University:
The University Of Western Ontario
Course:
Biology 2290F | Scientific Method in Biology
Academic year:

2024
Views:

427

Pages:

2
Author:

Kyuwon J.

1. The Reign of Carus (282–283 CE) ● Carus was appointed emperor by the army after the murder of Probus. ● Faced questions about his origin: ○ “Onesimus maintains that Carus' parents were Illyrians, but he himself was born and educated at Rome” (p. 423). ○ Other sources claim he was from Illyricum or even Carthage. ● Military Success: ○ Successfully led campaigns against the Sarmatians and Persians. ○ Conquered Mesopotamia and reached Ctesiphon. ○ Earned the title “Conqueror of Persia”. ● Mysterious Death: ○ Died either from disease or a lightning strike. ○ “At the time of his death there suddenly occurred such violent thunder that many, it is said, died of sheer fright” (p. 431). ○ Some suggest his death was fated because no Roman emperor could advance beyond Ctesiphon. ○ “There is a certain decree of Fate that no Roman emperor may advance beyond Ctesiphon” (p. 439). 2. The Rise and Fall of Numerian (283–284 CE) ● Numerian was Carus' son and known for his intelligence and eloquence. ● Accompanied his father on the Persian campaign but suffered eye disease that prevented him from leading. ● His father-in-law, Aper, killed him in an attempt to seize power. ● The army discovered his murder only after his decomposing body was revealed. ● Diocletian avenged Numerian’s death: ○ “Diocletian, having ascended the tribunal, was hailed as Augustus, and when someone asked how Numerian had been slain, he drove his sword through Aper, saying, 'It is he who contrived Numerian's death'” (p. 437). ○ Prophecy Fulfilled: A Druidess had told Diocletian that he would become emperor after slaying a “boar” (Aper in Latin). 3. The Rule of Carinus (283–285 CE) ● Carinus, Carus' other son, was left in charge of the Western Empire. ● Known for debauchery, corruption, and incompetence. ● “He was the most polluted of men, an adulterer and a constant corrupter of youth” (p. 441). ● Political and Military Failures: ○ Appointed unqualified officials, including a doorkeeper as city-prefect. ○ Wrote arrogant letters to the Senate and treated Rome’s institutions with contempt. ○ Spent lavishly on banquets, jewelry, and extravagant games. ○ Engaged in nine marriages, divorcing some wives while they were pregnant. ● Final Battle Against Diocletian: ○ Despite his excesses, he showed military strength, fighting several battles against Diocletian. ○ Ultimately defeated and killed near Margus (285 CE). 4. The Legacy of Carus, Carinus, and Numerian ● The final phase of the Crisis of the Third Century. ● The empire was politically unstable, and Diocletian’s rise was seen as a turning point. ● “Fortune takes pleasure in nothing so much as in changing, by means of a varied succession of events, all that pertains to the public business” (p. 429). ● The empire found stability only after Diocletian and Maximian took power, bringing an era of reform. ● “The gods gave us Diocletian and Maximian to be our princes, joining to these great men Galerius and Constantius” (p. 447).