A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

CARACALLA,

Antoninus, the Son of Septimius Severus and Marcia: He was declar'd Caesar, and made Partner in the Empire with Geta his Brother by the Father's Side. In his Youth he had sucked in the Principles of Chri∣stianity, having Evodus for one of his Gover∣nours, whose Wife and Son were instructed in the Christian Religion. Thus at first he gave good Signs of a very sweet Disposition, which procured him the Love of every Body: But his Father having removed from his Person those that inspired him with a Relish of true Piety, choaked that good Seed he had received, and made a Monster of him when he thought to make him a great Prince; for he intended to have usurped the Sovereign Power by Parricide, having laid his Hand upon his Sword on purpose to draw it and kill his Father, when he was one Day coming behind him on Horse-back, and

had certainly done it if those who were about him had not cryed out and hindered him. The Horror of an Action so black brought Severus in∣to such a deep Melancholy, that he died in it within a Year after. Car••calla being thus ad∣vanced to the Empire, killed his Brother Geta in his Mother's Bosom, that he might reign alone without any Partner upon the Throne. He cut off the Head of Papinian a celebrated Lawyer, because he would neither excuse nor desend the Murder of his Brother; which Ex∣ample of a generous Courage in this Lawyer, who was then Praefectus Praetorio, should make Christians blush, who so easily excuse the Crimes of Kings when they have Hopes of rising at Court. We have some Medals of this Prince, which represent to us what kind of a Person he was after he came to be Emperor. For when we observe in his Medal, the Space between his Eye-brows knit, his Eyes sunk in his Head, and his Nose a little turned up at the End, these Marks make up the Countenance of a Man who is thoughtful, crafty and wicked, and indeed he was one of the cruellest Men in the World: Besides, he was addicted to Wine and Women, fierce, insolent, hated by the Soldiers, and even by his own domestick Servants, inso∣much that at last he was killed by one of his own Centurions called Martialis, in the 43 Year of his Age, and the Sixth Year of his Reign. It might seem wonderful that so wicked a Prince should be placed among the Gods, as we learn that he was by the Title of Divine, which was given him, and by the Consecration we see in his Medal, but that we have this to say in the Case, that Macrinus who succeeded him, and was the Cause of his Death, had a mind by do∣ing him this Honour to clear himself of all Suspi∣cion of this Murder, or rather, that this was an Age of Slavery, and the People being enslaved bestowed the most sordid Flatteries upon the worst of Princes.