Marcus Aurelius Carinus (283-285AD) was the elder son of the Emperor Carus born about 249 – 250 AD. Through 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 control 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 broaden on his victory, Carus was struck useless by lightning. Carinus and his brother have been raised to the rank of Augustus in the course of the late summer time 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 rise up 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 critical 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 all his personal officers.
In accordance 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 doubt, 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 individual.
Carus, Carinus, Numerian and Magnia Urbica have been formally condemned after their deaths. Their inscriptions have been additionally erased from Rome. Thus, with the dying of Carinus, the empire fell into the palms 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 throughout the empire.
In Carinus’s coinage, we nonetheless see the Aurelian commonplace reformed coinage, 1/twentieth half silver with silver plating. This group of coinage is moderately distinctive, for a lot of the silver plating continues to be intact, which is troublesome to search out.
