Caracalla

Killed on 8 April 217 CE near Carrhae in Mesopotamia by a soldier acting for the praetorian prefect Macrinus, who then took the throne.

Overview

Caracalla became sole emperor after having his brother and co-ruler Geta killed in 211, followed by a purge of thousands of supporters. In 212 his Constitutio Antoniniana granted Roman citizenship to almost all free inhabitants of the empire, and the great baths that bear his name were built in Rome. While campaigning against Parthia he was killed on the road near Carrhae by a soldier named Julius Martialis. The praetorian prefect Macrinus, fearing for his own life, had arranged the killing and was proclaimed emperor, the first not of senatorial rank. Macrinus was overthrown the following year, and the Severan dynasty returned under Elagabalus.