Caracalla AD 198-217. Rome
Denarius AR

19 mm, 2,81 g

ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head right / MONETA AVG, Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopia.

Nearly Extremely Fine

RIC 224.

Caracalla, born Lucius Septimius Bassianus on April 4, AD 188, was a Roman emperor who ruled from AD 198 to 217. He was the son of Emperor Septimius Severus and became one of Rome's most infamous rulers, known for his brutal methods and the significant but controversial reforms he enacted during his reign. Caracalla was given the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus at a young age as part of his father’s effort to connect the Severan dynasty with the respected Antonine emperors. His nickname "Caracalla" came from a type of Gallic cloak that he popularized. In AD 198, at the age of 10, Caracalla was made co-emperor with his father, Septimius Severus, who intended for Caracalla and his younger brother, Geta, to rule together after his death. However, the relationship between the two brothers was strained, marked by rivalry and mutual hatred. After the death of Severus in AD 211, Caracalla and Geta briefly ruled as co-emperors, but this arrangement quickly collapsed. In December AD 211, Caracalla had Geta assassinated, allegedly in their mother's arms, and then ordered the execution of Geta’s supporters. He also issued a *damnatio memoriae* against Geta, attempting to erase his brother from public memory by destroying his images and removing his name from inscriptions. Caracalla's rule was characterized by military campaigns and ruthless governance. He spent much of his reign on military campaigns along the empire's frontiers, particularly against the Germanic tribes in the West and the Parthians in the East. Caracalla was popular among the soldiers due to his efforts to raise their pay and improve their conditions, which secured their loyalty but strained the empire's finances. One of Caracalla’s most notable acts was the issuance of the Constitutio Antoniniana, or the Edict of Caracalla, in AD 212. This edict granted Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire. While this decree was framed as a generous act, it was likely motivated by a desire to increase tax revenues, as Roman citizens were subject to certain taxes from which non-citizens were exempt. Caracalla’s reign was also marked by monumental building projects, including the construction of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, one of the largest and most impressive public bath complexes in the Roman world. Despite these achievements, Caracalla’s rule was also marred by cruelty and paranoia. His reign was marked by numerous executions and widespread fear among the Roman elite. His tyrannical behavior ultimately led to his downfall. In AD 217, while on campaign in the East, Caracalla was assassinated by a member of his own bodyguard, likely at the instigation of the Praetorian Prefect Macrinus, who then declared himself emperor. Caracalla’s legacy is a complex one. While he is remembered for his important legal reforms and his popularity with the military, he is also infamous for his cruelty, fratricide, and the harshness of his rule. His assassination marked the end of direct Severan rule, leading to a period of instability in the Roman Empire.