View source for Carinus

{{short description|Roman emperor from 283 to 285}}
{{expand French|topic=bio|date=March 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| image        = Montemartini - Carino 1030439.JPG
| image_size   = 
| alt          = Statue of Carinus
| caption      = Over life-sized head of Carinus, [[Capitoline Museums#Centrale Montemartini|Centrale Montemartini]]<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5IpPhTqnDJkC |title=Monumenta Graeca et Romana: Mutilation and transformation : damnatio memoriae and Roman imperial portraiture |date=2004-01-01 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-13577-2 |pages=212, 405 |language=en}}</ref>
| succession   = [[Roman emperor]]
| reign        = Spring 283 – July 285
| predecessor  = [[Carus]]
| regent       = Carus (283)<br />[[Numerian]] (283–284)
| reg-type     = {{nowrap|Co-emperors}}
| successor    = [[Diocletian]] (in competition with Carinus from 284)
| birth_date   = 
| birth_place  = 
| death_date   = July 285
| death_place  = [[Battle of the Margus|River Margus]], [[Moesia]]
| burial_place = 
| spouse       = [[Magnia Urbica]]
| issue        = [[Nigrinian]]us (disputed, possibly adopted)
| full name    = Marcus Aurelius Carinus<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=A. H. M. |author-link1=A. H. M. Jones |last2=Martindale |first2=J. R. |author-link2=John Robert Martindale |last3=Morris |first3=J. |author-link3=John Morris (historian) |year=1971 |title=The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire Volume 1: A.D. 260–395 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-07233-6 |page=181 |url={{googlebooks|uOHw4idqAeYC|plainurl=y}} |ref={{sfnref|Jones|Martindale|Morris}} }}</ref>
| regnal name  = Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Carinus Augustus<ref>{{cite book |last=Cooley |first=Alison E. |author-link=Alison E. Cooley |year=2012 |title=The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-84026-2 |page=501|url={{googlebooks|VlghAwAAQBAJ|plainurl=y}} }}</ref>
| father       = Carus
}}
[[File:Radiate of Carinus (YORYM 2001 9755) obverse.jpg|thumb|A Roman [[Antoninianus|radiate]] produced in 283 depicting Emperor Carinus. From the collection of [[York Museums Trust]]. Legend: M. AVR. CARINVS NOB. CAES.]]

'''Marcus Aurelius Carinus''' (died 285) was [[Roman emperor|Roman Emperor]] from 283 to 285. The eldest son of the Emperor [[Carus]], he was first appointed ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]'' in late 282, then given the title of ''[[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]'' in early 283, and made co-emperor of the western part of the Empire by his father.<ref name="EB1911"/> Official accounts of his character and career, which portray him as dissolute and incompetent, have been filtered through the propaganda of his successful opponent [[Diocletian]].

==Reign==
After the death of Emperor [[Probus (emperor)|Probus]] in a spontaneous mutiny by the army in 282, his [[praetorian prefect]], [[Carus]], ascended to the throne. When he left for the Persian war, he elevated his two sons to the title of [[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]. The elder, Carinus, was left to manage the affairs of the West in his absence, and was later elevated to the rank of [[Augustus (title)|Augustus]], while the younger, [[Numerian]], accompanied his father to the East.<ref>[[Edward Gibbon]], ''[[The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'', (The Modern Library, 1932), ch. XXII., p. 293</ref>

Carinus acquitted himself well, at least at first, showing some merit in suppressing unrest in [[Gaul]] and against the [[Quadi]],<ref name="Gibbon, p. 296">Gibbon, p. 296</ref><ref name="leadbetter">{{cite book |last=Leadbetter |first=William |title=Carinus (283–285 A.D.) |date=8 August 2023 |url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/carinus.htm}}</ref> but the young emperor soon left the defence of the Upper [[Rhine]] to his legates and returned to [[Rome]], where the surviving accounts, which demonise him, claim he indulged in all manner of extravagance and excess.<ref name="EB1911"/> He is said to have married and divorced nine different women during his short reign in Rome and to have made his private life notorious. He is said to have persecuted many who he felt had treated him with insufficient respect before his elevation, to have alienated the Senate by his open dislike and contempt, and to have prostituted the imperial dignity with the various low entertainments he introduced at court.<ref>Gibbon, pp. 296, 297</ref>

When Carus heard of his son's behaviour in the capital, he declared his intention of removing him from office and replacing him with [[Constantius Chlorus]], who was already known for his ability and virtue. Carus, however, died soon afterwards in the midst of the Persian War, and his two sons jointly succeeded him.

