Joint Emperor
When Septimius Severus died in Eboracum in the beginning of 211, Caracalla and Geta were proclaimed joint emperors and returned to Rome.
Regardless, the shared throne was not a success: the brothers argued about every decision, from law to political appointments. Later sources speculate about the desire of the two of splitting the empire in two halves. By the end of the year, the situation was unbearable. Caracalla tried to murder Geta during the festival of Saturnalia without success. Later in December he arranged a meeting with his brother in his mother's apartments, and had him murdered in her arms by centurions.
| Roman imperial dynasties | |||
| Severan dynasty | |||
| Severan dynasty - tondo.png The Severan Tondo |
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| Chronology | |||
| Septimius Severus | 193 – 198 | ||
| -with Caracalla | 198 – 209 | ||
| -with Caracalla and Geta | 209 – 211 | ||
| Caracalla and Geta | 211 – 211 | ||
| Caracalla | 211 – 217 | ||
| Interlude: Macrinus | 217 – 218 | ||
| Elagabalus | 218 – 222 | ||
| Alexander Severus | 222 – 235 | ||
| Dynasty | |||
| Severan dynasty family tree Category:Severan dynasty |
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| Succession | |||
| Preceded by Year of the Five Emperors |
Followed by Crisis of the Third Century |
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Following Geta's assassination, Caracalla damned his memory and ordered his name to be removed from all inscriptions. The now sole emperor also took the opportunity to get rid of his political enemies, on the grounds of conspiracy with the deceased. Cassius Dio stated that around 20,000 persons of both sexes were killed or proscribed during this time.
Read more about this topic: Publius Septimius Geta
Famous quotes containing the words joint and/or emperor:
“No Government can be long secure without a formidable Opposition. It reduces their supporters to that tractable number which can be managed by the joint influences of fruition and hope. It offers vengeance to the discontented, and distinction to the ambitious; and employs the energies of aspiring spirits, who otherwise may prove traitors in a division or assassins in a debate.”
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881)
“Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)