Italy: Carus (222-283), 48th Roman emperor, from the book Romanorvm imperatorvm effigies: elogijs ex diuersis scriptoribus per Thomam Treteru S. Mariae Transtyberim canonicum collectis, 1583

Marcus Numerius Carus (222-283) was born in Gaul but educated in Rome. A senator, he filled various civil and military posts before eventually being appointed prefect of the Praetorian Guard by Emperor Probus in 282.

Either right before or after Probus' assassination, Carus was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers, with Probus' attempts to stop this usurpation leading to his murder by his own soldiers in late 282. Carus avenged the death of Probus by executing his killers, but he was suspected as having been an accessory to the deed. Carus' main achievement during his brief reign was waging a successful campaign against the Sassanid Empire, striking deep into Persian territory and making it all the way to the capital city of Ctesiphon.

Carus died in 283 before further conquest could be conducted however, with various reasons attributed to his death, from disease, to a war wound or being struck by lightning during a violent storm. He was naturally succeeded by his son Numerian without any conflict.

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