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elenchusI made it through Septimius Severus and Sons Son today in my History of Rome podcast listening adventures! Every time I think Rome can’t produce a worse train wreck of an emperor, they prove me wrong. Caligula, Commodus, Caracalla – what is it with all the C names/nicknames? I also got through the short and ill-fated reign of Macrinus the Equestrian (gasp!), so onwards to Elagabalus! …I won’t lie, most of what I know about Elagabalus is the sex scandal rumor stuff. Oh, and that a lot of modern scholars think that he may have been trans.
I have this vague goal of being able to name all of the Roman emperors through to Diocletian someday, and with Elagabalus on the list I’m just about halfway there! Asumming I can remember Julianus and Macrinus for more than ten minutes. Of course, it’ll probably get harder as I go on and there are fewer Augustuses and Neros, and more Deciuses and Gordians.
Today’s useless but amusing Roman fact: Caracalla is actually a nickname, referring to the kind of cloak said emperor favored. His birth name was Lucius Septimius Bassianus, which was all well and good, but then his parents went and renamed him Marcus Aurelius Septimius Bassianus Antoninus, which was just asking for confusion with the previous emperors Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, and Antoninus Pius. Ew. Even worse, he changed his name again when he became Emperor, now going under the name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Pius Augustus. Awesome, right? And not at all confusing. Since historians have a hard enough job already, they just call him by his diminutive nickname, Caracalla.
If you ever travel back in time to the early 3rd century CE and happen to meet the gentleman in question, don’t call him Caracalla. He hates that. Also, run away as fast as you can to somewhere he isn’t, just to be safe. I hear Britain is nice and far away.
If this renaming story is sounding familiar to you, you may be thinking of one Caligula, aka Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Caligula also entered life without a single unique name to his, er, name (Germanicus came from his father), and the nickname Caligula means “little boots.” As a young boy, little Caligula had become something of a mascot for his father’s soldiers, and they gave him the cognomen he’s know by today for the miniature pair of soldiers boots he wore.
Also like Caracalla, he grew to hate his nickname, and also also like Caracalla, he brutally murdered scores of innocent people. Good times! If I ever get around to building an Ancient Greeceromeoplis in the Sims, those two are living together. Nero can live with Commodus – I bet they’d throw amaaaaazing parties.
In non-ancient news, I’m almost done with ami Ghost’s body and head. All that’s left now is the ears, tail and sewing everything together. I’m slightly regretting not picking up yarns for Shaggydog or Ser Loras while picking up the stuffing for Ghost. Ah well, I guess I’ll have to be content working on my afghan and shawl (or maybe scarf – I’m considering changing that project).
I have this vague goal of being able to name all of the Roman emperors through to Diocletian someday, and with Elagabalus on the list I’m just about halfway there! Asumming I can remember Julianus and Macrinus for more than ten minutes. Of course, it’ll probably get harder as I go on and there are fewer Augustuses and Neros, and more Deciuses and Gordians.
Today’s useless but amusing Roman fact: Caracalla is actually a nickname, referring to the kind of cloak said emperor favored. His birth name was Lucius Septimius Bassianus, which was all well and good, but then his parents went and renamed him Marcus Aurelius Septimius Bassianus Antoninus, which was just asking for confusion with the previous emperors Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, and Antoninus Pius. Ew. Even worse, he changed his name again when he became Emperor, now going under the name Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Pius Augustus. Awesome, right? And not at all confusing. Since historians have a hard enough job already, they just call him by his diminutive nickname, Caracalla.
If you ever travel back in time to the early 3rd century CE and happen to meet the gentleman in question, don’t call him Caracalla. He hates that. Also, run away as fast as you can to somewhere he isn’t, just to be safe. I hear Britain is nice and far away.
If this renaming story is sounding familiar to you, you may be thinking of one Caligula, aka Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Caligula also entered life without a single unique name to his, er, name (Germanicus came from his father), and the nickname Caligula means “little boots.” As a young boy, little Caligula had become something of a mascot for his father’s soldiers, and they gave him the cognomen he’s know by today for the miniature pair of soldiers boots he wore.
Also like Caracalla, he grew to hate his nickname, and also also like Caracalla, he brutally murdered scores of innocent people. Good times! If I ever get around to building an Ancient Greeceromeoplis in the Sims, those two are living together. Nero can live with Commodus – I bet they’d throw amaaaaazing parties.
In non-ancient news, I’m almost done with ami Ghost’s body and head. All that’s left now is the ears, tail and sewing everything together. I’m slightly regretting not picking up yarns for Shaggydog or Ser Loras while picking up the stuffing for Ghost. Ah well, I guess I’ll have to be content working on my afghan and shawl (or maybe scarf – I’m considering changing that project).
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-01 02:27 am (UTC)Haha, I love how you continue to think any of these stories might sound remotely familiar to any of us.
Though I really should try to get through that podcast. >.>
(no subject)
Date: 2011-08-01 06:32 am (UTC)