422 



E O M A N EMPIRE. 



Koman 

 Empire. 



Death of 

 Severu s. 

 A. D. 210, 



Caracalla 

 and Geta 

 succeed to 

 the entire. 



Caracalla 

 murdered. 

 A. D. 21? 



]\Iacrinns 

 made em- 

 peror. 

 A.D. 218. 



Macrinus 

 put to 

 death. 



Heliogaba- 

 lus succeeds 

 to the em- 

 pire. 

 A.D. 218. 



rus, who had now lost the use of his feet, heard of 

 these steps, he ordered himself to be put into his litter, 

 and demanded the presence of Caracalla, and the tri- 

 bunes and centurions. Confounded with the energy 

 and boldness of their emperor, they implored his par- 

 don on their knees ; upon which he exclaimed, " It is 

 the head that governs, and not the feet." Feeling that 

 his disorder daily gained strength, he called for poison ; 

 but his attendants having refused it, he ate to excess, 

 which put an end to his life in the 6'6'th year of his 

 age, and the 18th of his reign. 



Though noted for his severity and cruelty, and des- 

 titute of the common feelings of humanity, yet Severus 

 has gained a high name for his military talents, his at- 

 tention to business, and his temperance and simplicity 

 of character. He was fond of literature, and was cele- 

 brated by his wit as well as by his learning. He is 

 said to have composed a history of his own reign, which 

 was praised for its correctness and truth. 



No sooner were Caracalla and Geta proclaimed em- 

 perors by the army, than they displayed the most in- 

 veterate hatred against each other. After murdering 

 his brother, and marrying his father's wife, and com- 

 mitting many acts of cruelty, treachery, and folly, of 

 which we have given a full account in his life, Caracalla 

 was murdered by a centurion at the instigation of Opi- 

 lius Macrinus, in the 29th year of his age, and the 6'th 

 of his reign. 



Macrinus, a Praetorian prefect, and who had been 

 Carac.il la's principal general in Mesopotamia, was de- 

 ciared emperor by the army, and their choice was con- 

 firmed by the senate. Macrinus, who was a Moor by 

 birth, had reached his 53d year. He was very popu- 

 lar at the commencement of his reign, both from the 

 affability of his manner, and from his having abolished 

 several taxes. His popularity, however, (lid not last 

 long. His cowardice in purchasing a peace from the 

 Persians by a large sum of money, and his constant af- 

 fectation of imitating the virtuous Aurelius, irritated 

 the people, and brought him into contempt. In attempt- 

 ing to restrain the licentiousness of' the soldiers, he was 

 compelled to adopt some seventies of discipline, which 

 incensed the army, and induced them to mutiny. Massa, 

 the grandmother of Heliogabalus, who was the natural 

 son of Caracalla, took advantage of this rebellious spi- 

 rit, and distributing liberal presents among the sol- 

 diers, she recommended Heliogabalus to their notice. 

 They accordingly sent for him to the camp, and pro- 

 claimed him emperor. 



Heliogabalus, who was now only fourteen years of 

 age, was a priest in the temple of the Sun at Emea, 

 in Phenicia, and was distinguished by the beauty of 

 his person. The disposition to support his cause had 

 become very strong in Rome; when Macrinus, who 

 had been leading a life of pleasure at Antioch, sent 

 over his lieutenant Julian with some legions to Italy. 

 These troops slew their general, and declared for Heli- 

 ogabalus. Macrinus now resolved to march against 

 the mutinous legions. The combatants met on the fron- 

 tiers of Syria, and, after a bloody battle, Macrinus was 

 put to flight. Desirous of getting to Rome, he travel- 

 led with secrecy and expedition through Asia Minor; 

 but he fell ill at Chalcedon, and being overtaken by his 

 pursuers, he was put to death, along with his son Dia- 

 dumenus, after a reign of fourteen months. 



