Macrinus was Roman Emperor from 217 to 218. He was born in Caesarea of Mauritania, today’s modern Algeria, in 164 AD. For this reason, contemporaries called him the Moor, although he was a purebred Roman citizen and came from the ranks of the equestrians. Â After receiving a law degree, Macrinus served in Rome. Already during his first court session, he drew the attention of the powerful Prefect of the Praetorium. This happened during the reign of Septimius Severus.
The Prefect made Macrinus the manager of his private estates. He found a powerful patron, and received a very important position as head of the post office on the Flaminyan road. Then Emperor Caracalla appointed him the procurator of his own estates.
In 216, Macrinus took part in the Parthian campaign of Caracalla. Most of the written testimonies that have come down say that it was Macrinus who had planned an attempt on Caracalla’s life. In his hands He accidentally got a letter addressed to the Prefect of Rome, which said that the Emperor was in danger from Macrinus. He concealed the letter and conspired with two tribunes. On April 8, 217, near the city of Carra, Caracalla was assasinated by a soldier.
Governing
Macrinus first ran to the murdered Emperor’s body and cried out, so as not to seem suspicious. The soldier that murdered the Emperor tried to escape but was immediately killed by Caracalla’s court guards. No one suspected Macrinus because the solder that killed him had had his own credible motive; a few days earlier the Emperor denied him the title of centurion.
From April 8 to 11, at their camp in Edessa, soldiers decided amongst themselves who should be the new Emperor. There were two candidates, but Macrinus was their choice. He initially refused, but the soldiers shouted his name in unison, and on April 11, 217, Macrinus became the Emperor by acclimation. In a letter to the Senate, Macrinus said that the army had proclaimed him Emperor and swore that his rule would be peaceful and orderly, and that additional blood of Romans would not be spilled, that he would do nothing without the consent of advisers.
Macrinus’ nine-year-old son, Diadumenian was later proclaimed Caesar. Thus Macrinus laid the foundations of a new dynasty. He gave his son the name Antoninus, emphasizing continuity with great Roman Emperors and drawing loyalty from soldiers who had been followers of Caracalla. For this reason, Macrinus did not condemn his predecessor.
Soon the mother of Caracalla, Julia, died, having managed to cause trouble for Macrinus. She created intrigues against him, did not respond to condolences in Macrinus letter, and even led her soldiers to commit an attempt on the new emperor’s life. Macrinus resolutely reacted to Julia’s intrigues. He ordered her to leave the palace in Antioch and live elsewhere, so now she becomes merely a rich citizen without imperial honors. From that point, Julia led a very troubled life and died of breast cancer.
The first actions of Macrinus, as ruler, were reasonable and fair. He amnestied the persons convicted for speaking out against the Imperial Majesty. Has restored the former size of tax compensation for ransom from slavery, for inheritance, and some others. But the personnel policy of the new Emperor was criticized. They argued that Macrinus placed unworthy and slow-witted people in responsible positions. Senators were indignant that Advent was appointed Prefect of Rome, because he had not gone through the prescribed levels of service and had never been a consul. Perhaps Macrinus awarded Advent for his rejection of power.
The Emperor himself could not come to Rome, he had to guard the eastern border from invasion from the Parthians. In 217, a large Parthian army invaded Mesopotamia. Macrinus was defeated in this war and negotiated an expensive peace, paying 50,000,000 sesterces. But on Roman coins appeared the inscription Parthian Victory, as if to celebrate the non-existent victory. In the war with the Armenians, the Emperor also did not achieve any success.
Now Macrinus chose Antioch as a place to live. He led a leisurely life and did not burden himself with public affairs. The ill-wishers joked that most of the time the Emperor grew a beard and strolled with friends. This was seen as the desire of Macrinus, to imitate Markus Aurelius. People laughed at the attempts of the untalented ruler to resemble a great Emperor. In addition, the Emperor liked to dress up and choose beautiful clothes. This lifestyle irritated the legionaries, whose ideal was Caracalla; energetic, always caring about the army. With indignant soldiers on distant fronts, Caracalla had been preparing a campaign against the Parthians and had promised rich trophies. Now they felt deceived and wanted to return to their native lands, but Macrinus continued to position troops near the eastern borders, hoping that the situation would resolve itself. For this reason, Macrinus did not want to return to the capital. Then he made an unfortunate decision. He announced that recruits would receive a salary equal to that under Septimius Severus, which was a fraction of that in the days of Caracalla. Perhaps he did not understand the displeasure he was provoking and ordered deification of his predecessor, Caracalla. The late Emperor Caracalla was recognized as a god and a temple was built in his honor in which sacrifices were made.
Death
In May, 218, the country swept the news in the city of Emesa appeared the legal heir of Caracalla, his son. In less than a month, Macrinus and his defenders were defeated. He was forced to flee, changing into a simple soldier. Macrinus wanted to get to Rome in a roundabout way, through Asia Minor, but was captured and sent back to Antioch on a simple cart, like an ordinary criminal. On the way, he learned that his son, Diadumenian, whom he had made his co-ruler, had been assassinated. The young man tried to escape to Parthia but was caught and killed. Upon learning of this, Macrinus tried to escape for his life, jumping from the cart into a gully. He was unsuccessful. He was killed by a centurion, and his body lay unburied alongside the road.
Sources:
- The History of Augustus. Julius Capitolin
- Dion Cassius . Loeb classical library. 79
- Herodians Stories from Marcus Aurelius. 4.14-5.4
- Miller, SN, “The Army and the Imperial House”