Matilda Brown

or even before Gaeta's death, she's granted all of these extravagant titles. She's granted more honorary titles than any empress had previously been given. She's named mother of the army camp, of the senate, of the fatherland. She's named Pia Felix. These are titles that have only, those last two had only previously been given to emperors before.

So we're seeing these honors lavished upon her, and we don't really know what those mean. There's some debate in the scholarships But we do get a sense that she's kind of stepping into almost an admin role for Caracalla. She's answering imperial letters. She's traveling across the empire with him and eventually ends up in Antioch as this eastern imperial center. She's answering letters.

So we're seeing these honors lavished upon her, and we don't really know what those mean. There's some debate in the scholarships But we do get a sense that she's kind of stepping into almost an admin role for Caracalla. She's answering imperial letters. She's traveling across the empire with him and eventually ends up in Antioch as this eastern imperial center. She's answering letters.

So we're seeing these honors lavished upon her, and we don't really know what those mean. There's some debate in the scholarships But we do get a sense that she's kind of stepping into almost an admin role for Caracalla. She's answering imperial letters. She's traveling across the empire with him and eventually ends up in Antioch as this eastern imperial center. She's answering letters.

She's receiving petitions. She is holding public receptions for all of the most prominent men. The actual text of the dio passage where this comes from the Greek, it says these are imperial receptions. These are official public events. And she's sorting through all of the mail. She's kind of the main admin on board. She's included in letters sent to the Senate.

She's receiving petitions. She is holding public receptions for all of the most prominent men. The actual text of the dio passage where this comes from the Greek, it says these are imperial receptions. These are official public events. And she's sorting through all of the mail. She's kind of the main admin on board. She's included in letters sent to the Senate.

She's receiving petitions. She is holding public receptions for all of the most prominent men. The actual text of the dio passage where this comes from the Greek, it says these are imperial receptions. These are official public events. And she's sorting through all of the mail. She's kind of the main admin on board. She's included in letters sent to the Senate.

This looks like a sort of official position. And this is a more, I would say, official recognition from the sources of a role held by an empress like this than we have seen before. So Caracalla is making this movement eastward. He's a military emperor. We see him doing all All of these sort of incredible and horrible things.

This looks like a sort of official position. And this is a more, I would say, official recognition from the sources of a role held by an empress like this than we have seen before. So Caracalla is making this movement eastward. He's a military emperor. We see him doing all All of these sort of incredible and horrible things.

This looks like a sort of official position. And this is a more, I would say, official recognition from the sources of a role held by an empress like this than we have seen before. So Caracalla is making this movement eastward. He's a military emperor. We see him doing all All of these sort of incredible and horrible things.

And we know that there's got to be sort of a gaggle of administrators around him that are helping him rule this empire as he is leading the army. And his mom is one of them, which is incredible and becomes important to the Macrinus story.

And we know that there's got to be sort of a gaggle of administrators around him that are helping him rule this empire as he is leading the army. And his mom is one of them, which is incredible and becomes important to the Macrinus story.

And we know that there's got to be sort of a gaggle of administrators around him that are helping him rule this empire as he is leading the army. And his mom is one of them, which is incredible and becomes important to the Macrinus story.

It really is. And it's brutal to think about. Our sources talk about it a lot. How does she cope with this? We are told that she's pushed out of the public eye. And I've never really known how I feel about that description of her sort of disappearance from the public face of the Imperial family following Gaeta's death.

It really is. And it's brutal to think about. Our sources talk about it a lot. How does she cope with this? We are told that she's pushed out of the public eye. And I've never really known how I feel about that description of her sort of disappearance from the public face of the Imperial family following Gaeta's death.

It really is. And it's brutal to think about. Our sources talk about it a lot. How does she cope with this? We are told that she's pushed out of the public eye. And I've never really known how I feel about that description of her sort of disappearance from the public face of the Imperial family following Gaeta's death.

I don't know if it's that Caracalla says, Mom, you got to get the hell out of Dodge because I don't want you here and I need to do this myself. I'm a big boy now. Or if it's really that she needs time to grieve. And we get a little bit of both from the source tradition. But in the end, she kind of steps up and does what she has to, I suppose, for her last remaining son.

I don't know if it's that Caracalla says, Mom, you got to get the hell out of Dodge because I don't want you here and I need to do this myself. I'm a big boy now. Or if it's really that she needs time to grieve. And we get a little bit of both from the source tradition. But in the end, she kind of steps up and does what she has to, I suppose, for her last remaining son.

I don't know if it's that Caracalla says, Mom, you got to get the hell out of Dodge because I don't want you here and I need to do this myself. I'm a big boy now. Or if it's really that she needs time to grieve. And we get a little bit of both from the source tradition. But in the end, she kind of steps up and does what she has to, I suppose, for her last remaining son.

The one thing that I guess I would add is just my quick review of the sources this morning. Macrinus is really pushed as the legal nerd Praetorian prefect, along with his co-prefect, who is sort of the military commander. So even under Caracalla,