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Carus - Roman Emperor: 282-283 A.D. -
Bronze Antoninianus 21mm Ticinum mint: 283 A.D.
Reference: RIC 82f, C 79
IMPCARVSPFAVG - Radiate, cuirassed bust right.
SPESPVBLICA Exe: SXXI - Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising skirt.
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In
Roman mythology, Spēs (pronounced
[speːs])
was the goddess of hope. She was traditionally defined as "the last goddess" (Spes,
ultima dea), meaning that hope is the last resource available to men.
There was a temple to her in the
Forum Holitorium.
In art, Spes was depicted hitching her skirt while holding a
cornucopia
and flowers.
Spes personified hope for good harvests, and for children, and was invoked at
births, marriages, and other important times.
Her Greek equivalent was
Elpis.
Marcus Aurelius Carus (c. 230 - late July/early
August, 283) was a
Roman
Emperor (282-283). During his short reign, Carus tried to follow the path of
restoration of the empire strength marked by
Aurelian
and Probus. His
sons Carinus
and Numerian
formed, with Carus, a short lived dynasty, which granted further stability to a
resurgent empire. He also had a daughter Aurelia Paulina.
Biography
Carus, whose name before the accession may have been Marcus
Numerius Carus, was born, probably, at
Narbo (modern
Narbonne) in Gaul,[1]
but was educated at
Rome. He was a
senator,
and had filled various civil and military posts before he was appointed
prefect of
the
Praetorian Guard by the emperor Probus in 282. After the murder of Probus at
Sirmium,
Carus was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers. Although Carus severely avenged
the death of Probus, he was himself suspected of having been an accessory to the
deed. He does not seem to have returned to Rome after his accession, but
contented himself with an announcement of the fact to the Senate.
Bestowing the title of
Caesar upon his sons Carinus and Numerian, he left Carinus in charge of the
western portion of the empire, and took Numerian with him on the expedition
against the
Persians which had been contemplated by Probus. Having defeated the
Quadi and
Sarmatians
on the Danube,
Carus proceeded through
Thrace and
Asia Minor, annexed
Mesopotamia, pressed on to
Seleucia and
Ctesiphon,
and carried his arms beyond the
Tigris. The
Sassanid Emperor
Bahram II
limited by internal opposition, could not effectively defend his territory. For
his victories, which avenged all the previous defeats suffered by the Romans
against the Sassanids, Carus received the title of Persicus Maximus.
Carus hopes of further conquest were cut short by his death. One day, after a
violent storm, it was announced that he was dead. His death was variously
attributed to disease, the effects of
lightning,
or a wound received in a campaign against the
Persians. The facts that he was leading a victorious campaign, and that his
son Numerian succeeded him without opposition, suggest that his death may have
been due to natural causes. |
