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VoteDave — The Death of Caracalla
Published: 2010-08-29 20:21:45 +0000 UTC; Views: 3370; Favourites: 15; Downloads: 10
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Description
8 April, 217 ADWhilst travelling between Edessa and Carrhae on a visit to a Temple of Luna, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus (known to history as Caracalla), stopped on the road near Harran to relieve himself.
Whilst Caracalla was urinating out of sight on the roadside, one of his Praetorian bodyguards, Julius Martialis, snuck up behind the emperor and murdered him with a single sword stroke.
Martialis himself was then murdered by the rest of the emperor’s bodyguards.
It was said that Martialis’s brother had been executed on the orders of Caracalla a few days earlier, over an unproven charge. Another story said that Martialis was resentful at not being promoted to the rank of centurion.
The Praetorian Prefect, Marcus Opelius Macrinus, was proclaimed as the new emperor three days later – there are those who believe that it was Macrinus who recruited Martialis and arranged for Caracalla’s murder.
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Comments: 22
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Not bad and with mostly accurate gear and dress of this time(although belt straps were likely not used anymore at this point and already by early 2nd century they were much shorter than during 1st century-at least preserved art suggest so).
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Thanks. Since drawing this I have actually done a lot more in-depth research into the arms and armour of the early Third Century legions, so if I were to redraw this, the Praetorian would probably be dressed in scale armour without any belt straps. Though I might still put some of the Western legions in Lorica Segmentata, and the Eastern legions in chain mail. I actually have a reference drawing I've done for a project I'm working on about the rise of Elagabalus, that I may upload. I've also tweaked my facial design for Caracalla.
I've just had a look at the work in your gallery too. Very nice! Always a pleasure to meet fellow aficionados of Roman history.
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XD. Great pic. That is what Caracalla gets for killing his own brother. Emperors never lasted very long, and after Caracalla they had even shorter reigns until Constantine.
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Thanks!
Yes, being a Third Century Emperor wasn't the safest position, was it!! By Caracalla's era, the glory days of Augustus and Trajan were long gone!
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Even by the time of Marcus Aurelius things were not in the best of shape. There were brigands everywhere, with many Barbarians eager to chip away at Roman territory (which is the Roman's fault because they were the ones who bribed them and coaxed them with riches which they became accustomed too). In Marcus's time only 2% of the Roman army was Italian. Wow. It was almost half in the Days of Augustus.
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Majority of recruits were not of Italic origin at that time but they were still the Romans.Also note that for more ancient Romans also rest the Tribes of Italian peninsula were not considered as Romans by them at all.They all only get this Roman citizenship rights much much later(often using weapons to gain it)in the very same process as all other later added territories were also given full citizen rights.
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I think you are referring to the Social wars.
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He died as he lived...pissing on the world! Good riddance to a particularly murderous, odious tyrant.
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Very poetic! I rather like that!
He was indeed one of the worst of the emperors (and that's saying something given the competition!!)
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Unless it was Number Two...eww, don't draw that version!
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On another tack, nice scene-setting and excellent posing.
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Thank you, Mr C! It has been a while, has it not? I have had an extended absence from DeviantArt this last year (as you probably saw), but I am now back!
How are things with you, old boy?
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They are very good thank you sir! Set up in Cambridge working as an art tech, yourself?
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Yes, life is good, thank you. Still residing in Cardiff and I currently work for a company funded by the Welsh Assembly Government (unfortunately my company policy states that I cannot state the name on the internet! Paranoid, or what?).
Also, I'm getting married next year to my Welsh lady friend.
It seems we are all grown up; ah, to be students again...
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Aha, I knew it, you're an ASSASSIN!
That's very very cool news sir.
University was amusing, I agree...though I have to say that I don't miss living under that crazy ginger guy any more xDD.
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Uh oh! You know too much...
I wonder what ever became of said ginger guy.
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Guessing he was one of your contracts
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See this, this is why I wait till the public conveniences appear. That and the poor douchebag in Friday the 13th who gets impaled with a tent spike while he's answering a call of nature.
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