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Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Severus II (-307), full name Flavius Valerius Severus, was of humble birth from Illyria, but he managed to rise and become a senior officer in the Roman army. He was an old friend of Emperor Galerius, and the emperor ordered Severus be appointed as Caesar of the Western Roman Empire in 305, serving as deputy-emperor to Emperor Constantius I.<br/><br/> Severus was promoted to emperor in 306 after the death of Constantius, in opposition to the claims made by Constantius' soldiers that his son, Constantine I, was emperor. Severus was sent to deal with the usurper emperor Maxentius in Rome, marching towards Rome at the head of an army once commanded by former Emperor Maximian, Maxentius' father. Maxentius, fearing Severus' arrival, offered his father co-rule of the empire, which he accepted.<br/><br/> Therefore, when Severus arrived at the walls of Rome, his army deserted him for Maximian, forcing Severus to flee to Ravenna. Maximian offered him protection if he surrendered peacefully, which he did in 307. Nevertheless, Severus was still displayed as a captive and imprisoned at Tres Tabernae. When Galerius himself invaded Italy to defeat Maxentius and Maximian, Maxentius ordered Severus' execution, which occurred on 16 September 307.
Macrinus (165-218) was a skilled lawyer serving under Emperor Septimius Severus, before Severus' son and successor Caracalla appointed him to prefect of the Praetorian Guard. He enjoyed the trust and protection of Caracalla, until a prophecy claimed that Macrinus would depose and succeed the emperor. Fearing for his life, Macrinus plotted to have Caracalla murdered before he himself was condemned to death.<br/><br/> Manipulating a soldier into murdering Caracalla, Macrinus became emperor in 217, the first Roman emperor not to have hailed from the senatorial class, as well as being the first Mauretanian emperor. He ruled jointly with his young son Diadumenianus, and his first acts as emperor were to try and bring diplomatic and economic stability to an empire that had been dragged into war with several kingdoms by his predecessors. At a heavy cost to the Empire's coffers, Macrinus peacefully resolved many of the wars Rome was embroiled in, but the changes and monetary costs made him enemies in the Roman military.<br/><br/> Julia Maesa, sister in law to Septimius Severus and aunt to Caracalla, took advantage of the unrest to start a rebellion and had her fourteen-year-old grandson Elagabalus recognised as emperor. Macrinus was defeated and executed in 218, with his son also captured and executed later in the year. He and his son were declared enemies of Rome by the Senate, their names struck from the records and their images destroyed.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule. Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the antoninianus, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire. Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Severus II (-307), full name Flavius Valerius Severus, was of humble birth from Illyria, but he managed to rise and become a senior officer in the Roman army. He was an old friend of Emperor Galerius, and the emperor ordered Severus be appointed as Caesar of the Western Roman Empire in 305, serving as deputy-emperor to Emperor Constantius I.<br/><br/> Severus was promoted to emperor in 306 after the death of Constantius, in opposition to the claims made by Constantius' soldiers that his son, Constantine I, was emperor. Severus was sent to deal with the usurper emperor Maxentius in Rome, marching towards Rome at the head of an army once commanded by former Emperor Maximian, Maxentius' father. Maxentius, fearing Severus' arrival, offered his father co-rule of the empire, which he accepted.<br/><br/> Therefore, when Severus arrived at the walls of Rome, his army deserted him for Maximian, forcing Severus to flee to Ravenna. Maximian offered him protection if he surrendered peacefully, which he did in 307. Nevertheless, Severus was still displayed as a captive and imprisoned at Tres Tabernae. When Galerius himself invaded Italy to defeat Maxentius and Maximian, Maxentius ordered Severus' execution, which occurred on 16 September 307.
