Select Observations of Roman Emperors 2, Part 1 · Emperor 23
Choyce Observations Of BASSIANUS CARACALLA. And ANTONINUS GETA. Brethren.
BAssianus was so called from Julius Bassianus his Grand-father by the Mothers side, and his Father named him Antoninus, out of respect to the Antonini, whose memory was honoured by the Romans.
He was called Caracalla from a new fashioned cassock he wore,See Caligul… p. 49. reaching down to his ancles.
He was a hopefull youth, & endeared himself to the people by weeping and turning away his eyes, when condemned persons were cast to wild beasts, (which tenderness Baronius thinketh proceeded from his Christian nurse Euhodia) yet after he was so changed he seemed not the same. Spartian c. 12.
Knowing well that he could not make himself seem more beautifull then he was,See Caligul… p. 55. he would take the advantage to appear more terrible, affecting a cruell and furious countenance. Tristan. in the 2 part of his Commentaires Historiques. See the 12. 18. 21. 26. 29. 31. Medails of him there.
He attempted to kill his Father; & put to death the Physicians for not hastening his death (as he commanded;) slew his Father in law Plautian, his wife Plautillae, and her brother Plautus, Antip…ter the famous Sophister of that age, Cilo his Tutor, and Euhodus his Foster-father: sparing not any who either honoured his father, or was honoured by him.
When at the Circensian sports (where himself was a spectator) the people cast some scoffe at a chariotier which he favoured, he taking it as an affront to himself, suddenly commanded his souldiers to rush among the multitude, and kill all who had scorned the chariot-driver. Upon this command, it being impossible to find out the delinquents in so great a throng (none confessing himself guilty) the souldiers spared none whom they light upon, but either slew them, or took away what they had for a ransome. Herodtan l. 3. c. 6.
He put down Aristotles Schooles, burnt his books, saying he conspired against Alexander. Xiphiline.
Having seen the body of Alexander the Great,Andr. Schottus l 3 observ. Human. c 19 hath collected a Catalogue of those who said th…y resembled Alexander the Great. he commanded his followers to call him Alexander and Antoninus Magnus; and by flatterers was brought to a fond conceit, that he walked like Alexander with an awfull countenance, and bent his head to the left shoulder; and whatever he observed in the countenance of Alexander, he imitated to the life, and perswaded himself that he had the same lineaments and proportions. Sext. Aur. Victor. vide Schottum.
I have seen divers ridiculous Images, which had one entire Body; and one Head, which had 2. half-faces, to wit, Alexanders and Antonines; saith Herodian. l. 4. c. 8.
He was excessively given to Adultery, while able, yet most severely punished it in others. Excerpta Peiresci. p. 755.
Being unable to weare true armour through his weakness of body, he wore counterfeit harnesse that none might attempt to assassinate him. Excerpta Peiresci.
Fuit ejus immanitatis, ut its praecipuè blandiretur quos ad necem destinabat: ut ejus magis bland…mentum timeretur quàm ir acundia.
He would shew courtesy when he intended mischief;See Commodus p. 142. so that his kindness was more feared then his anger. Spartian in Geta c. 7.
Having miserably impoverished the people, his mother reproved him, to whom he shewing his naked sword, replied; As long as I have this, I will not want, Xiphiline.
Where he wintered, or but intended to winter, he caused Amphitheaters and Cirques for publique games to be erected, and within a while to be taken down again. Id. ibid.
He learned the vices of 3 Nations from whom he drew his original; of the French, vanity, timorousness, and idleness; of the Africans, roughness and wildness; of the Syrians, cunning and malice. Excerpta Peiresci.
He preferred Hannibal, Sylla, and Tiberius, before other commanders for their cruelty; in which he exceeded his father, and all the preceding Emperours.
He confessed that in all his life he never learned to do good. Xiphiline.
When Maximinus the younger (yet a child) got up into Caracall' as Chariot, and was hardly drawn thence, there were some who admonished Caracalla to beware of him, to whom he answered, Longè est ut mihi succedat iste. Capitolinus in Maximino juniore. c. 4.
[Tiberius in like manner when he knew that Galba should be Emperour, but not before old age, said; Vivat sanè quando id ad nos nihil pertinet. Suetonius in Galba. c. 4.]
He delighted more in Magicians and Juglers then in men of worth; for seeing himself hated, he told the Romans he could command his own security, though not their love; and therefore he lesse valued reproches, or feared dangers by their disfavour. Xiphiline. Zonaras.
Yet Oppian who when banished by Severus wrote the Cynegeticks, and after his decease dedicated that work to Caracalla, was therefore recalled from exile, and received a piece of gold for every verse in his Poem.
As Caligula having kild many French and Greeks, In Parthia quid gesserit, …siter Herodianus, aliter Dio narrat. Certum tamen est eum etiam illi… perfidia truculenta potius quam virtute grassatum. Jacobus Capellus in 5. Centuriis.bragged that he had conquered Gallo-Graecia: so Caracalla having perfidiously slain a great number of Germans and Parthians, usurped the titles of Germanicus and Parthicus. Tristan in his parallel of Caracalla with Caligula.
Being incensed against the Alexandrians, who traduced him for his fratricide, and nick-named his mother Iocasta, he commanded the strongest of them to be listed for service; whom when he had enrolled, he killed, after the example of Ptolomeus Euergetes, the 8 of that name, called Physcon; giving moreover a signal to the souldiers to kill their hosts.
