father in that he was a strong and often cruel ruler who gave others no second chances (Chastagnol, 1994). He pursued his own agenda without deviation, regardless of whether it was unpopular or seen as unfair. Most people kept their opinions to themselves in order to be left alone and remain alive. Not everyone felt compelled to submit quietly — some were killed for becoming too vocal — but many others survived by staying silent.

The Reign of Caracalla

In 213 CE, Caracalla headed north to the frontier with Germany to deal with the Alamanni (Richardson, 1992). He won the soldiers' sympathy through generous pay raises and gestures that were popular among the rank and file. He marched on foot among ordinary soldiers, ate the same food they did, and worked alongside them rather than living apart in comfort.

This kept him very popular with the soldiers and earned him considerable loyalty (Richardson, 1992). It was partly that loyalty that helped him and his forces defeat the Alamanni near the Rhine River in a fierce battle (Richardson, 1992). Although he won, the victory was not decisive. A peace agreement was nonetheless brokered, and the Senate awarded him the title of Germanicus Maximus (Richardson, 1992). A year later, Caracalla travelled east.

The inhabitants of Alexandria had heard Caracalla's claim that he killed his brother Geta in self-defense (Birley, 1988). They began to mock this claim and produced a great deal of satire about it, ridiculing his other pretensions as well (Birley, 1988). In 215 CE, enraged by this ridicule, Caracalla savagely attacked and slaughtered a group of leading Alexandrian citizens who had assembled near the city to greet him upon his arrival (Birley, 1988). He then turned his troops loose within the city for several days with the aim of plundering and looting. Accounts of the event vary, but many historians believe that more than 20,000 people were killed during that period (Birley, 1988).

Conclusion

It was no secret that Caracalla was a harsh ruler. He frequently had people killed simply because he had the power to do so, and he trusted virtually no one. His reign is infamous for many deadly and terrible acts. However, it is also remembered for the baths and for the favorable treatment of the soldiers in his army. It is important to acknowledge these things, because otherwise the reign of Caracalla risks being remembered as wholly negative. It was not, though there was little genuine concern for the ordinary people who made up the empire, and far more concern for those who could protect it. Wealth and power were highly prized — so long as no one grew wealthier or more powerful than the Emperor himself.

Bibliography

Birley, Anthony R. (1988). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor (2nd ed.). Yale University Press: New Haven, Connecticut.

Chastagnol, Andre. (1994). Histoire Auguste. Robert Laffont: Paris.

DeLaine, Janet. (1997). The Baths of Caracalla. Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Meckler, Michael. (1994). Caracalla and his late-antique biographer: A historical commentary on the Vita Caracalli in the Historia Augusta. University of Michigan.

Millar, Fergus. (1993). The Roman Near East. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Richardson, L. (1992). A new topographical dictionary of ancient Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore.

Wikipedia. (2008). Emperor Caracalla. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracalla