Antonino
Consti-
with swords pointed to his bosom.
with swords pointed to his bosom.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - a
449, when the Roman army 3.
A fragment in reply to the letter addressed by
advanced towards Rome to revenge the murder of Theodosius to Augustin with regard to the council
Virginia, and had taken possession of the Aven- of Ephesus, is preserved by Ferrandus in his
tine, Sp. Tarpeius was one of the two ambassadors · Epistola ad Pelagium et Anatolium,” and quoted
whom the senate sent to the revolted army to re- by Galland.
monstrate with theni. In the year following, he 4. Tillemont believes Capreolus to be the author of
and A. Aternius, though both were patricians, were the Sermo de Tempore Barbarico, on the invasion
elected tribunes of the plebs by the cooptation of Africa by the Vandals, usually included among
of the college to support the senate in its opposi- | the works of St. Augustin. Galland, Bibl. Patrum.
tion to the rogation of the tribune L. Trebonius. Fol. ix. Prolegg. p. 31; Schoenemann, Bibl. Pa-
(Liv. iii. 50, 55. )
(L. S. ) trum Latinorum, c. v. 32, wbo enumerates all the
CAPRA'RIUS, a surname of Q. Caecilius Me- editions.
[W. R. )
tellus, consul B. c. 113. [METELLUS. )
CAPTA or CAPITA, a surname of the Minerva
## p. 607 (#627) ############################################
CARACALLA.
607
CARACALLA.
worshipped on the Caelinn hill at Rome. Its | who were of opinion that the wooden horse should
origin was not known. Ovid (Fast. iii. 837, &c. ) be thrown into the water. (Aen. ii. 35. ) Livy
proposes various conjectures about it.
(L. S. ]
(iv. 37) states, that according to some traditions
CAPUSA, the son of Oesalces, who was the the town of Capua, which was previously called
uncle of Masinissa. While the latter was in Vulturnum, derived its name from a Samnite chief
Spain fighting on behalf of the Carthaginians, his of the name of Capys.
(L. S. ]
father Gala died, and was succeeded in the so- CAPYS SI'LVIUS. [Silvius. )
vereignty by his brother Oesalces. Oesalces CAR (Káp), a son of Phoroneus, and king of
also dying shortly afterwards, his son Capusa ob- Megara, from whom the acropolis of this town de-
tained the throne; but as he had not much infiu- rived its name Caria (Paus. i. 39. § 4, 40. $ 5. )
ence among his people, one Mezetulus laid claim His tomb was shewn as late as the time of Pansa-
to the kingdom, and defeated and killed Capusa in nias, on the road from Megara to Corinth. (i. 44.
battle. (Liv. xxix. 29. )
$ 9. ) Another mythical personage of the name of
CAPYS (Kátus). 1. A son of Assaracus and Car, who was a brother of Lydus and Mysus, and
Hieromnemone, and father of Anchises. (Apollod. was regarded as the ancestral hero of the Carians,
i. 12. $ 2; Hom. Il. xx. 239; Virg. Aen. vi. is mentioned by Herodotus. (i. 171. ) (L. S. )
768; Diod. iv. 75. )
CARACALLA or CARACALLUS.
The
2. One of the companions of Aeneas, from whom genealogy of this emperor and of many other luis-
the town of Capua was said to have derived its torical personages will be readily understood from
name. (Virg. Aen. x. 145. ) This Capys was a the following table. An account of each individual
Trojan, and is mentioned by Virgil among those 1 is given in its proper alphabetical place.
Bassianus.
Julia Domna Augusta, second wife of
L. Septimius Severus Augustus.
1
Julia Maesa Augusta, wife
of Julius Avitus.
1
M. Aurelius Antoninus L. (rel. P. ) Septi- Julia Soemias Au- Julia Mamaea Augustan
Augustus, commonly
mius Geta An-
gusta, wife of Sex. wife of Gessius Mar-
called CARACALLA.
gustus.
Varius Marcellus. cianus
1
M. Aurelius Antoninus M. Aurelius Severus
Augustus, commonly
Alexander Augus
called Elagabalus.
tus.
Caracalla or Caracallus, son of Septimius Seve- , ries and honours, put on the manly gown at An-
rus and his second wife Julia Domna, was born tioch in 201, entered upon his first consulship in
at Lyons on the 4th or 6th of April, a. D. 188. 202, and, returning through Egypt to Rome, was
while his father was governor of Gallia Lugdu- married in the course of a few months to Plautilla,
nensis. The child was originally called Bas- daughter of Plautianus, the praetorian praefect.
sianus after his maternal grandfather, but when The political events from this date until the death
Severus thought fit to declare himself the adopted of Severus, which took place at York, on the 4th
offspring of M. Aurelius, he at the same time of February, A. D. 211, are given in the life of that
changed the name of his boy to M. Aurelius Anto prince, whose acuteness and worldly knowledge
ninus, a designation retained by him ever after. were so conspicuous, that he could not, under any
Caracalla or Caracallus, which 'never appears on circumstances, have failed to fathom the real cha-
medals or inscriptions, was a nickname derived racter of his son, who assuredly was little of a hy-
from a long tunic or great coat with a hood, worn pocrite. But, although the youth was known to
by the Gauls, which he adopted as his favourite have tampered with the troops, and once, it is said,
dress after he became emperor, and introduced into was detected in an open attempt to assassinate his
the army. These vestments found great favour, father, no punishment was inflicted, and parental
especially among the lower orders, and were known fondness prevented the feeble old man from taking
as Antoninianae Caracallae.
any steps which might save the empire from being
Young Bassianus is said to have been remark- cursed with such a ruler. Geta however, was
able in early life for a gentle and pleasing address. named joint heir of the throne, having been pre-
At this period he was beloved alike by his parents viously elevated to the rank of consul and dignified
and the people, and displayed no indication of that with the appellations of Caesar and Augustus.
ferocious temper which subsequently rendered him The great object of Caracalla was now the de
the scourge of the world. At the age of eight (196) Struction of this colleague, towards whom he enter-
he received the title of Caesar and Princeps Juven- tained the most deadly hatred. Having failed in
tutis, in Maesia, while his father was marching persuading the army to set aside the claims of his
from the East to encounter Albinus, and the year rival, he, on various occasions, sought his life se-
following (197) he was admitted an extraordinary cretly while they were journeying from Britain to
member of the pontifical college. After the over. Rome with the ashes of their father; but these
throw of Albinus, we find him styled Destinatus treacherous schemes were all frustrated by the vi-
Imperator; and in 198, when ten years old, he gilance of Geta, who was well aware of his danger,
was invested with the tribunician power, and cre- and fear of the soldiery prevented open violence.
ated Augustus. He accompanied Severus in the A pretended reconciliation now took place : they
expedition against the Parthians, sharing his victo- entered the city together, together bestowed a da
## p. 608 (#628) ############################################
608
CARACALLA.
CARACTACUS.
native on the guards and the people, and a nego- been abruptly broken off, he suddenly passed the
tiation was commenced for a peaceful partition of Euphrates in hostile array. The enemy were to
the empire. But the passions of Caracalla could tally unprepared to resist an invasion so unexpect-
no longer be restrained. During an interview held ed, and could offer no effectual resistance. Mesa
in the chamber of Julia, soldiers, who had been potamia was wasted with fire and sword, Arbela
craftily concealed, rushed forth and stabbed the was captured, and the emperor, after digging up the
younger son of the empress in his mother's arms, sepulchres of the Parthian kings and scattering their
while the elder not only stood hy and encouraged, bones, returned to winter at Edessa. Having trea-
but with his own hands assisted in completing the cherously gained possession of the person of Abga-
decd. The murderer sought to appease the irri- rus, king of the Osroeni, he scized upon his terri-
tated troops by pretending that he had only acted tory, and took the field in spring with the intention
in self-defence; but was eventually compelled to of carrying his arms beyond the Tigris. His course
purchase their forbearance by distributing among was first directed towards Carrhae, that he might
them the whole wealth accumulated during his fa- offer homage at a celebrated shrine of the Moon-
ther's reign. The senate he treated with well-deity in that neighbourhood ; but during the march
merited contempt, and, feeling now secure, pro- he was assassinated, at the instigation of Macrinus,
ceeded to glut his vengeance by massacring all the praetorian praefect, by a veteran named Mar-
whom he suspected of having favoured the preten- tialis, on the 8th of April, 217, in the thirtieth
sions or pitied the fate of Geta, whose nanie was year of his age and the seventh of his reign.
forth with erased from the public monuments. The The chronology of the last years of Caracalla is
number of persons sacrificed is said to have amount- full of difficulty, and it is almost impossible to ar-
ed to twenty thousand of both sexes, among the range the different events recorded in their proper
number of whom was Papinianus, the celebrated order with anything like certainty. We hear of
jurist. But these crimes brought their own retri- an expedition against the Alemanni and another
bution. From this moment Caracalla seems nerer against the Getae. The former, commemorated by
to have enjoyed tranquillity for a single hour. the epithet Germanicus, terminated in a purchased
Never were the terrors of an evil conscience more peace; the latter appears to have been partially
fearfully displayed. After endeavouring in rain successful. The portion of Dion Cassius which
to banish remorse by indulgence in all the dissolute refers to this period consists of disjointed and im-
pleasures of Rome, by chariot-racing and gladiato perfect chapters, between which we can seldom
rial shows and wild beast hunts, to each of which establish any connexion. They contain, however,
in turn he devoted himself with frantic eagerness ; much curious information, to which considerable
after grinding the citizens to the earth by taxes additions have been made by the fragments re-
and extortions of every description; and after plun- cently discovered by Mai. Dion tells us, that after
dering the whole world to supply the vast sums death Caracalla was usually spoken of under the
lavished on these amusements and on his soldiers, insulting name of Tarantus, taken from a gladiator
he resolved if possible to escape from himself by remarkable from his short stature, ugly features,
change of place. Wandering with restless activity and sanguinary disposition. The historian himself,
from land to land, he sought to drown the recollec- having explained this term (lxxviii. 9), invariably
tion of his past guilt by fresh enormities. Gaul, employs it in the subsequent portions of his work.
