Macrinus was well respected in the military circles and he eventually gained the position of Praetorian Prefect under Caracalla, which was the highest military position short of Imperator (otherwise equivalent to Emperor). In the spring of 217 it is believed that Caracalla consulted a soothsayer who told him the next emperor would be Macrinus. As soon as Macrinus heard of this, he understood that Caracalla would kill him at the first chance he got just to remove any validity to the prophesy. Gaining the support of his closest guardsmen, a plot to assassinate Caracalla was put together as a preemptive...

This teenager's big break came directly as a result of the revolt his grandmother, Julia Maesa, instigated against Macrinus. Claiming that Elagabalus was the son of Caracalla, (Julia Maesa was Julia Domna's sister, Caracalla's mother) the army was induced to revolt against Macrinus and restore the supposed dynasty. Macrinus was ill-prepared for the sudden revolt and still in the early stages of recovering from the heavy hand of Caracalla's rule. Finding only lukewarm support from within his own legions, Macrinus was defeated by the upstart in battle. Elagabalus and his puppeteers were able to restore...

Macrinus named his son Diadumenian co-Augustus within a year after his own accession but both perished at the hands of their soldiers soon afterwards. AU Aureus RIC 101v (Macrinus), BMC 83a, C 2 Aureus Obv: MOPELANTDIADVMENIANCAES - Bare-headed, draped bust right. Rev: PRINCIVVENTVTIS - Diadumenian standing facing, holding and scepter in left; in field to right, two standards. [RIC lists for draped and cuirassed bust]. 217 (Rome). $37,344 12/5/02. AR Antoninianus RIC 106 (Macrinus), BMC 82 Antoninianus Obv: MOPELDIADVMENIANVSCAES - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev:...

Caracalla's real name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. He got the nickname from his habit of wearing a cloak by the same name. Caracalla was the elder son of Septimius Severus and brother of Geta whom he positively hated. Hated so much, in fact, that he had him murdered a few years later. In the mayhem that follwed, Caracalla's men went on a killing spree of anyone suspected of being a Geta sympathizer. In the massacre, it's estimated up to 20.000 people lost their lives. Caracalla would go on to rule for another five years but his bad karma caught up with him and he was assassinated in a plot perpetrated...