On This Day in Ancient History: 
Caracalla came to power honestly enough, but when he succeeded his father, Septimius Severus (of the Severan Dynasty), in A.D. 211, he was supposed to share the imperial purple with his brother, Geta. Caracalla soon put an end to his competition and started a bloodbath.
Caracalla came to power honestly enough, but when he succeeded his father, Septimius Severus (of the Severan Dynasty), in A.D. 211, he was supposed to share the imperial purple with his brother, Geta. Caracalla soon put an end to his competition and started a bloodbath. The tondo of the Severans shows Septimius Severus, his wife, Julia Domna, and their two sons, Geta and Caracalla. The face of the younger brother has been obliterated, presumably after Caracalla's fratricide and damnatio memoriae.
In 217, Caracalla himself died violently.
Also on this day in modern history, classicist E.R. Dodds, author of The Greeks and the Irrational (see Shame Culture) died.
Severan Dynasty Tondo photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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Comments
The tonda is a great illustration of how people work to re-write history, isn’t it. It’s also somehow fitting that Caracalla met his end by one who he thought he had bought and paid for.