Germany, Dacia, Thrace, Asia, Syria, and Egypt, We must not omit to observe, that Gibbon, fol-
were visited in succession, and were in succession lowing Spanheim and Burmann, ascribes to Cara-
the scene of varied and complicated atrocities. calla the important edict which communicated to
His sojourn at Alexandria was marked by a gene- all free inhabitants of the empire the name and
ral slaughter of the inhabitants, in order to avenge privileges of Roman citizens, while several ancient
certain sarcastic pleasantries in which they had in- | authors attribute this document to M. Aurelius.
dulged against himself and his mother; and the The truth seems to be, that M. Aurelius was the
numbers of the slain were so great, that no one author of a very broad and liberal measure in favour
rentured to make known the amount, but orders of the provincials, clogged, however, by certain
were given to cast the bodies instantly into deep conditions and restrictions which were swept away
trenches, that the extent of the calamity might be by Caracalla, in order that he mght introduce an
more effectually concealed. The Greeks now be uniform system of taxation and extort a larger
lieved that the furies of his brother pursued him revenue in return for a worthless privilege.
with their scourges. It is certain that his bodily (Dion Cass. lxxvii. lxxviii. ; Herodian. iv. ; Spar-
health became seriously affected, and his intellects tian. Vit. Caracall. ; Aurel. Vict. Epit. xxi. , Cues.
evidently deranged. He was tormented by fearful xxi. ; Eutrop. xxi. ; Gruter, Corp. Inscr. pp. cxci.
risions, and the spectres of his father and the cclxvii
. ccc. Mlxxxv. ; Gibbon, chap. vi. ; Joh. P.
murdered Geta stood by him, in the dead of night, Mahneri, Comm. de Marc. Aur.
Antonino Consti-
with swords pointed to his bosom. Believing him- tution. de Civitate Universo Orbi Romanae data,
self spell-bound by the incantations of his foes, he Hall. 1772, quoted by Wenck; comp. Milman's
had recourse to strange rites in order to evoke the Gibbon, vol. i. p. 281. ) A coin of Caracalla's,
spirits of the dead, that from them he might seek which has been accidentally omitted here, is given
a remedy for his tortures; but it was said that under his brother GETA.
(W. R. )
none would answer to his call except the kindred CARACTACUS (or, as Dion Cassius calls him,
soul of Commodus. At last, he sought the aid of Kapátakos or Katapúkatos), was a king of the
the gods, whom he importuned by day and night British tribe of the Silures, and by various pros-
with prayers and many victims; but no deity perous enterprises had raised himself above all the
would vouchsafe a word of comfort to the fraticide. Other British chiefs. He appears to have been a
While in this excited and unhappy condition, most formidable enemy of the Romans. When
he demanded in marriage the daughter of Artaba- they made their last attack upon him, he trans-
nus, the Parthian king; but the negotiation having | ferred the war into the country of the Ordovices,
## p. 609 (#629) ############################################
CARANUS.
609
CARAUSIUS.
mans.
a
And there took a position which was as favourable a lion from Olympus; whereby, it was said, the
to himself as it appeared detrimental to the Ro- king learnt that its erection had been of evil coun-
When Caractacus, in addition to this, had sel, as deepening the enmity of the conquered.
also fortified himself with artificial means, he ex- (Paus. ix. 40. )
horted bis men either to die or to conquer in the 2. Mentioned by Justin (xi. 2) as a son of Phi-
approaching battle. The Roman propraetor, P. lip and a half-brother of Alexander the Great. The
Ostorius, who saw the disadvantages under which latter suspected him of aiming at the throne, and
the Romans were labouring, would not have ven- put him to death soon after his accession, B. c. 336.
tured upon an engagement, had not the courage of 3. A Macedonian of the body called étaipı or
his soldiers and officers demanded it. The superior guards (comp. Polyb. v. 53, xxxi. 3), was one of
military skill of the Roman legions overcame all the generals sent by Alexander against Satibarzanes
the difficulties, and a splendid victory was gained: when he had a second time excited Aria to revolt.
the wife and daughters of Caractacus fell into the Caranus and his colleagues were successful, and
hands of the Romans, and his brothers surrendered. Satibarzanes was defeated and slain, in the winter
Caractncus himself sought the protection of Carti- of B. C. 330. (Arrian, Anal. iii. 25,28 ; Curt. vi. 6.
mandua, queen of the Brigantes; but she betrayed $ 20, &c. , vii. 3. § 2, Freinsheim, ad loc. , vii. 4.
him, and he was delivered up to the Romans, and $ 32, &c. ; comp. Diod. xvii. 81. ) In B. c. 329,
carried to Rome, A. D. 51, after the war in Britain Caranus was appointed, together with Androma-
had lasted for nine years, as Tacitus says. The chus and Menedemus, under the command of the
emperor Claudius wished to exhibit to the people Lycian Pharnuches, to act against Spitamenes, the
this old and formidable foe in his humiliation, and revolted satrap of Sogdiana. Their approach com-
ordered Caractacus and the members of his family, pelled him to raise the siege of Maracanda; but,
with their clients and ornaments, to be led in a in a battle which ensued, he defeated them with
sort of triumph before an assembly of the people the help of a body of Scythian cavalry, and forced
and an array of soldiers. The emperor himself was them to fall back on the river Polytimetus, the
present. The relatives of Caractacus walked by wooded banks of which promised shelter. The
bis side cast down with grief, and entreated the rashness however or cowardice of Caranus led him
mercy of the Romans; Caractacus alone did nei-
to attempt the passage of the river with the cavalry
ther of these things, and when he approached the under his command, and the rest of the troops
seat of the emperor, he stopped and addressed him plunging in after him in haste and disorder, they
in so noble a manner, that Claudius pardoned him were all destroyed by the enemy. (Arr. Anab. iv.
and his friends. They appear, however, not to 3, 5; comp. Curt. vii. 6. & 24, 7. $ 31, &c. ) [E. E. )
have returned to Britain, but to have spent the CARAU'SIUS, M. AURELIUS VALE-
remainder of their life in Italy. (Tac. Ann. xii. RIUS. Maximianus Herculius having equipped
33-38 Hist. iii. 45; Dion Cass. lx. 20. ) [L. S. ] a naval force at Boulogne for the purpose of re-
CARA'NUS (Kápavos or Kapavós). 1. A He- pressing the outrages of the Franks, who cruising
racleid of the family of the Temenidae, and accord- from place to place in their light sloops were de-
ing to some accounts, the founder of the Argive rastating the coasts of Holland, Gaul, and Spain,
dynasty in Macedonia, about the middle probably gave the command of the armament to a certain
of the eighth century B. C. , since he was brother to Carausius, a man of humble extraction, born in Me-
Pheidon, the Argive tyrant. The legend tells, napia, a district between the Scheldt and Meuse,
that he led into Macedonia a large force of Greeks, who had been bred a pilot and had distinguished
and, following a flock of goats, entered the town of himself as a soldier in the war against the Bagaudae.