He restored all profligate persons who were exiled, to their liberty; and presently after filled the Ilands whither they were banished with more exiles. Xiphiline.
He slew his brother Geta in his mothers armes,Baronius produceth a Medaie of Severus with Caracalla and Geta's heads on the reverse, and these words, Concordia perpetus. whom he forced to dissemble mirth; He consecrated the sword wherewith he kild him sequestred their goods in whose will Geta's name was found, and slew 20000 persons related to him; spending whole nights in such tragicall executions. compare Dion with Herodian.
To cloke which fratricide with shew of constraint, first to the souldiers, and then in the Senate, he accused his brother to have sought his death, and that in defence of himself he was forced to kill him; and thereupon fled to the Praetorian bands for safety of his life, as though further conspiracies had been intended against him in the City.
Notwithstanding which cruelty he arrogated to himself the name of Pius, and after, conquering the Germans, he was not ashamed of the title Germanicus, though through the ambiguity of the word he might be thought to boast of his brothers murder. Hemelarius.
He allowed Geta a good funerall, buried him in a stately monument built by Severus, called Septizonium; wept as often as he saw his picture, or heard mention of his name: and being told that his Fratricide might be expiated in some degree by calling his brother a God, he answered; Sit Divus modò non sit vivus. Spartian in Geta. c. 3.
For the murther of his brother he was punished with madness by the Furies, deservedly called Vltrices Deae.
Affrighted with the Ghost of his Father and Commodus, he prohibited any upon pain of death to name Geta; and broke the mony stamped with his effigies, and abolished all the playes instituted in honour of his birth-day.
By his Favourites, the name of Geta was raced out of all Monuments and Imperiall inscriptions, as we have seen some of them defaced upon some Altar stones found in Britain. Speeds Chron.
He slew Papinian the famous Lawyer, because sollicited by him to defend his Fratricide, he said; It was a crime easilyer committed then excused. Spartian c. 8.
He did chide the executioner, because he beheaded Papinian with an Axe, and not with a sword. Spartian in Caracalla c. 4. and in Geta c. 6. Xiphiline.
When he ascribed to himself the titles of Germanicus, Arabicus, and Alemannicus, Sarmaticus Maximus, and Parthicus Maximus; Helvius Pertinax son to the Emperour Pertinax jestingly said, Adde if you please Geticus Maximus, because of his brother Geta's murther, and because the Gothes (whom he overcame in his passage to the East) are called Getae; which occasioned Pertinax his death. Spartian in Geta ubi suprà, & in Caracalla c. 10.
Being in Mesopotamia, he writes to Maternianus to whom he committed command at Rome, to enquire of the Magicians, (to whom he was so addicted) whether any intended to surprize the Empire. Maternianus writes back that Macrinus treacherously aspired to the Empire; which letter with others Caracalla received while he was at his sport, and delivered them to Macrinus to give him an account of. Macrinus broke up the letters, and fell upon that which aimed at his destruction; wherefore finding his own danger, he reserved that letter to himself, acquainting Caracalla with the rest. But fearing lest Maternianus should write again of the same businesse, he resolved to prevent his imminent danger by this plot. He perswades Martialis a Centurion, and one of Caracalla's guard (whose brother the Emperour had slain a few dayes before, upon an accusation without proof) to dispatch him, which he did whilest the Emperour was about to ease nature.
When he went out of a certain gate, he heeded not the detaining of him, and tearing his garment by a Lion, whom he used to play with, and named Acinaces; who held him as it were by an extraordinary instinct, as if he foreknew the misfortune ready to befall him. Dion.
It was but just, that he who had killed so many of his friends, should be slain by the treason of his enemies.
Both Caligula and Caracalla reigned but a little while. Both were killed by military Tribunes, the one by Cassius Chaerea, whom he was wonted to taxe with effeminacy: and the other by Martialis, who was employed by Macrinus, whom Caracalla charged with the same fault. And which is wonderfull, they both dyed being 29. yeares old, and both their Assassinates were slain after them. Tristan in his parallel of Caracalla with Caligula.
He reigned 6 yeares, 2 moneths and 2 dayes.
Serapion an Egyptian a few dayes before told him, that he should dye shortly, and Macrinus should succeed him: for which he was cast to a Lion, and though the beast spared him, Macrinus would not. Xiphiline.
Both Neró and Caracalla dyed violent deaths, and both had for their successors old men whom they loved not at all, and who reigned not long, being both slain by the practises of two effeminate persons, who were Otho and Heliogabalus. Tristan in his parallel of Caracalla with Nero.
When he was dead, it appeared that he procured as much poyson from the inhabitants of upper Asia, as cost 220000 crowns, that he might poyson severall wayes as many as he pleased. Xiphiline.
It is to be admired, that a man so extremely wicked, tempered himself from slaughter of the Christians.
His wife Plautina had as much for her dowry as would have served 50 Empresses. Her Father Plautian made men Eunuchs, who were married and had children; and their children also were gelded, that she might have musick-masters who might teach her the better, and domestiques of this sort fitter to compose tunes for her.
Dissimilis virtute patri, & multò magis illi,
Cujus adoptivo nomine te perhibes;
Fratris morte nocens, punitus fine cruent…,
In risu populi tu Caracalla jaces.
Ausonius.