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Bust of Caracalla. Photo by Architas on

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Caracalla

Caracalla was born on 4 April 188. He was the eldest son of emperor Septimius Severus and Empress Julia Domna.

He was a co-ruler with his father in 198 and continued to co-rule with his brother Geta from 209 after their father’s death in 211.

Caracalla found the administration regular, leaving his emperor’s responsibilities to his mother.

During his reign, he was notable for the Antonine Constitution, and he introduced a new roman currency named the antoninianus.

Learn more about Caracalla in these top 10 interesting facts.

1. Caracalla became co-emperor at the age of 9

Bust of young Caracalla in the National Roman Museum Baths of Diocletian. Photo by Liviondronico2013 on

Caracalla was an unruly child. This was evident after his father granted him emperorship at 9. Caracalla started to co-rule the roman empire with his father, Septimius Severus.

He was granted the title of joint Augustus on 29 January 198 A.D, the day his father received a triumph for successfully ravaging the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon.

The ravaging of Ctesiphon brought a lot of gold and silver into lavish possession in Rome.

After this triumph, Caracalla was granted the tribunal powers title of imperator and a chief priesthood title called Pontifex Maximus.

After receiving these titles, Septimius Severus declared Caracalla the ruler of Rome, becoming a co-emperor with his father.

2. Caracalla was forced to marry a woman he hated at the age of 14

At 11, he was referred to as the Pater Patriae, which meant father of the fatherland.

His father put him under pressure to marry when he was not ready. He married fulvia Plautilla, daughter of the Praetorian Guard Gaius Fulvius Plautianus.

Fulvia Plautianus was a wise, gentle woman, but Caracalla hated her being married to her forcefully. They had a daughter tighter in 204 AD.

Fulvia’s father was killed and Caracalla exiled Fulvia. Later on, Fulvia was mysteriously assassinated, probably on Caracalla’s orders.

3. Caracalla was not his real name

His birth name was Lucius Septimius Bassianus, but his name changed to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus when he was seven.

His father named him to reconcile Severan new dynasties with the previous Nerva- Antonine dynasty.

Caracalla remains a nickname that referred to the Gallic hooded tunic he wore. He wore the tunic while fighting the Germanic tribes at the Danube River border of the roman empire.

Modern historians like Cassius Dio refer to him as Tarautas, one of the time’s most violent and brutal gladiators.

4. Caracalla issued the constitution of Antonius

The Constitution of Antonius was also known as the Edict of Caracalla. Caracalla issued it on 11 July AD 212, and it remains one of his notable works.

This edict permitted all free women and men to acquire full Roman citizenship. The edict favored the poor a lot. The poor acquired rights that would immensely benefit them.

Caracalla made this move to benefit the Roman Emperor. Modern historians argue this edict was for him to acquire more profits, giving the soldiers and armies a lavish lifestyle.

He probably did this to appease the gods after he declared his divine support for Serapis, the roman gold of healing.

With this verdict, the gods would be happy even after murdering thousands of people to gain power, including his brother and wife.

5. Caracalla built Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla. Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg on

Caracalla built the Baths of Caracalla, one of the most remarkable structures in ancient Rome. It was built in 211 AD and completed in 216 AD.

The bath was the second-largest Roman public bath in ancient Rome. It remained operational until the 530s, and it was ruined.

The baths covered around 202,000 sq meters and could accommodate around 1,600 bathers at once.

The bath featured a stadium, exercise yards, swimming pools, steam rooms, fountain, meeting rooms, and libraries. The building was used for social and state activities.

6. Caracalla never returned to Rome after departing in 213 AD

Caracalla killed his brother and became the sole human roman emperor. He then departed from Rome to fight the Germanic tribes.

The Germanic tribes were causing trouble at the Danube, the northern frontier of the roman empire.

Caracalla made a deal in the late 214 ad with the remaining tribes to end the campaign and the Alemannic war.

After the Alemannic war ended, Caracalla left Rome and the Germanic tribes heading towards the east, from where he never returned to the city of Rome.

7. Caracalla was obsessed with alexander the great

Caracalla only obeyed two people in his life, his father and alexander the Great. He admired and adored alexander’s military leadership and copied how alexander was administering his army.

Alexander the Great was a famous Greek- Macedonian general. He lived between 356 BC and was regarded most outstanding military leader in history.

Caracalla filled his Imperial capital with images of alexander. He kept bizarre portraits with a double-faced portraits.

One time the members of the Aristotelian school in alexander were murdered during his assault on the city because he believed that Aristotle had alexander the great poisoned.

8. Caracalla had people slaughtered for mocking him in Alexandria

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The people of Alexandria in Egypt in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire wished that Caracalla never visited them.

The people in the Egyptian port were mocking him after he professed to kill his brother Geta in self-defense.

Caracalla didn’t take the mocking lightly. He murdered the entire city’s welcome committee, which had assembled to greet the emperor as he arrived.

Caracalla and his troop looted and plundered the entire city before moving further east to prepare for the Persian war.

9. Caracalla murdered his brother

After his father’s death, he killed his brother Geta. This happened after the two became co-emperor of the roman empire.

They had many disagreements and attempted to split the empire so Geta could rule over eastern provinces and Caracalla to rule western provinces, but their mother prevented this.

After Geta died, a demnatio Memoria followed. The senate pronounced it, and all representatives of Geta were erased.

Over 200,000 people loyal to Geta were massacred due to his assassination. This proved Caracalla assassinated his brother.

10. Caracalla was assassinated in the dessert at the age of 29

Caracalla was stabbed to death by one of his soldiers while he was on his way to the temple near Carrhae.

The soldier was named Justin Martials. He stabbed Caracalla after refusing to award him the position of the centurion in the Roman army.

He was the last roman emperor to be buried in the mausoleum o Hadrian originally built for emperor Hadrian.