Edessa in the midst of a heavy storm of rain and Carausius was by no means deficient in zeal and
a thick mist, unobserved by the inhabitants. Re-energy, but after a time his peculiar tactics and
membering the oracle which had desired him “to rapidly increasing wealth gave rise to a suspicion,
seek an empire by the guidance of goats,” he fixed probably not ill founded, that he permitted the
here the seat of government, and named the place pirates to commit their ravages unmolested, and
Aegae in commemoration of the miracle. Herodo then watching for their return, seized the ships
tus gives a different tradition of the origin of the laden with plunder and appropriated to his own
dynasty, and his account seems to bave been adopt- use the greater portion of the spoils thus captured.
ed by Thucydides, who speaks of Archelaus I. as Herculius accordingly gave orders for his death,
the ninth king, and therefore does not reckon Cara- but the execution of this mandate was anticipated
nus and the other two who come before Perdiccas I. by the vigilance of the intended victim, who having
in the lists of Dexippus and Eusebius. Müller crossed the channel with the fleet, which was de-
thinks that the two traditions are substantially the voted to his interests, and having succeeded in
same, the one in Herodotus being the rude native gaining over the troops quartered in Britain, estab-
legend, while the other, of which Caranus is the lished himself in that island and assumed the title
hero, was the Argive story; and he further sug- of Augustus. His subsequent measures were
gests that Kápavos is perhaps only another form of characterised by the greatest vigour and prudence.
Kolpavos. (Diod. Fragm. ix. p. 637, ed. Wess. ; A number of new galleys was constructed with all
Plut. Alex. 2; Just. vii. 1, xxxiii. 2; Clinton, Fast. speed, alliances were formed with various barbarous
ii. p. 221; Müller, Dor. i. 7. & 15, App. i. § 15, tribes, who were carefully disciplined as sailors, and
and the authorities there referred to; Herod. viii. the usurper soon became master of all the western
137-139; Thuc. ii. 100. ) Pausanias, in mention- seas. After several ineffectual attempts to break
ing that the Macedonians never erected trophies his power, Diocletian and Maximianus found it
when victorious, records the national tradition by necessary to acknowledge him as their colleague in
which they accounted for it, and which related, the empire, an event commemorated by a medal
that a trophy set up by Caranus, in accordance bearing as a device three busts with appropriate
with Argive custom, for a victory over his neigh-embleins and the legend CARAVsIvs. ET. FRATRES.
bour Cisseus, was thrown down and destroyed by | svi. , while on the reverse we read the words pas.
2 н
## p. 610 (#630) ############################################
610
CARAUSIUS.
CARBO.
HILARITAS. AVGGG.
AVGGG. , or, in some cases, LAETITIA. AVGGG. , or ir. 6–8, 12, v. 4, 11, vi. 5, 8, vii. I, viii. 25;
On a second coin we find a Genebrier, l'Ilistoire de Curousins pirourée par les
laurelled head with IMP. C. CARAVsIVS. P. F. AVG. , Vídailles, Paris, 410. 1740; Stukely, Medallic
and on the reverse JOVI. ET. HERCULI. CONS. AVG. , History of Curausius, London, 410. 1757–59, full
indicating Jovius Diocletianus and Herculius Maxi- of the most extravagant conjectures and inven-
minianus, and to a third we are indebted for the tions. )
[W. R. ]
name M. AURELIUS Valerius, an appellation
probably borrowed from his recently adopted
brother. These transactions took place about A. D.
287, and for six years the third Augustus main-
tained his authority without dispute; but upon the
elevation of Constantius the efforts of the new
Caesar were at once directed to the recovery of
Britain. Boulogne fell after a protracted siege,
and Constantius was making active and extensive
preparations for a descent upon the opposite coast,
when Carausius was murdered by his chief officer,
Allectus. This happened in 293. Such are the
only facts known to us with regard to this remark- CARAVANTIUS, the brother of Gentius,
able man.
Of his private character and domestic king of the Illyrians, agninst whom the praetor L.
policy we are unable to speak, for the abusive Anicius Gallus was sent in B. c. 168. Caravan-
epithets applied to him so liberally by the panegy- tius fell into the hands of Gallus, and with his
rists indicate nothing except the feelings entertained brother Gentius and the rest of the royal family
at the imperial court, which could have been of no walked before the chariot of Gallus in his triumph
friendly description. " (Eutrop. ix. 21; Aurel. Vict. in the following year. (Liv. xliv. 30, 32, xlv. 43. )
Caes. xxxix. , Epit. xxxix. , who calls this emperor CARBO, the name of a plebeian family of the
Charausio ; Oros. vii. 25; Panegyr. Vet. ii. 12,/ Papiria gens.