Philip II (238-249), also known as Philippus II and Philip the Younger, was the son and heir to Emperor Philip I, or Philip the Arab. When Philip I became emperor in 244, Philip II was appointed Caesar, and served as consul in 247. His father eventually elevated him to Augustus and co-emperor some time later.<br/><br/> Philip I was killed in battle with rival claimant Decius in 249, and when news of his death reached Rome the Praetorian Guard murdered Philip II. It was said that he died in his mother's arms, aged only eleven.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Didius Julianus (133/137-193 CE) was raised by Domitia Lucilla, the mother of emperor Marcus Aurelius, and was groomed for public office and distinction. He served in the Roman army, and was raised to consulship alongside Pertinax in 175 CE for his successes against the Germanic tribes.<br/><br/> After the Praetorian Guard murdered Pertinax in March 193 CE, they put the imperial throne up for bidding, willing to sell it to whomever could pay the most. Julianus won the bidding war, and was declared as Caesar and emperor, with the Senate formalising the declaration under military threat. His controversial ascension immediately invoked widespread public anger and caused a civil war in protest, with multiple rival claimants to the throne rising up, causing the year to be known as the Year of the Five Emperors.<br/><br/> The Praetorian Guard had become an undisciplined and debauched lot by then, strangers to active military operations, and could not halt rival Septimius Severus' progress towards Rome, who was declared by all Italy as their rightful emperor. Eventually, Julianus was deserted by practically everyone of import, and he was executed after only nine weeks of rule.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the antoninianus, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Severus Alexander (208-235 CE) was cousin to Emperor Elagabalus, and his heir apparent. When Elagabalus was assassinated in 222 CE, the fourteen-year-old became emperor, under the auspice of his grandmother Julia Maesa, who had arranged for Alexander's accession just as she had done with Elagabalus before him.<br/><br/> Alexander quickly did much to correct the domestic troubles Elagabalus had caused, cleaning up the image of the imperial throne and improving the morals and dignity of the state. His reign was considered prosperous, but militarily, the Empire was faced against the rising threat of the Sassanid Empire in the east, as well as the tribes of Germania. It was during his campaign against the latter that Alexander would meet his end. His attempts to negotiate peace with the Germanic tribes through bribery and diplomacy alienated many in the Roman Army, and ultimately led to his assassination in 235 CE.<br/><br/> His death saw the end of the Severan dynasty and marked the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century, which resulted in nearly 50 years of civil wars, foreign invasions and economic collapse throughout the Empire.
Macrinus (165-218 CE) was a skilled lawyer serving under Emperor Septimius Severus, before Severus' son and successor Caracalla appointed him to prefect of the Praetorian Guard. He enjoyed the trust and protection of Caracalla, until a prophecy was told that claimed Macrinus would depose and succeed the emperor. Fearing for his life, Macrinus plotted to have Caracalla murdered before he himself was condemned to death.<br/><br/> Manipulating a soldier into murdering Caracalla, Macrinus became emperor in 217 CE, the first Roman emperor not to have hailed from the senatorial class, as well as being the first Mauretanian emperor. He ruled jointly with his young son Diadumenianus, and his first acts as emperor were to try and bring diplomatic and economic stability to an empire that had been dragged to war with several kingdoms by his predecessors. At a heavy cost to the Empire's coffers, Macrinus peacefully resolved many of the wars Rome was embroiled in, but the changes and monetary costs made him enemies in the Roman military.<br/><br/> Julia Maesa, sister in law to Septimius Severus and aunt to Caracalla, took advantage of the unrest to start a rebellion and had her fourteen-year-old grandson Elagabalus recognised as emperor. Macrinus was defeated and executed in 218 CE, with his son also captured and executed later in the year. He and his son were declared enemies of Rome by the Senate, their names struck from the records and their images destroyed.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters., Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertinax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Born as Lucius Septimius Bassianus (188-217 CE) but renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus after his father's union with the families of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, he gained his agnomen Caracalla from a Gallic hooded tunic which he often wore. Eldest son of Emperor Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 CE until his father's death in 211 CE. He then became joint emperor with his younger brother Geta, but he quickly murdered his brother less than a year into their joint rule.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign was marked by continued assaults from the Germanic peoples as well as constant domestic instability. Caracalla was famed for enacting the Edict of Caracalla, also known as the Antonine Constitution, which granted Roman citizenship to almost all the freemen living throughout the Empire. He was also known for his establishment of a new Roman currency, the <i>antoninianus</i>, as well as building the Baths of Caracalla, the second largest in Rome. In terms of infamy, Caracalla was known for his massacres against the Roman people and other citizens of the Empire.<br/><br/> Caracalla's reign ended in 217 CE, after he had instigated a new campaign against the Parthian Empire. Caracalla had stopped briefly to urinate when a soldier approached him and stabbed him to death, incensed by Caracalla's refusal to grant him the position of Centurion. Caracalla would be posthumously known for his savage cruelty and treachery, as well as for murdering his own brother and his brother's supporters.
