Dr. Alex Imrie

And the sources, while they may exaggerate slightly, they agree that he probably killed around a quarter of the city's population before leaving. I mean, it's a remarkable contrast. That emperor giving everybody citizenship... and then laying waste to one of the foremost cities of the empire before he leaves. It's a remarkable story of kind of extremities, I would say, as Caracalla's reign.

And the sources, while they may exaggerate slightly, they agree that he probably killed around a quarter of the city's population before leaving. I mean, it's a remarkable contrast. That emperor giving everybody citizenship... and then laying waste to one of the foremost cities of the empire before he leaves. It's a remarkable story of kind of extremities, I would say, as Caracalla's reign.

And the sources, while they may exaggerate slightly, they agree that he probably killed around a quarter of the city's population before leaving. I mean, it's a remarkable contrast. That emperor giving everybody citizenship... and then laying waste to one of the foremost cities of the empire before he leaves. It's a remarkable story of kind of extremities, I would say, as Caracalla's reign.

And then his final months are spent on campaign against Parthia.

And then his final months are spent on campaign against Parthia.

And then his final months are spent on campaign against Parthia.

Yeah, I mean, family dynamics are complicated in the Roman imperial period. I mean, I suppose you could make that argument for any monarchical or autocratic system. What goes on within the family dynamic is an absolute mystery, and that for me as well is one of those big mysteries. If Di was correct that she was in the room at the point of Geta's murder, then

Yeah, I mean, family dynamics are complicated in the Roman imperial period. I mean, I suppose you could make that argument for any monarchical or autocratic system. What goes on within the family dynamic is an absolute mystery, and that for me as well is one of those big mysteries. If Di was correct that she was in the room at the point of Geta's murder, then

Yeah, I mean, family dynamics are complicated in the Roman imperial period. I mean, I suppose you could make that argument for any monarchical or autocratic system. What goes on within the family dynamic is an absolute mystery, and that for me as well is one of those big mysteries. If Di was correct that she was in the room at the point of Geta's murder, then

It is, to our modern sensibility, absolutely unthinkable that she could then go on and be the faithful servant and the administrative figurehead of this regime for another four and a half, five years. It is utterly, utterly remarkable. I mean, Dio paints her in a very particular way, as I'm sure Matilda will talk about later. He depicts her as being kind of power-hungry in her own right.

It is, to our modern sensibility, absolutely unthinkable that she could then go on and be the faithful servant and the administrative figurehead of this regime for another four and a half, five years. It is utterly, utterly remarkable. I mean, Dio paints her in a very particular way, as I'm sure Matilda will talk about later. He depicts her as being kind of power-hungry in her own right.

It is, to our modern sensibility, absolutely unthinkable that she could then go on and be the faithful servant and the administrative figurehead of this regime for another four and a half, five years. It is utterly, utterly remarkable. I mean, Dio paints her in a very particular way, as I'm sure Matilda will talk about later. He depicts her as being kind of power-hungry in her own right.

So there's a little bit of a complicating factor in how our ancient literature talk about Julia Domna in as much as She's a powerful imperial woman, and she can't really shake that baggage from some of these rather conservative men. But it is, to this day, one of these big mysteries. How on earth did they work that out? It's a very difficult dinner table situation thereafter.

So there's a little bit of a complicating factor in how our ancient literature talk about Julia Domna in as much as She's a powerful imperial woman, and she can't really shake that baggage from some of these rather conservative men. But it is, to this day, one of these big mysteries. How on earth did they work that out? It's a very difficult dinner table situation thereafter.

So there's a little bit of a complicating factor in how our ancient literature talk about Julia Domna in as much as She's a powerful imperial woman, and she can't really shake that baggage from some of these rather conservative men. But it is, to this day, one of these big mysteries. How on earth did they work that out? It's a very difficult dinner table situation thereafter.

I think our sources give us a very particular version of who this individual is. But often he is a foil either to the violent extremity of Caracalla or he is just the pre-runner to the later Severan era. I mean, often when you read even textbooks about this era, you'll have the Severan era and Macrinus will barely get a mention, such as the kind of limited amount that we know of him.

I think our sources give us a very particular version of who this individual is. But often he is a foil either to the violent extremity of Caracalla or he is just the pre-runner to the later Severan era. I mean, often when you read even textbooks about this era, you'll have the Severan era and Macrinus will barely get a mention, such as the kind of limited amount that we know of him.

I think our sources give us a very particular version of who this individual is. But often he is a foil either to the violent extremity of Caracalla or he is just the pre-runner to the later Severan era. I mean, often when you read even textbooks about this era, you'll have the Severan era and Macrinus will barely get a mention, such as the kind of limited amount that we know of him.

In terms of his background, we know that he was born in the Roman province of Mauritania, so on the North African coast. And this is something that will become important for his story later. He was not from a senatorial family. He was not from a highly aristocratic family. He was a member of the equestrian order, so that second property class of Rome.

In terms of his background, we know that he was born in the Roman province of Mauritania, so on the North African coast. And this is something that will become important for his story later. He was not from a senatorial family. He was not from a highly aristocratic family. He was a member of the equestrian order, so that second property class of Rome.