COIN OF CARAUSIUS.
STEMMA CARBONUM.
advanced towards Rome to revenge the murder of Theodosius to Augustin with regard to the council
Virginia, and had taken possession of the Aven- of Ephesus, is preserved by Ferrandus in his
tine, Sp. Tarpeius was one of the two ambassadors · Epistola ad Pelagium et Anatolium,” and quoted
whom the senate sent to the revolted army to re- by Galland.
monstrate with theni. In the year following, he 4. Tillemont believes Capreolus to be the author of
and A. Aternius, though both were patricians, were the Sermo de Tempore Barbarico, on the invasion
elected tribunes of the plebs by the cooptation of Africa by the Vandals, usually included among
of the college to support the senate in its opposi- | the works of St. Augustin. Galland, Bibl. Patrum.
tion to the rogation of the tribune L. Trebonius. Fol. ix. Prolegg. p. 31; Schoenemann, Bibl. Pa-
(Liv. iii. 50, 55. )
(L. S. ) trum Latinorum, c. v. 32, wbo enumerates all the
CAPRA'RIUS, a surname of Q. Caecilius Me- editions.
[W. R. )
tellus, consul B. c. 113. [METELLUS. )
CAPTA or CAPITA, a surname of the Minerva
## p. 607 (#627) ############################################
CARACALLA.
607
CARACALLA.
worshipped on the Caelinn hill at Rome. Its | who were of opinion that the wooden horse should
origin was not known. Ovid (Fast. iii. 837, &c. ) be thrown into the water. (Aen. ii. 35. ) Livy
proposes various conjectures about it.
(L. S. ]
(iv. 37) states, that according to some traditions
CAPUSA, the son of Oesalces, who was the the town of Capua, which was previously called
uncle of Masinissa. While the latter was in Vulturnum, derived its name from a Samnite chief
Spain fighting on behalf of the Carthaginians, his of the name of Capys.
(L. S. ]
father Gala died, and was succeeded in the so- CAPYS SI'LVIUS. [Silvius. )
vereignty by his brother Oesalces. Oesalces CAR (Káp), a son of Phoroneus, and king of
also dying shortly afterwards, his son Capusa ob- Megara, from whom the acropolis of this town de-
tained the throne; but as he had not much infiu- rived its name Caria (Paus. i. 39. § 4, 40. $ 5. )
ence among his people, one Mezetulus laid claim His tomb was shewn as late as the time of Pansa-
to the kingdom, and defeated and killed Capusa in nias, on the road from Megara to Corinth. (i. 44.
battle. (Liv. xxix. 29. )
$ 9. ) Another mythical personage of the name of
CAPYS (Kátus). 1. A son of Assaracus and Car, who was a brother of Lydus and Mysus, and
Hieromnemone, and father of Anchises. (Apollod. was regarded as the ancestral hero of the Carians,
i. 12. $ 2; Hom. Il. xx. 239; Virg. Aen. vi. is mentioned by Herodotus. (i. 171. ) (L. S. )
768; Diod. iv. 75. )
CARACALLA or CARACALLUS.
The
2. One of the companions of Aeneas, from whom genealogy of this emperor and of many other luis-
the town of Capua was said to have derived its torical personages will be readily understood from
name. (Virg. Aen. x. 145. ) This Capys was a the following table. An account of each individual
Trojan, and is mentioned by Virgil among those 1 is given in its proper alphabetical place.
Bassianus.
Julia Domna Augusta, second wife of
L. Septimius Severus Augustus.
1
Julia Maesa Augusta, wife
of Julius Avitus.
1
M. Aurelius Antoninus L. (rel. P. ) Septi- Julia Soemias Au- Julia Mamaea Augustan
Augustus, commonly
mius Geta An-
gusta, wife of Sex. wife of Gessius Mar-
called CARACALLA.
gustus.
Varius Marcellus. cianus
1
M. Aurelius Antoninus M. Aurelius Severus
Augustus, commonly
Alexander Augus
called Elagabalus.
tus.
Caracalla or Caracallus, son of Septimius Seve- , ries and honours, put on the manly gown at An-
rus and his second wife Julia Domna, was born tioch in 201, entered upon his first consulship in
at Lyons on the 4th or 6th of April, a. D. 188. 202, and, returning through Egypt to Rome, was
while his father was governor of Gallia Lugdu- married in the course of a few months to Plautilla,
nensis. The child was originally called Bas- daughter of Plautianus, the praetorian praefect.
sianus after his maternal grandfather, but when The political events from this date until the death
Severus thought fit to declare himself the adopted of Severus, which took place at York, on the 4th
offspring of M. Aurelius, he at the same time of February, A. D. 211, are given in the life of that
changed the name of his boy to M. Aurelius Anto prince, whose acuteness and worldly knowledge
ninus, a designation retained by him ever after. were so conspicuous, that he could not, under any
Caracalla or Caracallus, which 'never appears on circumstances, have failed to fathom the real cha-
medals or inscriptions, was a nickname derived racter of his son, who assuredly was little of a hy-
from a long tunic or great coat with a hood, worn pocrite. But, although the youth was known to
by the Gauls, which he adopted as his favourite have tampered with the troops, and once, it is said,
dress after he became emperor, and introduced into was detected in an open attempt to assassinate his
the army. These vestments found great favour, father, no punishment was inflicted, and parental
especially among the lower orders, and were known fondness prevented the feeble old man from taking
as Antoninianae Caracallae.
