Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla share some physiological and political traits.
Severus managed to bring some order to the period of anarchy that followed —or more likely predated – the demise of Commodus, of ‘Gladiator’ fame. He showed some talent at keeping at least some of the Roman aristocracy on side, while really establishing what was more or less a military dictatorship.
His son Lucius Septimius Bassianus, better known as Caracalla, didn’t hesitate in having his brother murdered upon co-inheriting power from his dad, and dispensed with the niceties of keeping part of the aristocracy on side. He had a most profound influence on the Roman world by extending citizenship to all of its freeborn denizens, but the lack of support for his autocracy outside the military led to his eventual assassination on a Syrian road, as well as an atrocious reputation that survives to this day.
Statuesque ...
Tags: SPQR portrait sculpture WC1B London Bloomsbury Great Russel Street British Museum statue Ancient Rome Roman Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Lucius Septimius Severus Eusebes Pertinax Augustus Caracalla Septimius Severus 2019 shotOniPhone UK Antiquity
… which may be a cause for concern, given his somewhat checkered reputation :-)
Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus, or Antoninus on official business, lived in difficult times, and managed to grant full Roman citizenship to all free denizens of his empire, a momentous decision reaching at least a cool 30 millions, possibly more.
Granted, his motives were more likely fiscal than anything else, but still…
When in Rome
Statuesque ...
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… whose patrician name, unfortunately, has been lost in the labyrinth of Time.
When in Rome
Statuesque ...
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… could have been about architecture. Or about Antinous. He seems to have had a keen interest in both.
Statuesque ...
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… he probably got his ‘Faithful’ cognomen on account he kind of forced the deification of his predecessor and adopted father. Hadrian had had a few too many senators executed in his latter years to make that prospect very palatable to the Senate.
Statuesque ...
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