On his return to Rome, Carinus organised the annual games, the ''[[Ludi Romani]]'', on an unprecedented scale.<ref>{{cite book |last=Spence |first=H. Donald M. |year=2003 |title=Early Christianity and Paganism |publisher=Kessinger Publishing |isbn=0-7661-3068-1 |pages=391–392}}</ref><ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y||wstitle=Carinus, Marcus Aurelius|volume=5|page=337}}</ref><ref>Gibbon, pp. 297-300</ref> At the same time, Numerian was forced to abandon his father's ambitious campaign in the east by the soldiers, who were superstitious about Carus' death, supposedly caused by a bolt of lightning.<ref name="Gibbon, p. 296"/>

Numerian led his army back to Rome, where a triumph awaited him, leaving the Persians astonished at the inexplicable retreat of a victorious army. Numerian's health, however, was broken by the climate, and unable to bear the heat of the sun, he was carried on a covered litter on the march. [[Arrius Aper]], the praetorian prefect, took charge in his name, but his ambitious temper aroused the troops' suspicions. At [[Heraclea in Thrace]], they broke into the imperial tent and found Numerian dead. [[Diocletian]], commander of the bodyguard, confirmed that Numerian had been murdered by the Prefect, and after executing him, he was proclaimed Emperor by the soldiers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pohlsander |first=Hans A. |year=1996 |title=Constantine |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-31938-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/emperorconstanti00pohl_0/page/6 6] |url=https://archive.org/details/emperorconstanti00pohl_0/page/6 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="EB1911"/><ref>Gibbon, pp. 301, 302</ref>

Carinus immediately left Rome and headed east to meet Diocletian. On his way through [[Pannonia]] he overthrew the usurper [[Sabinus Julianus]] and in July 285 met Diocletian's army at the [[Battle of the Margus|Battle of the Margus River]] (modern [[Morava rivers, Serbia|Morava River]]) in [[Moesia]].<ref name="leadbetter"/><ref name="EB1911"/>

=== Death in 285 ===

Historians disagree about what happened next. According to one account, his troops prevailed at the Battle of the Margus River, but Carinus was murdered by a tribune whose wife he had seduced.<ref name="leadbetter"/><ref>Gibbon, p. 302</ref> Another account describes the battle as a complete victory for Diocletian and claims that Carinus' army deserted him. This account may be supported by the fact that Diocletian kept Carinus' [[Praetorian Guard]] commander, [[Titus Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus]], in service.<ref name="leadbetter"/><ref name="EB1911"/>

=== Character ===
Carinus has the reputation of being one of the worst Roman emperors.<ref name="EB1911"/> This infamy may have been encouraged by Diocletian. The unreliable ''[[Historia Augusta]]'' has Carinus marrying nine wives. After his death, Carinus' memory was officially condemned in the Roman procedure known as ''[[damnatio memoriae]]''. His name and that of his wife were erased from inscriptions.<ref>{{cite book |last=Varner |first=Eric R. |year=2004 |title=Mutilation and Transformation: Damnatio Memoriae and Roman Imperial Portraiture |publisher=[[Brill Academic Publishers]] |isbn=90-04-13577-4 |page=212}}</ref>

==Family tree==
{{tree chart/start}}
{{tree chart| |,|-|-|-|.}}
{{tree chart| MCT | | Flo | | Pro | | Cao | | | | | | Dio |MCT=[[Marcus Claudius Tacitus]]<br>Roman Emperor<br>275-276|Flo=previous<br>[[Florianus]]<br>Roman Emperor<br>276|Pro=[[Probus (emperor)|Probus]]<br>Roman Emperor<br>276-282|Cao=[[File:Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg|20px]]<br>[[Carus]]<br>Roman Emperor<br>282-283|Dio=next<br>[[Diocletian]]<br>Roman Emperor<br>284-305<br><small>∞ [[Prisca]]</small>}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | |)|-|-|-|.| | | |!}}
{{tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | | Cai | | Num | | GVa |Cai=[[File:Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg|20px]]<br>Carinus<br>Roman Emperor<br>282-285<br><small>∞ [[Magnia Urbica]]</small>|Num=[[Numerian]]<br>co-emperor 282-284|GVa=[[Galeria Valeria]]}}
{{tree chart/end}}

==References==

===Roman sources===
* Anonymous, ''[[Epitome de Caesaribus]]''
* [[Aurelius Victor]]
* [[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]], {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20121228022346/http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/eutropius/trans9.html#19 Breviarium ab urbe condita]}}
* [[Historia Augusta]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Carus_et_al*.html Life of Carus, Carinus and Numerian]
* [[Joannes Zonaras]], Compendium of History [https://web.archive.org/web/20080521191250/http://www.ancientsites.com/aw/Post/1049415 extract: Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284]

===Secondary sources===
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Mor Jokai|Mor Jokai's]] ''A Christian but a Roman'' is set in Carinus' Rome

== External links ==
{{Commons}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Carus]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of Roman emperors|Roman emperor]]
        | years=283–285
        | with=[[Carus]] (283) and [[Numerian]] (283–284) }}
{{s-aft | after=[[Diocletian]]}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before= [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]] ,<br /> Victorinus}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of Roman consuls|Consul]] of the [[Roman Empire]] | years=283–285 |regent1= [[Carus]],<br />[[Numerian]] ,<br /> [[Diocletian]], <br />Bassus,  <br />[[Titus Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus|T. Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus]]}}
{{s-aft | after= [[Marcus Junius Maximus]],<br /> [[Vettius Aquilinus]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Roman emperors}}
{{Pharaohs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:285 deaths]]
[[Category:3rd-century murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:3rd-century Roman emperors]]
[[Category:3rd-century Roman consuls]]
[[Category:Crisis of the Third Century]]
[[Category:Murdered Roman emperors]]
[[Category:Aurelii]]
[[Category:3rd-century births]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Roman emperors to suffer posthumous denigration or damnatio memoriae]]
[[Category:Sons of Roman emperors]]
[[Category:Caran dynasty]]
[[Category:Ancient assassinated people]]
[[Category:Damnatio memoriae]]