Carinus

Carinus
Bust of Carinus.
49th Emperor of the Roman Empire
Reign	282–283 (as Caesar of the west under Carus); 283 (together with Carus); 283-284 (together with Numerian); 284–285 (in competition with Diocletian)
Predecessor	Carus
Successor	Diocletian
Died	July 285 (2025-04-13UTC07:56:34) River Margus
Wife	Magnia Urbica
Issue	Marcus Aurelius Nigrinianus
Full name Marcus Aurelius Carinus (from birth to elevation to Caesar); Caesar Marcus Aurelius Carinus (as Caesar); Caesar Marcus Aurelius Carinus Augustus (as emperor)
Father	Carus

Roman Antoninianus of Emperor Carinus

Carinus (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Carinus Augustus; died 285) was Roman Emperor from 282 to 285. The elder son of emperor Carus, he was first appointed Caesar and in the beginning of 283 co-emperor of the western portion of the empire by his father. Official accounts of his character and career have been filtered through the propaganda of his successful opponent, Diocletian.

Reign

He fought with success against the Germanic Quadi tribes, but soon left the defence of the Upper Rhine to his legates and returned to Rome, where the surviving accounts, which demonize him, assert that he abandoned himself to all kinds of debauchery and excess. More certainly, he celebrated the annual ludi Romani on a scale of unexampled magnificence.

After the death of Carus, the army in the east demanded to return to Europe, and Numerian, the younger son of Carus, was forced to comply. During a halt at Chalcedon, Numerian was found dead. Diocletian, commander of the body-guards, claimed that Numerian had been assassinated, and he was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers.

Carinus left Rome at once and set out for the east to meet Diocletian. On his way through Pannonia he put down the usurper Sabinus Iulianus and in July 285 he encountered the army of Diocletian at the Margus River in Moesia.

Death in 285

Historians differ on what then ensued. At the Battle of the Margus River (Morava), according to one account, the valour of his troops had gained the day, but Carinus was assassinated by a tribune whose wife he had seduced. Another account represents the battle as resulting in a complete victory for Diocletian, and Carinus' army deserted him. This account may be confirmed by the fact that Diocletian kept in service Carinus' Praetorian Guard commander, Titus Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus.

Character

Carinus has a reputation as one of the worst Roman emperors. This infamy may have been supported by Diocletian himself. For example, the (unreliable) Historia Augusta has Carinus marrying nine wives, while neglecting to mention his only real wife, Magnia Urbica, by whom he had a son, Marcus Aurelius Nigrinianus.

After his death, Carinus' memory was officially condemned in the Roman proceeding known as Damnatio Memoriae. His name, along with that of his wife, was erased from inscriptions.

References

Primary Sources

• Anonymous, Epitome de Caesaribus
• Aurelius Victor
• Eutropius, Breviarium ab urbe condita
• Historia Augusta, Life of Carus, Carinus and Numerian
• Joannes Zonaras, Compendium of History extract: Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284

Secondary Sources

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

In Literature

• Mor Jokai's A Christian but a Roman is set in Carinus' Rome

External links

Media related to Carinus at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Magnia Urbica at Wikimedia Commons

Regnal titles
Preceded by Carus	Roman Emperor 283–285 Served alongside: Numerian	Succeeded by Diocletian
Political offices
Preceded by Probus , Victorinus	Consul of the Roman Empire 283–285 with Carus, Numerian , Diocletian, Bassus, Titus Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus	Succeeded by Marcus Junius Maximus, Vettius Aquilinus