Matilda Brown

There's different narratives. My favorite one is Herodian tells us he weeps over the body and is so sorrowful.

There's different narratives. My favorite one is Herodian tells us he weeps over the body and is so sorrowful.

There's different narratives. My favorite one is Herodian tells us he weeps over the body and is so sorrowful.

All the while has organized this from the get-go and then sends the ashes of Caracalla back to his mother. in Antioch, where she promptly says both sons are gone and ends her own life. Alex, I'll let you get into the intricacies of the better narrative.

All the while has organized this from the get-go and then sends the ashes of Caracalla back to his mother. in Antioch, where she promptly says both sons are gone and ends her own life. Alex, I'll let you get into the intricacies of the better narrative.

All the while has organized this from the get-go and then sends the ashes of Caracalla back to his mother. in Antioch, where she promptly says both sons are gone and ends her own life. Alex, I'll let you get into the intricacies of the better narrative.

So we need to go back because the first narrative that I told you, that's the one that's in Herodian. Dio tells us a totally different story. Julia Domna learns of her son's death, according to Cassius Dio. She's in Antioch. And Macrinus sends her a letter and he says, you can retain your title as Augusta, can stay empress, you can retain your Praetorian guard. So she keeps the imperial bodyguard.

So we need to go back because the first narrative that I told you, that's the one that's in Herodian. Dio tells us a totally different story. Julia Domna learns of her son's death, according to Cassius Dio. She's in Antioch. And Macrinus sends her a letter and he says, you can retain your title as Augusta, can stay empress, you can retain your Praetorian guard. So she keeps the imperial bodyguard.

So we need to go back because the first narrative that I told you, that's the one that's in Herodian. Dio tells us a totally different story. Julia Domna learns of her son's death, according to Cassius Dio. She's in Antioch. And Macrinus sends her a letter and he says, you can retain your title as Augusta, can stay empress, you can retain your Praetorian guard. So she keeps the imperial bodyguard.

You can do whatever you want. Just stay there. And she does. And she, according to Dio, she considers ending her life. And then she sort of gets it together a little bit and starts scheming with the soldiers who are around her. And then eventually dies of breast cancer before anything can be taken anywhere. But this is an incredibly important moment.

You can do whatever you want. Just stay there. And she does. And she, according to Dio, she considers ending her life. And then she sort of gets it together a little bit and starts scheming with the soldiers who are around her. And then eventually dies of breast cancer before anything can be taken anywhere. But this is an incredibly important moment.

You can do whatever you want. Just stay there. And she does. And she, according to Dio, she considers ending her life. And then she sort of gets it together a little bit and starts scheming with the soldiers who are around her. And then eventually dies of breast cancer before anything can be taken anywhere. But this is an incredibly important moment.

If what Dio is reporting is true, this is really unprecedented or nearly unprecedented for Roman empresses. The only precedent that we have is Domitia, Domitian's wife, who is reported, rumored to have been involved in his assassination and may have had more new imperial portraiture created under Trajan and left up around Trajan's forums.

If what Dio is reporting is true, this is really unprecedented or nearly unprecedented for Roman empresses. The only precedent that we have is Domitia, Domitian's wife, who is reported, rumored to have been involved in his assassination and may have had more new imperial portraiture created under Trajan and left up around Trajan's forums.

If what Dio is reporting is true, this is really unprecedented or nearly unprecedented for Roman empresses. The only precedent that we have is Domitia, Domitian's wife, who is reported, rumored to have been involved in his assassination and may have had more new imperial portraiture created under Trajan and left up around Trajan's forums.

She continued to be celebrated as an empress and sort of retired in luxury with her brickworks in Italy. That is the only precedent we have. So why Macrinus would decide to keep this woman on with a title, which did not happen for Domitia. She retired without the title. We know this from the inscriptions from her brickworks. She keeps the title. She keeps the Praetorian Guard. She is still...

She continued to be celebrated as an empress and sort of retired in luxury with her brickworks in Italy. That is the only precedent we have. So why Macrinus would decide to keep this woman on with a title, which did not happen for Domitia. She retired without the title. We know this from the inscriptions from her brickworks. She keeps the title. She keeps the Praetorian Guard. She is still...

She continued to be celebrated as an empress and sort of retired in luxury with her brickworks in Italy. That is the only precedent we have. So why Macrinus would decide to keep this woman on with a title, which did not happen for Domitia. She retired without the title. We know this from the inscriptions from her brickworks. She keeps the title. She keeps the Praetorian Guard. She is still...

for all intents and purposes, Empress of the Roman Empire. And this is something that's very perturbing. I think to anybody who looks closely at this period, there's this huge question of why. And Alex and I were talking about this prior to sitting down with you, and we still have not really been able to wrap our minds around it. It is part of why I kind of wanted to bring up

for all intents and purposes, Empress of the Roman Empire. And this is something that's very perturbing. I think to anybody who looks closely at this period, there's this huge question of why. And Alex and I were talking about this prior to sitting down with you, and we still have not really been able to wrap our minds around it. It is part of why I kind of wanted to bring up