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I.TePrologueinRome
13
ofGetawasnotonlyaresultofapoliticalcalculation.BehindCara-
calla)sdesiretobecomethesolerulertherewasadiscernibleemotional
backgroundofhatredandrivalry.
14
However,aferthemurderof
Geta,thesituationrequiredsomekindofaprogram.Teslaughter
ofGeta)ssupportershadtocometoanendandaferit,aformal
declarationfromthenewgovernmentcouldbeexpected.
Undoubtedly,someelementsofaprogramwerealreadypresentin
thepolicyofSeptimiusSeverus,andCaracallacouldeasilyusethese
patterns.Hecertainlyfoundsupportinthearmy.Temilitaryaspect
ofhisfutureactivitieswaseasytoforesee.
Tesourcesenhancethediferencesbetweenthefatherandtheson.
OneimportantdiferencewasCaracalla)sattitudetowardthemainduty
ofanemperor,i.e.totheadministrationofjustice(δiKάCεiV).Cassius
DiocriticizesCaracalla,sincetheemperor:
ἘδńKoCεPὲVoὒVἤtiἢoὐδέV,tὸδὲδὴπλεῖσtoVtoῖctεἄλλoicKol
tῇφiλoπρoγPoσύVῃἐσχόλoCε.15
Herodian,equallyeloquent,butlesscriticalthanDio,seemstobe
closertoreality:
γUPVάσiotooσώPotocπoioύPεVocἡVioχεńocKolθηρńωV
πoVtoδoπῶVσUσtάδηVἀVoiρέσεic,δiKάCωVPὲVσπoVńωc,πλὴVVoῆσoi
tὸKρiVόPεVoVεὐφUὴcἦVεὐθńKtωctεπρὸctὰλεχθέVtoἀπoKρńVoσθoi.
16
EvenawriterasunfriendlytohimasDiowasunabletodenyCara-
calla)sintellectualoccupationsandinterestinculture.Teyoungruler
hadbeenbroughtupinamilieuaspiringtobeacentreofphilosophy:
ὥσtεKoloὐtoKράtoρoἤδηὄVtoKolδiδoσKάλoicσUVεῖVoiKoltὸ
πoλὺtῆcἡPέρocφiλoσoφεῖV.17
14AmongthestudiesoftheproblemthemostimportantisH.Heinen,Zur
TendenzderCaracalla-VitainderHistoriaAugusta,Chiron1,1971,p.421-436;
seealsoP.Mertens,LadamnatiomemoriaedeGétadanslespapyrus,in:Hommages
aLéonHerrmann,(Coll.Latomus44),Bruxelles-Berchem1960,p.541-552.
15CassiusDioLXXVIII17.1.
16HdnIV7.2.
17CassiusDioLXXVIII11.3(cf.ibid.11.4);onthephilosophicalmilieuof
JuliaDomnaseeG.W.Bowersock,GreekSophistsintheRomanEmpire,Oxford
1969;CassiusDioLXXVIII18.3.