Pertinax (126-193 CE) was born the son of a freed slave, and worked as a teacher before becoming an officer in the army. Successful campaigns against the Parthians saw him rise in rank and prestige, with Pertinax eventually rising to become a member of the Senate.<br/><br/> Pertinax was declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard after the death of Commodus, where he immediately tried to institute several sweeping reforms. One of these reforms was the restoration of discipline amongst the pampered Praetorian Guard, making enemies that ultimately resulted in Pertinax's assassination by members of the Guard just under three months into his reign. After his death, the Praetorians acutioned off the imperial title, resulting in a brief civil war and the year 193 CE becoming known as the Year of the Five Emperors.<br/><br/> Pertinax was later deified by Septimius Severus, the emperor after Pertinax's successor, Didius Julianus. His reputation throughout history has largely been a positive one, though his short reign has made it difficult to dertermine what his rule would have truly been like.
Didius Julianus (133/137-193 CE) was raised by Domitia Lucilla, the mother of emperor Marcus Aurelius, and was groomed for public office and distinction. He served in the Roman army, and was raised to consulship alongside Pertinax in 175 CE for his successes against the Germanic tribes.<br/><br/> After the Praetorian Guard murdered Pertinax in March 193 CE, they put the imperial throne up for bidding, willing to sell it to whomever could pay the most. Julianus won the bidding war, and was declared as Caesar and emperor, with the Senate formalising the declaration under military threat. His controversial ascension immediately invoked widespread public anger and caused a civil war in protest, with multiple rival claimants to the throne rising up, causing the year to be known as the Year of the Five Emperors.<br/><br/> The Praetorian Guard had become an undisciplined and debauched lot by then, strangers to active military operations, and could not halt rival Septimius Severus' progress towards Rome, who was declared by all Italy as their rightful emperor. Eventually, Julianus was deserted by practically everyone of import, and he was executed after only nine weeks of rule.
Macrinus (165-218) was a skilled lawyer serving under Emperor Septimius Severus, before Severus' son and successor Caracalla appointed him to prefect of the Praetorian Guard. He enjoyed the trust and protection of Caracalla, until a prophecy claimed that Macrinus would depose and succeed the emperor. Fearing for his life, Macrinus plotted to have Caracalla murdered before he himself was condemned to death.<br/><br/> Manipulating a soldier into murdering Caracalla, Macrinus became emperor in 217, the first Roman emperor not to have hailed from the senatorial class, as well as being the first Mauretanian emperor. He ruled jointly with his young son Diadumenianus, and his first acts as emperor were to try and bring diplomatic and economic stability to an empire that had been dragged into war with several kingdoms by his predecessors. At a heavy cost to the Empire's coffers, Macrinus peacefully resolved many of the wars Rome was embroiled in, but the changes and monetary costs made him enemies in the Roman military.<br/><br/> Julia Maesa, sister in law to Septimius Severus and aunt to Caracalla, took advantage of the unrest to start a rebellion and had her fourteen-year-old grandson Elagabalus recognised as emperor. Macrinus was defeated and executed in 218, with his son also captured and executed later in the year. He and his son were declared enemies of Rome by the Senate, their names struck from the records and their images destroyed.