The succession of Heliogabalus to the empire hav- 

 ing been ratified by the senate and citizens of Rome, he 

 was invested with the usual titles, and at the age of 

 fourteen put in possession of absolute power. Sur- 



rounded by flatterers, who found it their interest to Roman 

 gratify him in all his propensities however wild, Heli- Kmpnre. 

 ogabalus was soon initiated into all the profligacy of the N ""~ Y "^ 

 times ; and he is described by the Roman historian as 

 a monster of sensuality and vice. All the prostitutes 

 of Rome assembled in his palace, and the most infa- 

 mous of the mob became the imperial favourites. He 

 appointed his grandmother Maesa, and his mother See- 

 mias his colleagues in the empire; and, in order to 

 dignify the sex, to which he was so much attached, he 

 created a female senate, over which his mother pre- 

 sided, and the object of which was to arrange the fa- 

 shions which were to prevail in the empire. He next 

 raised to the honours of the consulship his own horse, 

 whom he fed with gilded oats ; and he forced his sub- 

 jects to worship the god Heliogabalus, which was a 

 Jarge black stone of a conical shape. To this deity 

 temples were raised, and the shrines of the gods were 

 plundered to deck that of the newly invented divinity. 

 His prodigality was such, that he considered nothing 

 worth eating that was bought at a moderate price. His 

 supper commonly cost. 60! :0 crowns; and on some oc- 

 casions so much as 60,000. He dressed himself in 

 gold and purple clothes, and never wore the same dress 

 twice. II is apartments were furnished with the rich- 

 est stuffs, covered with gold and jewels. His mats 

 consisted of the down of hares, or the soft feathers from 

 beneath the wings of partridges ; and his carpets were 

 made of gold and silver tissue, and his shoes were co- 

 vered with precious stor.es, to attract the notice of the 

 populace. 



Annoyed with these excesses, his mother Ma:sa, con- Adopts 

 ceiving that she might diminish his power, by shiring Alex'simier 

 it with a colleague, proposed to him to adopt his cou- Severus as 

 sin gcrrnan, Alexander Sev;.-us, and to make him a his co1 - 

 partner in his throne. Heliogabalus agreed to the re- lca lie - ; 

 quest; but was soon desirous of undoing what he had 

 done. The virtues of Alexander, however, had en- 

 deared him to the soldiers; and when Heliogabalus at- 

 tempted to deprive him of the throne, the Praetorian 

 soldiers resented the attempt, and would have killed the 

 emperor as he was walking in his garden had he not 

 saved himself by flight. The seditious spirit how- 

 ever continued ; and the soldiers insisted upon guard- 

 ing Alexander, and upon prohibiting any of the em- 

 peror's favourites from contaminating him with their 

 society. Heliogabalus was alarmed with the mutinous 

 spirit of his guards, and made preparations for his death 

 suitable to his general habits. He erected a tower with 

 gold and mother-of-pearl steps, from which he might 

 precipitate himself if necessary. He kept about his per- 

 son cords of purple, silk, and gold, for the purpose of 

 strangling himself; he provided golden swords and dag. 

 gers to stab himself with ; and he had different poisons 

 kept in boxes of emerald. In this state of mind he sus- 

 pected the senate of having designs against him, and he 

 banished them from the city ; he attempted to poison 

 Alexander, but the mutiny of the soldiers prevented 

 him from carrying it into effect ; and when he thus 

 found himself threatened on all sides, he meditated new 

 cruelties against his enemies. The soldiers resolved to 

 put an end to such a system. They followed him into 

 his palace ; pursued him from room to room ; and at lltliogaba- 

 last found him hid in a privy, from which he was drag- l' JS uuirder 

 ged into the street, and ignominiously put to death. etl oy lus 

 They attempted to thrust his carcase into a privy ; but 

 finding this difficult, they loaded it with weights, and 

 cast it into the Tiber. His mother, and many of the part- 

 ners of his crimes, were at the same time put to death. 



soldiers. 

 A. D. 222. 



" See CAHACALLA, Vol. V. p. 418. 