any steps which might save the empire from being
Young Bassianus is said to have been remark- cursed with such a ruler. Geta however, was
able in early life for a gentle and pleasing address. named joint heir of the throne, having been pre-
At this period he was beloved alike by his parents viously elevated to the rank of consul and dignified
and the people, and displayed no indication of that with the appellations of Caesar and Augustus.
ferocious temper which subsequently rendered him The great object of Caracalla was now the de
the scourge of the world. At the age of eight (196) Struction of this colleague, towards whom he enter-
he received the title of Caesar and Princeps Juven- tained the most deadly hatred. Having failed in
tutis, in Maesia, while his father was marching persuading the army to set aside the claims of his
from the East to encounter Albinus, and the year rival, he, on various occasions, sought his life se-
following (197) he was admitted an extraordinary cretly while they were journeying from Britain to
member of the pontifical college. After the over. Rome with the ashes of their father; but these
throw of Albinus, we find him styled Destinatus treacherous schemes were all frustrated by the vi-
Imperator; and in 198, when ten years old, he gilance of Geta, who was well aware of his danger,
was invested with the tribunician power, and cre- and fear of the soldiery prevented open violence.
ated Augustus. He accompanied Severus in the A pretended reconciliation now took place : they
expedition against the Parthians, sharing his victo- entered the city together, together bestowed a da
## p. 608 (#628) ############################################
608
CARACALLA.
CARACTACUS.
native on the guards and the people, and a nego- been abruptly broken off, he suddenly passed the
tiation was commenced for a peaceful partition of Euphrates in hostile array. The enemy were to
the empire. But the passions of Caracalla could tally unprepared to resist an invasion so unexpect-
no longer be restrained. During an interview held ed, and could offer no effectual resistance. Mesa
in the chamber of Julia, soldiers, who had been potamia was wasted with fire and sword, Arbela
craftily concealed, rushed forth and stabbed the was captured, and the emperor, after digging up the
younger son of the empress in his mother's arms, sepulchres of the Parthian kings and scattering their
while the elder not only stood hy and encouraged, bones, returned to winter at Edessa. Having trea-
but with his own hands assisted in completing the cherously gained possession of the person of Abga-
decd. The murderer sought to appease the irri- rus, king of the Osroeni, he scized upon his terri-
tated troops by pretending that he had only acted tory, and took the field in spring with the intention
in self-defence; but was eventually compelled to of carrying his arms beyond the Tigris. His course
purchase their forbearance by distributing among was first directed towards Carrhae, that he might
them the whole wealth accumulated during his fa- offer homage at a celebrated shrine of the Moon-
ther's reign. The senate he treated with well-deity in that neighbourhood ; but during the march
merited contempt, and, feeling now secure, pro- he was assassinated, at the instigation of Macrinus,
ceeded to glut his vengeance by massacring all the praetorian praefect, by a veteran named Mar-
whom he suspected of having favoured the preten- tialis, on the 8th of April, 217, in the thirtieth
sions or pitied the fate of Geta, whose nanie was year of his age and the seventh of his reign.
forth with erased from the public monuments. The The chronology of the last years of Caracalla is
number of persons sacrificed is said to have amount- full of difficulty, and it is almost impossible to ar-
ed to twenty thousand of both sexes, among the range the different events recorded in their proper
number of whom was Papinianus, the celebrated order with anything like certainty. We hear of
jurist. But these crimes brought their own retri- an expedition against the Alemanni and another
bution. From this moment Caracalla seems nerer against the Getae. The former, commemorated by
to have enjoyed tranquillity for a single hour. the epithet Germanicus, terminated in a purchased
Never were the terrors of an evil conscience more peace; the latter appears to have been partially
fearfully displayed. After endeavouring in rain successful. The portion of Dion Cassius which
to banish remorse by indulgence in all the dissolute refers to this period consists of disjointed and im-
pleasures of Rome, by chariot-racing and gladiato perfect chapters, between which we can seldom
rial shows and wild beast hunts, to each of which establish any connexion. They contain, however,
in turn he devoted himself with frantic eagerness ; much curious information, to which considerable
after grinding the citizens to the earth by taxes additions have been made by the fragments re-
and extortions of every description; and after plun- cently discovered by Mai. Dion tells us, that after
dering the whole world to supply the vast sums death Caracalla was usually spoken of under the
lavished on these amusements and on his soldiers, insulting name of Tarantus, taken from a gladiator
he resolved if possible to escape from himself by remarkable from his short stature, ugly features,
change of place. Wandering with restless activity and sanguinary disposition. The historian himself,
from land to land, he sought to drown the recollec- having explained this term (lxxviii. 9), invariably
tion of his past guilt by fresh enormities. Gaul, employs it in the subsequent portions of his work.
