Marcus Aurelius Carinus (283-285AD) was the elder son of the Emperor Carus born about 249 – 250 AD. Throughout the spring of 283AD, Carinus was given the rank of Caesar shortly after his father’s accession to the throne. Carinus remained behind in Rome within the West when his father and youthful brother, Numerian set out for the Japanese frontier. Carinus was then left in command of the administration of the Western provinces. In the meantime, his father had been profitable in driving again the Persian risk within the East. Nevertheless, earlier than he may develop on his victory, Carus was struck useless by lightning. Carinus and his brother had been raised to the rank of Augustus throughout the late summer season of 283 AD.
His brother Numerian was slowly making his method again to Rome together with his legions. In November 284 AD, he was found murdered in his litter. This then left Carinus as sole emperor of Rome.
The dying of Carus and Numerian prompted the tried riot within the Balkans by late 284 AD. A usurper appeared, Marcus Aurelius Julianus, who was proclaimed emperor in Pannonia. Carinus set out in early 285AD to satisfy the problem of this new risk that was now advancing upon Italy. Carinus confronted Julianus close to Verona and soundly defeated this usurper. Nevertheless, a extra severe risk was now coming from his brother’s military. Diocletian, who was commander on the time, was proclaimed emperor. He had been the previous governor of Moesia and commander of the Praetorian bodyguard. Carinus transfer to satisfy this new risk from Diocletian and the Japanese legions. Carinus‘ forces outnumbered these of Diocletian, and in the mean time when victory was close to, Carinus was murdered by one in every of his personal officers.
In keeping with Historiae Augusta, Carinus was a bisexual corrupter of youth, had 9 wives, and compelled himself upon the wives of others. That is probably propaganda put forth by Diocletian. Nonetheless, there’s maybe some fact to this story. Carinus was murdered for his seduction of the wives of a few of his troopers. The account of his having 9 wives is probably unfaithful since Magnia Urbica was the one spouse for which coinage was struck. Little question, he was not a popular man. Eutropius Breviarium (IX.19) additionally states that he was the seducer of the wives of nobles and that he was a merciless and vindictive particular person.
Carus, Carinus, Numerian and Magnia Urbica had been formally condemned after their deaths. Their inscriptions had been additionally erased from Rome. Thus, with the dying of Carinus, the empire fell into the fingers of Diocletian who would take advantage of daring reforms ever in hopes of bringing to an finish, the previous 50 years of disaster and turmoil inside the empire.
In Carinus’s coinage, we nonetheless see the Aurelian customary reformed coinage, 1/twentieth half silver with silver plating. This group of coinage is fairly distinctive, for a lot of the silver plating continues to be intact, which is troublesome to seek out.
