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Lot Essay
The son of the emperor Septimius Severus, Marcus Aurelius Antonius (AD.188-217), better known as Caracalla, was himself emperor from AD.211 to 217. Sole ruler after the murder of his brother Geta in 212, he campaigned first in Germany and then in the East, where he hoped to repeat the conquests of Alexander the Great, but was assassinated in Mesopotamia. By an edict of 212, he granted Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the Roman Empire.
Born in AD.161, Commodus becomes emperor in AD.180 after the death of his father Marcus Aurelius. He quickly abandoned himself to a life of luxury and debauchery. He was said to have a harem of 300 concubines and 300 young boys, some bought, some kidnapped, from various walks of life. He soon began to show signs of megalomania and demanded from the senate that they deify him as a living god. His favourite divine persona was Hercules and he gave orders that he should be called Hercules son of Zeus instead of Commodus son of Marcus, and took to wearing a lion skin and carrying a club on public occasions. A serious fire in AD.191 gave Commodus the idea of calling himself 'the second founder of Rome'. He was finally strangled in AD.192.
Born in AD.161, Commodus becomes emperor in AD.180 after the death of his father Marcus Aurelius. He quickly abandoned himself to a life of luxury and debauchery. He was said to have a harem of 300 concubines and 300 young boys, some bought, some kidnapped, from various walks of life. He soon began to show signs of megalomania and demanded from the senate that they deify him as a living god. His favourite divine persona was Hercules and he gave orders that he should be called Hercules son of Zeus instead of Commodus son of Marcus, and took to wearing a lion skin and carrying a club on public occasions. A serious fire in AD.191 gave Commodus the idea of calling himself 'the second founder of Rome'. He was finally strangled in AD.192.