The rule of Carus, Carinus and Numerian marks the end of the "Military Anarchy" period. The emperor had gone from the role of Princeps or First Citizen, through Imperator. Diocletian would change the title of the emperor to Dominus Noster, Lord and Master. Diocletian would also completely reform the government an add numerous layers of bureaucracy in his efforts to create a stable form of Roman government. Among his reforms was the coinage - Carus and his sons were the last emperors to use the antoninianus (or aurelianus) for their full reign. Their reign marks the end of a difficult era in Roman history.
The rule of these three emperors is marked by bizarre deaths and, in the case of the last emperor Carinus, perversity. These are the hallmarks of a negative publicity campaign, most likely carried out under the orders of the next emperor, Diocletian.
Marcus Aurelius Numerius Carus succeeded to power in September of 282, while serving as the Praetorian Prefect for Probus. It is unclear whether he actually revolted against Probus, or if he was proclaimed emperor by his troops upon Probus' murder. Either way, he was now in control of the entire Empire. This broke the string of Illyrian rulers - though the several before him had come from the Danube region, Carus was born in the town of Narbo on the Mediterranean coast of Gaul.
He quickly raised his older son, Carinus, to the rank of Caesar and their first battles were fought against Germanic tribes. Carinus was left to deal with the West with the new title of Augustus, while Carus and his younger son Numerian, now Caesar, proceeded to the East to continue the constant struggles against Sasanian Persia. This division of power between east and west was last seen under Valerian and Gallienus, but this time Persia was ripe for conquest, as it was in the midst of a civil war between Varhran II and Hormazd.
Carus seems to have been successful against the Persians and even captured their capital Ctesiphon, but there was no end to the war as he died in the summer of 283, ostensibly by being struck by lightning, though this sounds like a later propaganda claim. Power in the east smoothly passed to Numerian.
AE Antoninianus minted in Ticinum
AE Aurelianus, posthumously minted in Lugdunum under Carinus & NumerianMarcus Aurelius Carinus was left to control the western portions of the empire as the junior Augustus after his father and brother headed east, and he remained for a time in Rome. In early 284 he proceeded to Britain for more campaigning. After the death of his brother he proceeded east to deal with at least two revolts, quickly ending the first. The second was Diocletian, and their armies met in battle in July of 285. Though losses were heavy on both sides, Carinus seemed the victor. Strangely he still lost, as according to variant traditions he was either murdered by the husband of a woman he had seduced, or his army deserted him in favor of Diocletian. Again, as histories are written by the victor, the story of being murdered by a jealous husband is likely the result of Diocletian's propaganda machine.
Silvered Aurelianus minted in Antioch September 282 - spring 283Marcus Aurelius Numerius Numerianus gained the rank of Caesar by spring of 283 under his father and traveled with him to help lead the armies against the Persians. After his father's death in the summer of 283 he smoothly transferred rank to Augustus, and began the withdrawal of the victorious armies back into Syria, with the apparent intent of travelling slowly back to Rome.
Numerian was probably not a military man as his father and brother were. This is possibly why Carus had chosen to take him rather than Carinus - an able general was needed to watch the west precluding Numerian. Carus doubtless intended to instruct his son in military matters while in Persia, but Numerian's interests might have lain elsewhere - he was said to have won acclaim for his poetry.
In November of 2004 while near Nicomedia in Asia Minor he was confined to a closed litter, his Praetorian Prefect Aper claiming Numerian was suffering from an inflammation of the eyes. Soon afterwards the truth was discovered, that Numerian lay dead in his litter. The commander of the imperial bodyguard claimed Aper had murdered Numerian, and killed him. This commander was Diocletian, and was hailed as the new Augustus.
Aurelianus minted in Ticinum
Silvered Aurelianus minted in CyzicusIf you have an comments, questions, or corrections, please email me.
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