Caracalla
A brutal and paranoid emperor whose reign is defined by fratricide and the construction of Rome's most breathtaking public bath complex.
Born 188 (age 1838)·Roman emperor from 198 to 217·Birthday: April 4
Biography
Caracalla granted Roman citizenship to nearly every free inhabitant of the empire with the Constitutio Antoniniana. Born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, son of Emperor Septimius Severus, his life was shaped by dynastic ambition and frontier battlefields. His father renamed him Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, but history remembers his Gallic hooded cloak: the Caracalla. His rule began in joint administration with his brother Geta. Within months of their father's death, Caracalla orchestrated Geta's murder in their mother's arms, then purged thousands of supporters. His reign focused on military populism: he raised soldiers' pay and expanded the tax base with universal citizenship. His most enduring physical legacy is the Baths of Caracalla. He was assassinated on a roadside in Mesopotamia, cut down by a disgruntled soldier.
#1 When Caracalla Was Born
The biggest hits of 188
Caracalla's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
188Born
193Started school
201Became a teenager
204Could drive
206Could vote
209Turned 21
218Turned 30
228Turned 40
238Turned 50
248Turned 60
258Turned 70
268Turned 80
2026Age 1838 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Issued the Constitutio Antoniniana in 212 AD, extending Roman citizenship to all free-born men in the empire.
- Commissioned the massive Baths of Caracalla, one of the largest and most luxurious public bathhouses ever built.
- Successfully campaigned along the Germanic frontier and in the East against the Parthian Empire.
- Increased the pay of Roman legionaries significantly, binding the army's loyalty at great fiscal cost.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Caracalla' comes from a type of Gallic hooded tunic he frequently wore and made fashionable.
He was a great admirer of Alexander the Great and even raised a phalanx of soldiers in the Macedonian style.
He ordered the construction of a vast racetrack in Rome, the Circus Varianus, whose location is now lost.
A 3rd-century portrait sculpture of him, the 'Farnese Bust,' is considered a masterpiece of Roman art.
“Let there be no enemies among the Romans.”