Germany, Dacia, Thrace, Asia, Syria, and Egypt, We must not omit to observe, that Gibbon, fol-
were visited in succession, and were in succession lowing Spanheim and Burmann, ascribes to Cara-
the scene of varied and complicated atrocities. calla the important edict which communicated to
His sojourn at Alexandria was marked by a gene- all free inhabitants of the empire the name and
ral slaughter of the inhabitants, in order to avenge privileges of Roman citizens, while several ancient
certain sarcastic pleasantries in which they had in- | authors attribute this document to M. Aurelius.
dulged against himself and his mother; and the The truth seems to be, that M. Aurelius was the
numbers of the slain were so great, that no one author of a very broad and liberal measure in favour
rentured to make known the amount, but orders of the provincials, clogged, however, by certain
were given to cast the bodies instantly into deep conditions and restrictions which were swept away
trenches, that the extent of the calamity might be by Caracalla, in order that he mght introduce an
more effectually concealed. The Greeks now be uniform system of taxation and extort a larger
lieved that the furies of his brother pursued him revenue in return for a worthless privilege.
with their scourges. It is certain that his bodily (Dion Cass. lxxvii. lxxviii. ; Herodian. iv. ; Spar-
health became seriously affected, and his intellects tian. Vit. Caracall. ; Aurel. Vict. Epit. xxi. , Cues.
evidently deranged. He was tormented by fearful xxi. ; Eutrop. xxi. ; Gruter, Corp. Inscr. pp. cxci.
risions, and the spectres of his father and the cclxvii
. ccc. Mlxxxv. ; Gibbon, chap. vi. ; Joh. P.
murdered Geta stood by him, in the dead of night, Mahneri, Comm. de Marc. Aur.
Antonino Consti-
with swords pointed to his bosom. Believing him- tution. de Civitate Universo Orbi Romanae data,
self spell-bound by the incantations of his foes, he Hall. 1772, quoted by Wenck; comp. Milman's
had recourse to strange rites in order to evoke the Gibbon, vol. i. p. 281. ) A coin of Caracalla's,
spirits of the dead, that from them he might seek which has been accidentally omitted here, is given
a remedy for his tortures; but it was said that under his brother GETA.
(W. R. )
none would answer to his call except the kindred CARACTACUS (or, as Dion Cassius calls him,
soul of Commodus. At last, he sought the aid of Kapátakos or Katapúkatos), was a king of the
the gods, whom he importuned by day and night British tribe of the Silures, and by various pros-
with prayers and many victims; but no deity perous enterprises had raised himself above all the
would vouchsafe a word of comfort to the fraticide. Other British chiefs. He appears to have been a
While in this excited and unhappy condition, most formidable enemy of the Romans. When
he demanded in marriage the daughter of Artaba- they made their last attack upon him, he trans-
nus, the Parthian king; but the negotiation having | ferred the war into the country of the Ordovices,
## p. 609 (#629) ############################################
CARANUS.
609
CARAUSIUS.
mans.
a
And there took a position which was as favourable a lion from Olympus; whereby, it was said, the
to himself as it appeared detrimental to the Ro- king learnt that its erection had been of evil coun-
When Caractacus, in addition to this, had sel, as deepening the enmity of the conquered.
also fortified himself with artificial means, he ex- (Paus. ix. 40. )
horted bis men either to die or to conquer in the 2. Mentioned by Justin (xi. 2) as a son of Phi-
approaching battle. The Roman propraetor, P. lip and a half-brother of Alexander the Great. The
Ostorius, who saw the disadvantages under which latter suspected him of aiming at the throne, and
the Romans were labouring, would not have ven- put him to death soon after his accession, B. c. 336.
tured upon an engagement, had not the courage of 3. A Macedonian of the body called étaipı or
his soldiers and officers demanded it. The superior guards (comp. Polyb. v. 53, xxxi. 3), was one of
military skill of the Roman legions overcame all the generals sent by Alexander against Satibarzanes
the difficulties, and a splendid victory was gained: when he had a second time excited Aria to revolt.
the wife and daughters of Caractacus fell into the Caranus and his colleagues were successful, and
hands of the Romans, and his brothers surrendered. Satibarzanes was defeated and slain, in the winter
Caractncus himself sought the protection of Carti- of B. C. 330. (Arrian, Anal. iii. 25,28 ; Curt. vi. 6.
mandua, queen of the Brigantes; but she betrayed $ 20, &c. , vii. 3. § 2, Freinsheim, ad loc. , vii. 4.
him, and he was delivered up to the Romans, and $ 32, &c. ; comp. Diod. xvii. 81. ) In B. c. 329,
carried to Rome, A. D. 51, after the war in Britain Caranus was appointed, together with Androma-
had lasted for nine years, as Tacitus says. The chus and Menedemus, under the command of the
emperor Claudius wished to exhibit to the people Lycian Pharnuches, to act against Spitamenes, the
this old and formidable foe in his humiliation, and revolted satrap of Sogdiana. Their approach com-
ordered Caractacus and the members of his family, pelled him to raise the siege of Maracanda; but,
with their clients and ornaments, to be led in a in a battle which ensued, he defeated them with
sort of triumph before an assembly of the people the help of a body of Scythian cavalry, and forced
and an array of soldiers. The emperor himself was them to fall back on the river Polytimetus, the
present. The relatives of Caractacus walked by wooded banks of which promised shelter. The
bis side cast down with grief, and entreated the rashness however or cowardice of Caranus led him
mercy of the Romans; Caractacus alone did nei-
to attempt the passage of the river with the cavalry
ther of these things, and when he approached the under his command, and the rest of the troops
seat of the emperor, he stopped and addressed him plunging in after him in haste and disorder, they
in so noble a manner, that Claudius pardoned him were all destroyed by the enemy. (Arr. Anab. iv.
and his friends. They appear, however, not to 3, 5; comp. Curt. vii. 6. & 24, 7. $ 31, &c. ) [E. E. )
have returned to Britain, but to have spent the CARAU'SIUS, M. AURELIUS VALE-
remainder of their life in Italy. (Tac. Ann. xii. RIUS. Maximianus Herculius having equipped
33-38 Hist. iii. 45; Dion Cass. lx. 20. ) [L. S. ] a naval force at Boulogne for the purpose of re-
CARA'NUS (Kápavos or Kapavós). 1. A He- pressing the outrages of the Franks, who cruising
racleid of the family of the Temenidae, and accord- from place to place in their light sloops were de-
ing to some accounts, the founder of the Argive rastating the coasts of Holland, Gaul, and Spain,
dynasty in Macedonia, about the middle probably gave the command of the armament to a certain
of the eighth century B. C. , since he was brother to Carausius, a man of humble extraction, born in Me-
Pheidon, the Argive tyrant. The legend tells, napia, a district between the Scheldt and Meuse,
that he led into Macedonia a large force of Greeks, who had been bred a pilot and had distinguished
and, following a flock of goats, entered the town of himself as a soldier in the war against the Bagaudae.
