CARACALLA Septimius Bassianus Pius February 4, 211 - April 8 - Lot 239

CARACALLA Septimius Bassianus Pius February 4, 211 - April 8, 217 and GETA Lucius Septimius Geta ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS. Young bust of Caracalla right, laurelled, cuirassed and draped. R/. P SEPT GETA CAES PONT. Bust of Geta right, bareheaded, cuirassed and draped. ♦ Cohen 1/400 frs gold; RIC 38; Calicó 2861 Aureus struck in Rome in 199-200. (7,27 g) Charming coinage. Extremely rare and Superb. Exemplaire vente JVN 12 avril 1988 n°18 Caracalla was born on April 4, 188 at Lugdunum (Lyon) in Lyonnais Gaul, and was assassinated on April 8, 217 near Carrhae in Syria. He succeeded his father Septimius Severus in 211 and reigned with violence. An admirer of Alexander the Great and popular with his soldiers, whose pay he increased, he led a campaign against the Germans and Parthians, and carried out a bloody crackdown on the inhabitants of Alexandria. Although his motives are unknown, he promulgated the Edict of Caracalla, which extended the right of citizenship to all free men in the Roman Empire. He was assassinated in 217 in an improvised attack by his Prefect of the Praetorium, Macrin, who reigned for just one year before being eliminated in his turn. Géta was born on May 27, 189 and died on December 26, 211. He reigned in 211 from February 5 to December 26. His father, the Tripolitan-born emperor Septimius Severus, was of Libyan-Punic origin, while his mother, Julia Domna, was of Syrian origin. In 211, he inherited the Roman Empire with his elder brother Caracalla, who had him assassinated shortly after their father's death to rule alone. Géta was born Septimius Géta in 189, on May 27 according to the History of Augustus, which contradicts itself as to whether he was born in Rome or Milan. He took his name from his paternal grandfather. The youngest of the family, he was always the favorite, especially in the eyes of his mother Julia Domna, who found Géta to have a gentler, more thoughtful character than his older brother Caracalla. The two brothers are only a year apart, yet have always hated each other. Caracalla is passionate about war and the army, while Géta is more interested in things of the mind. In fact, he is preferred by the Senate. They are also very different in character. Caracalla is said to be irascible and cruel, while Géta is gentle, sensitive and more pleasant-looking.