Dr. Alex Imrie

We have a fairly negative character portrait of Caracalla built up very early and very little is said about Geta until about midway through that contemporary account. The other source we have that is near contemporary is the author Herodian. He's probably writing a little bit further into the third century.

We have a fairly negative character portrait of Caracalla built up very early and very little is said about Geta until about midway through that contemporary account. The other source we have that is near contemporary is the author Herodian. He's probably writing a little bit further into the third century.

We get a little bit more maybe of Geta's personality coming through in that source, but the focus tends to be very much on the mutual animosity that builds between the two brothers. Now, ironically, the best source we have for constructing anything that we might have to consider character portraits of these two comes from the Historia Augusta.

We get a little bit more maybe of Geta's personality coming through in that source, but the focus tends to be very much on the mutual animosity that builds between the two brothers. Now, ironically, the best source we have for constructing anything that we might have to consider character portraits of these two comes from the Historia Augusta.

We get a little bit more maybe of Geta's personality coming through in that source, but the focus tends to be very much on the mutual animosity that builds between the two brothers. Now, ironically, the best source we have for constructing anything that we might have to consider character portraits of these two comes from the Historia Augusta.

Now, this is a very late 4th century, maybe even early 5th century set of Latin biographies, and the calibre or the quality of this set of works is still a huge matter of academic disagreement. Historically, people thought they were just absolute trash. They were fictionalized accounts that just pulled facts and indeed sources out of the air.

Now, this is a very late 4th century, maybe even early 5th century set of Latin biographies, and the calibre or the quality of this set of works is still a huge matter of academic disagreement. Historically, people thought they were just absolute trash. They were fictionalized accounts that just pulled facts and indeed sources out of the air.

Now, this is a very late 4th century, maybe even early 5th century set of Latin biographies, and the calibre or the quality of this set of works is still a huge matter of academic disagreement. Historically, people thought they were just absolute trash. They were fictionalized accounts that just pulled facts and indeed sources out of the air.

There was a bit of a shift back in recent years to think that these might be kind of clever literary games going on within the set of biographies that comprises the H.A., Whereas now, more recently, people are thinking that the author of the Historia Augusta is really reliant on other late Latin historians, such as Aurelius Victor.

There was a bit of a shift back in recent years to think that these might be kind of clever literary games going on within the set of biographies that comprises the H.A., Whereas now, more recently, people are thinking that the author of the Historia Augusta is really reliant on other late Latin historians, such as Aurelius Victor.

There was a bit of a shift back in recent years to think that these might be kind of clever literary games going on within the set of biographies that comprises the H.A., Whereas now, more recently, people are thinking that the author of the Historia Augusta is really reliant on other late Latin historians, such as Aurelius Victor.

There's been a couple of really good publications about that particular relationship in recent years.

There's been a couple of really good publications about that particular relationship in recent years.

There's been a couple of really good publications about that particular relationship in recent years.

We get very clearly defined character pictures of both men, both boys, through these lives, through these biographies. But whether there is much truth to them is another matter.

We get very clearly defined character pictures of both men, both boys, through these lives, through these biographies. But whether there is much truth to them is another matter.

We get very clearly defined character pictures of both men, both boys, through these lives, through these biographies. But whether there is much truth to them is another matter.

So when the two boys are born, so 188 and 189, they're born into an empire which is, with hindsight we can see, is coming to the end of one particular era, the Antonine era. This has been the so-called Golden Age, the Pax Romana, where we've had emperors transition power peacefully and stably for the best part of a century at that point.

So when the two boys are born, so 188 and 189, they're born into an empire which is, with hindsight we can see, is coming to the end of one particular era, the Antonine era. This has been the so-called Golden Age, the Pax Romana, where we've had emperors transition power peacefully and stably for the best part of a century at that point.

So when the two boys are born, so 188 and 189, they're born into an empire which is, with hindsight we can see, is coming to the end of one particular era, the Antonine era. This has been the so-called Golden Age, the Pax Romana, where we've had emperors transition power peacefully and stably for the best part of a century at that point.