Edessa in the midst of a heavy storm of rain and Carausius was by no means deficient in zeal and
a thick mist, unobserved by the inhabitants. Re-energy, but after a time his peculiar tactics and
membering the oracle which had desired him “to rapidly increasing wealth gave rise to a suspicion,
seek an empire by the guidance of goats,” he fixed probably not ill founded, that he permitted the
here the seat of government, and named the place pirates to commit their ravages unmolested, and
Aegae in commemoration of the miracle. Herodo then watching for their return, seized the ships
tus gives a different tradition of the origin of the laden with plunder and appropriated to his own
dynasty, and his account seems to bave been adopt- use the greater portion of the spoils thus captured.
ed by Thucydides, who speaks of Archelaus I. as Herculius accordingly gave orders for his death,
the ninth king, and therefore does not reckon Cara- but the execution of this mandate was anticipated
nus and the other two who come before Perdiccas I. by the vigilance of the intended victim, who having
in the lists of Dexippus and Eusebius. Müller crossed the channel with the fleet, which was de-
thinks that the two traditions are substantially the voted to his interests, and having succeeded in
same, the one in Herodotus being the rude native gaining over the troops quartered in Britain, estab-
legend, while the other, of which Caranus is the lished himself in that island and assumed the title
hero, was the Argive story; and he further sug- of Augustus. His subsequent measures were
gests that Kápavos is perhaps only another form of characterised by the greatest vigour and prudence.
Kolpavos. (Diod. Fragm. ix. p. 637, ed. Wess. ; A number of new galleys was constructed with all
Plut. Alex. 2; Just. vii. 1, xxxiii. 2; Clinton, Fast. speed, alliances were formed with various barbarous
ii. p. 221; Müller, Dor. i. 7. & 15, App. i. § 15, tribes, who were carefully disciplined as sailors, and
and the authorities there referred to; Herod. viii. the usurper soon became master of all the western
137-139; Thuc. ii. 100. ) Pausanias, in mention- seas. After several ineffectual attempts to break
ing that the Macedonians never erected trophies his power, Diocletian and Maximianus found it
when victorious, records the national tradition by necessary to acknowledge him as their colleague in
which they accounted for it, and which related, the empire, an event commemorated by a medal
that a trophy set up by Caranus, in accordance bearing as a device three busts with appropriate
with Argive custom, for a victory over his neigh-embleins and the legend CARAVsIvs. ET. FRATRES.
bour Cisseus, was thrown down and destroyed by | svi. , while on the reverse we read the words pas.
2 н
## p. 610 (#630) ############################################
610
CARAUSIUS.
CARBO.
HILARITAS. AVGGG.
AVGGG. , or, in some cases, LAETITIA. AVGGG. , or ir. 6–8, 12, v. 4, 11, vi. 5, 8, vii. I, viii. 25;
On a second coin we find a Genebrier, l'Ilistoire de Curousins pirourée par les
laurelled head with IMP. C. CARAVsIVS. P. F. AVG. , Vídailles, Paris, 410. 1740; Stukely, Medallic
and on the reverse JOVI. ET. HERCULI. CONS. AVG. , History of Curausius, London, 410. 1757–59, full
indicating Jovius Diocletianus and Herculius Maxi- of the most extravagant conjectures and inven-
minianus, and to a third we are indebted for the tions. )
[W. R. ]
name M. AURELIUS Valerius, an appellation
probably borrowed from his recently adopted
brother. These transactions took place about A. D.
287, and for six years the third Augustus main-
tained his authority without dispute; but upon the
elevation of Constantius the efforts of the new
Caesar were at once directed to the recovery of
Britain. Boulogne fell after a protracted siege,
and Constantius was making active and extensive
preparations for a descent upon the opposite coast,
when Carausius was murdered by his chief officer,
Allectus. This happened in 293. Such are the
only facts known to us with regard to this remark- CARAVANTIUS, the brother of Gentius,
able man.
Of his private character and domestic king of the Illyrians, agninst whom the praetor L.
policy we are unable to speak, for the abusive Anicius Gallus was sent in B. c. 168. Caravan-
epithets applied to him so liberally by the panegy- tius fell into the hands of Gallus, and with his
rists indicate nothing except the feelings entertained brother Gentius and the rest of the royal family
at the imperial court, which could have been of no walked before the chariot of Gallus in his triumph
friendly description. " (Eutrop. ix. 21; Aurel. Vict. in the following year. (Liv. xliv. 30, 32, xlv. 43. )
Caes. xxxix. , Epit. xxxix. , who calls this emperor CARBO, the name of a plebeian family of the
Charausio ; Oros. vii. 25; Panegyr. Vet. ii. 12,/ Papiria gens.
COIN OF CARAUSIUS.
STEMMA CARBONUM.
