8.20

(1) M. igitur Aurēlius Antōnīnus Bassiānus, īdemque Caracalla, mōrum ferē paternōrum fuit, paulō asperior et mināx. Opus Rōmae ēgregium fēcit lavācrī, quae Antōnīniānae appellantur, nihil praetereā memorābile. Impatientis libīdinis, quī novercam suam Iūliam uxōrem dūxerit.

(2) Dēfūnctus est in Osdroēna apud Edessam moliēns adversum Parthōs expedītiōnem annō imperiī sextō mēnse secundō, vix ēgressus quadrāgēsimum tertium annum. Fūnere publicō ēlātus est.

    Caracalla Emperor, 211217 CE

    Dio Cassius, Histories 79.1-10, Historia Augusta, Caracalla

    (1) īdemque: "also known as"

    Caracalla: the name of Caracalla comes from a type of cloak. H.A. Caracalla 9.7-8, Cassius Dio 79.3

    mōrum ferē paternōrum fuit: genitive of quality (AG 345)

    Opus ... lavācrī: "a public bath" (LS opus II.B)

    Antōnīniānae: supply balneae. The Thermae Antoninianae or Baths of Caracalla were begun in 211 or 212 CE and dedicated in 216. Elagabalus and Alexander Severus completed them. They were the most magnificent baths at Rome and even today their ruins are remarkable for their size and splendor (H.A. Carac. 9.4, 9.9; H.A. Heliog. 17.8) (Bird).

    nihil praetereā memorābile: Eutropius makes no mention of the famous Constitutio Antoniniana, the revolutionary law that guaranteed Roman citizenship to all free men within the Roman empire.

    Impatientis libīdinis: "of unrestrained lust" (AG 343.c

    novercam suam Iūliam uxōrem: the popular and scurrilous story about Caracalla's relationship with his mother, Julia Domna, in which she was called Jocasta, appeared in Herodian (Hist. 4.9.3), but the false report that she was actually his stepmother stems from a hostile tradition accepted by neither Herodian nor Dio (Hist. 79.24) (Bird).

    (2) apud Edessam: see Edessa

    imperiī sextō: Caracalla died in 217 CE

    Fūnere publicō ēlātus est: "buried at public expense" (LS efferō I.B.1)

    Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates

     

    M.

    M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius

    Aurēlius, ī, m.

    the name of a Roman gens. Aurēlius Alexander, Roman emperor, 222–235 A.D.

    Antōnīnus, ī, m.

    the name of a dynasty of Roman emperors. (1) T. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Fulvius Bōiōnius Pius, 138–161 A.D.; (2) M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Vērus, 161–180 A.D.; (3) L. Annius Antōnīnus Vērus, 161–169 A.D.; (4) L. Antōnīnus Commodus, 180–193 A.D.; (5) M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Bassānius Caracalla, 211–217 A.D.; (6) M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus, Heliogabalus, 218–222 A.D.

    Caracalla, ae, m.

    M. Aurēlius Antōnīnus Bassānius Caracalla, emperor 211–217 A.D.

    paternus, a, um [pater], adj.

    fatherly, of a father

    asper, aspera, asperum, adj.

    rough, bitter; violent, severe

    mināx, ācis [minor, to threaten], adj.

    threatening

    lavācrum, ī [lavō], n.

    bath

    thermae, ārum, pl. f.

    warm baths

    Antōnīniānus, a, um, adj.

    of or belonging to the Antonines

    memorābilis, e [memorō, to bring to mind], adj.

    worth telling, remarkable

    impatiēns, entis [in + patiēns], adj.

    impatient; intolerant, impetuous

    noverca, ae, f.

    stepmother

    Iūlia, ae, f.

    Iūlia Maesa, wife of Caracalla

    dēfungor, fungī, fūnctus sum [dē + fungor, to perform]

    to perform, finish 2

    Osdroēna, ae, f.

    Osroēnē, a district in the west of Mesopotamia

    Edessa, ae,. f.

    a city in the western part of Mesopotamia

    mōlior, īrī, ītus sum [mōlēs, mass]

    to struggle, toil; undertake, attempt

    Parthī, ōrum, pl. m.

    a Scythian people southeast of the Caspian Sea

    expedītiō, ōnis [expediō, to set fire], f.

    an expedition, campaign

    mēnsis, is, m.

    a month

    efferō, ferre, extulī, ēlātus

    to carry out or away; spread abroad; raise, elate; bury

     

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