Macrinus (165-218 CE) was a skilled lawyer serving under Emperor Septimius Severus, before Severus' son and successor Caracalla appointed him to prefect of the Praetorian Guard. He enjoyed the trust and protection of Caracalla, until a prophecy was told that claimed Macrinus would depose and succeed the emperor. Fearing for his life, Macrinus plotted to have Caracalla murdered before he himself was condemned to death.<br/><br/> Manipulating a soldier into murdering Caracalla, Macrinus became emperor in 217 CE, the first Roman emperor not to have hailed from the senatorial class, as well as being the first Mauretanian emperor. He ruled jointly with his young son Diadumenianus, and his first acts as emperor were to try and bring diplomatic and economic stability to an empire that had been dragged to war with several kingdoms by his predecessors. At a heavy cost to the Empire's coffers, Macrinus peacefully resolved many of the wars Rome was embroiled in, but the changes and monetary costs made him enemies in the Roman military.<br/><br/> Julia Maesa, sister in law to Septimius Severus and aunt to Caracalla, took advantage of the unrest to start a rebellion and had her fourteen-year-old grandson Elagabalus recognised as emperor. Macrinus was defeated and executed in 218 CE, with his son also captured and executed later in the year. He and his son were declared enemies of Rome by the Senate, their names struck from the records and their images destroyed.
Didius Julianus (133/137-193) was raised by Domitia Lucilla, the mother of emperor Marcus Aurelius, and was groomed for public office and distinction. He served in the Roman army, and was raised to consulship alongside Pertinax in 175 CE for his successes against the Germanic tribes.<br/><br/> After the Praetorian Guard murdered Pertinax in March 193, they put the imperial throne up for bidding, willing to sell it to whomever could pay the most. Julianus won the bidding war, and was declared as Caesar and emperor, with the Senate formalising the declaration under military threat. His controversial ascension immediately invoked widespread public anger and caused a civil war in protest, with multiple rival claimants to the throne rising up, causing the year to be known as the Year of the Five Emperors.<br/><br/> The Praetorian Guard had become an undisciplined and debauched lot by then, strangers to active military operations, and could not halt rival Septimius Severus' progress towards Rome, who was declared by all Italy as their rightful emperor. Eventually, Julianus was deserted by practically everyone of import, and he was executed after only nine weeks of rule.
Didius Julianus (133/137-193 CE) was raised by Domitia Lucilla, the mother of emperor Marcus Aurelius, and was groomed for public office and distinction. He served in the Roman army, and was raised to consulship alongside Pertinax in 175 CE for his successes against the Germanic tribes.<br/><br/> After the Praetorian Guard murdered Pertinax in March 193 CE, they put the imperial throne up for bidding, willing to sell it to whomever could pay the most. Julianus won the bidding war, and was declared as Caesar and emperor, with the Senate formalising the declaration under military threat. His controversial ascension immediately invoked widespread public anger and caused a civil war in protest, with multiple rival claimants to the throne rising up, causing the year to be known as the Year of the Five Emperors.<br/><br/> The Praetorian Guard had become an undisciplined and debauched lot by then, strangers to active military operations, and could not halt rival Septimius Severus' progress towards Rome, who was declared by all Italy as their rightful emperor. Eventually, Julianus was deserted by practically everyone of import, and he was executed after only nine weeks of rule.
Philip II (238-249), also known as Philippus II and Philip the Younger, was the son and heir to Emperor Philip I, or Philip the Arab. When Philip I became emperor in 244, Philip II was appointed Caesar, and served as consul in 247. His father eventually elevated him to Augustus and co-emperor some time later.<br/><br/> Philip I was killed in battle with rival claimant Decius in 249, and when news of his death reached Rome the Praetorian Guard murdered Philip II. It was said that he died in his mother's arms, aged only eleven.