Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. – Alba Regia. Az István Király Múzeum Évkönyve. 8.-9. 1967-1968 – Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei: C sorozat (1968)

Szemle – Rundschau - Fitz Jenő: When did Caracalla become imperator destinatus? VIII–IX, 1967–68. p. 285–286.

SZEMLE-RUNDSCHAU WHEN DID CARACALLA BECOME IMPERATOR DESTINATVS? When writing about Septimius Severus, J. H a s e b r o« k, in his work entitled Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des Kaisers Septimius Severus (Heidelberg 1921) which is still regarded as a standard work on the subject, gave the chronology of the year 197 as follows (op. cit. 192): January, end of: February 19: February-April : May, beginning of: June: July: victory at Tinurtium, imp. IX. battle at Lugdunum, death of Clodius Albinus, imp. X. in Gallia and Germania, persecution of followers of Albinus, visit to Britannia second time in Lugdunum in Rome, consecration of Cornmodus, Caracalla imperátor destinatus, pontifex, persecution of followers of senator Albinus left for the Second Parthian war Although this chronology was consistently accepted in later literature (САН 12, 1939, 16; A. CALDERINI: I Severi. La crisi dell'Impero nel III secolo, Bologna 1949, 78-68). I believe that J. H a s e b г о e k's dating of the appointment of Caracalla to the office of emperor did not definitely and satisfactorily settle the issue. According to J. Hasebroek this event occurred between June 9th and August 28th. In the Roman inscription CIL VI 224 = D 2185 which was dedicated on June 9th Caracalla was mentioned only as Caesar: pro salute (m\ Imp. L. Sept. Severi et M. Aurelio Antonino Caesari Aug. nn. But the Egyptian area beginning with August 28 already calls Caracalla imperátor destinatus. We know of two relics from the inscribed material originating from 197 which make this dating debatable. One of these is the stone relic of P. Porcius Optatus Flamma from Cirta (CIL VIII 7062 = D 1143—

ILA II 648) in which we read that legátus ab amplissimo s[enatu] ad eundem dominum [I]mp. was (seil, ad Septimium Severum) in Germaniam et [ad] Antoninum Caes. [Im]p. destinatum in Pannoni[am] missus. If the message communicated by the relic is literally accepted, then Caracalla entered Rome already as imperátor destinatus while his appointment took place in Rome. It should be mentioned that this inscription may be used for dating only with some reservations. It has otherwise been proven (Osservazioni prosopographiche alia carriera di M. Macrinius Avitus Catonius Vindex) the titles and attributes of the emperors were included in the inscription not in the order of their occurrence but according to when the inscription was made. In other words the inscription from Cirta tells us for certain only that when it was dedicated in 197 Caracalla was already imperátor destinatus and it does not answer whether he was appointed when Flamma travelled to him in Pannónia. The second inscription is from Lugdunum, from the time of Septimius Severus' second stay there (CIL XIII 1754): [Pro] salute Imp. L. Septimi [Sève] ri PU Pertinacis Aug. [et] M. Aureli Antonini Caes. Imp. destinati et Iuliae Aug. matris castror. totiusque domus divinae eorum et statu CCC Aug. Lug. taurobolium fecerunt Septicia Valeriana et Optatia Siora ex voto praeeunte Aelio Antho sacerdote sacerdotia Aemilia Secundilla tibicine Fl. Restituto apparatore Virsio Hermetione inchoatium est sacrum IIII Nonas Maias consumma[t]um Nonis eisdem T. Sextio Laterano L. Cuspio Ru[f]ino cos.l.d.d.d. The inscription called Caracalla imperátor destinatus as early as May 4-7. The imperial visit and the official offering excludes the possibility of error. Especially because of the historical significance of the inscription I find it difficult to accept J. H a r e b г о e k's stand who, when dating the appointment of Caracalla as emperor, focussed on the mentioned Roman inscription instead of on this stone relic. The omission of the phrase imperátor destinatus in the latter inscription by no meand proves that Cacacalla was only caesar on June 9th. On one hand the inscriptions gave the names and titles of the emperor in an abbreviated form, while on the other hand the Aug. nn. may be correctly read 285