The Fall of Caracalla, Emperor of Rome, Slain by One of His Servants

Who thirstes to thring vnto the highest throne,
Ne wisely windes Dame Fortune’s subtile snare:
Or who in courte would rule the rost alone,
And sees not what he heapes himselfe of care,
Let him well wey my case, and then beware:
Whome foorth the stately seate did first allure,
Which after did my hastie death procure.

And, Higins, here in purpose sith thou hast
The haplesse hauen where Fortune’s impes ariue,
A mirour make likewise of me thou mayst,
If thou my life and dealings wilt discriue.
It may perhaps much profit some aliue:
Which when themselues playne paynted forth they see,
They may presage their fatall falles in mee.

I am that Antonine, Seuerus sonne,
That once of mighty Rome did beare the swaye,
Which in my father’s life a stryfe begone
With Geta, thyrsting often him to slay:
I sought to haue my father made away,
To raigne alone so great desire I had,
Naught but theyr deathes indueste my hart to glad.

My father oft exhorted both to peace,
Declarde by stories olde what came by strife,
Dehorted both from ciuill discord cease,
But I sought meanes to rid him of his life.
I banisht to Sycilia isle my wife,
Encreast mine hoste, reckt not my British charge,
But how I might enioy the empire large.

And first when as my father once was dead,
I gaue my selfe to all reuenge of foes,
The seruants late which stoode me not in stead,
And some physicions which my treasons did disclose,
Or such to saue their prince themselues dispose,
Or reconcile vs brethren tooke sore payne,
I causde them all without respect be slayne.

The captaines all likewise I brybed well,
In Britayne then desiring them to chuse
Mee Emprour sole, and Geta to repell:
Which they to doe for dueties sake refuse.
Our mother eke all meanes with vs did vse,
Perswading vs to loue and concorde bende,
To which dissemblingly I graunted in the ende.

Wee both in empire like from Britayne passe,
A truce concluded there, and hostage take:
His reliques shrinde (as then the custome was)
To Rome therewith our voyage fast we make.
And yet the malice could not so aslake:
For in our iourneyes wee durst neyther trust,
But seuerall courts and dyets keepe we must.

Both fearing poyson, force or treason wrought,
Both crauing all the empire to enioy,
Both working all the wayes that might be sought,
To worke to each some secret great anoy,
Both seeking how his partner to destroy.
The brother which to brother should be stay,
Endeuours how to make him quite away.

And those that bare of dignities degree,
The officers, were diuersly distracte:
Some fauourde Geta, some did fauour mee,
In him no poynt of courtesie there lackte.
He was of maners milde, of doome exact,
To studies good addict, of comely grace,
In warres and peace discharging well the place.

But I was rough, and violent, and fearce,
Of fiery Mars affected all to bloud:
What neede I more my qualities rehearce,
Which were so farre vnlike my brother’s good.
On threatnings, force, and feare, my Empire stood,
Whereby in deede of fauning friends I had,
For feare or gayne were of my fauour glad.

Our mother long perswading vs to peace,
And both perceiuing our attempts but vaine,
Did both agree our discordes to surcease,
And for to part the empire into twaine:
My selfe should holde of Europe all the maine
With th’isles thereof, and Geta all the East,
Of Asia all the [realmes and] islands most and least.

As thus we parle amongst the counsayle all,
And so decree, full purposed thereto,
The Senate, which foresawe mishaps might fall,
Still sadly sate, durst nothing say nor doe:
But Iulia then the mother of vs two,
When she perceiude the Senate pause for feare,
Arose to speake, and sayd as you shall heare.

“The sea and land (quoth she) my sonnes you get,
You finde a way how you may them deuide:
The Pontique floud betweene you both is set
For boundes of both, it buts on eyther side:
But how will you your mother now deuide?
How shall my haplesse corps be parted, put
Betweene you both, shall I likewise be cut?

“If needes in twayne you part this empire must,
I see what discorde after may betyde:
How empire makes men guiltlesse bloud to thrust,
What noble peeres for this betrayde, haue dyde.
T’were better both, the Romaynes well to guyde,
Then separate farre, without so firme a stay,
Your seuered force some treason should decay.

“One man himselfe may much by wit foresee,
But twaine may more perceiue perdy then one:
One friendly man by fauour much may bee,
But two in friendship knit, neede feare no fone.
Two brethren then to rule the world alone
As brethren shoulde, and liue in faithfull sorte,
The worlde their loue and honours will reporte.

“But if deuide the Empire all you will,
First ere you goe for to enioy your raigne,
My woefull corps I pray you here to kill,
And it deuide betweene you both in twaine,
That I may eke with both of you remayne.
Doe burie each a parte so distant farre,
Deuided as your seates, selues, kingdomes are.”

So when she spoken had, with teares shee came,
And sobbes, beseeching both, embracing vs,
And wil’d we should our selues to friendship frame,
Not bearing hate in hart, and enuie thus:
On which the Senate nothing durst discusse,
But all arose, departing did lament,
Which vew’de our thirsting sore, to bloudshed bent.

Our hatred still encreased more and more,
For when that captaines newe elected were,
Or officers in place we did restore,
In these, our mindes to all men playne appeare,
We diuersly affected fauour beare:
Of right in sentence eke, of diuers mindes,
As hatefull oft the eyes of justice blindes.

Our owne we sought, and not the publique weale,
Yet both the publique wealth alone to haue:
We nothing reckt to hap the publique heale,
But to enioy the publique wealth we straue.
To cookes and butlers giftes of price we gaue,
To poyson each: when yet not these proceede,
I hired some by force to doe the deede.

When this likewise had not successe aright,
My selfe, to slay my brother, I addrest:
I rusht into his chamber euen or night,
While of my force I thinke he feared lest:
There with my sworde I strake him through the brest.
Eke while our mother’s lap his wonndes embrewe,
Her Geta deare betweene her armes I slewe.

Which done, I flew the palace straight, and cald the garde,
Cryde treason, told I scarce escapte vnslayne,
Commaunding souldiers well to watch and warde,
And me conuey vnto the campe amayne,
Where I might safe from violence remayne:
I sayd, I should be made away, perdie,
If in the court I longer time did lye.

So they supposing all was trueth I tolde,
(Not weeting what was done to Geta than)
Made speede to runne with me vnto the holde:
The people hearing this, to flocke began,
Enquiring why the prince and souldiers ran:
In tent I kneeld encampt, the gods to prayse
With promist vowes, which had prolong’de my dayes.

The souldiers all amazde resorted to the tent,
Where I the gods with honour serued thoe:
On which I forth amongste them boldly went,
Told them great daungers I had scaped fro,
And of mine enmyes fall and ouerthroe.
By Fortune’s gifte (quoth I) the enmye’s slayne,
And th’empyre wholy doth to mee remayne.

I promist then the souldiers if they would,
My empire stablishe sure, and safty see,
Each [fiue and] twenty hundred Attique grotes haue should,
More corne then earst by halfe alow’de shoulde bee,
The temples welth and treasures shoulde bee free
For them to vse at large, whereby that onely day
Seuerus pile of eighteene yeare I spoylde away.

The souldiers so allurde, perceiuing all my minde,
(And slaughter blazde by those in house that fled)
I was by them proclaymde and th’Emprour sole assinde,
And hee an enmy namde that now was deade.
All night in temple forth with vowes I led,
Next day to Senate house with th’ [armed] hoste I gate,
And seruice done, thus wise in [th’empire] throne I spake:

“I know right well (quoth I) domestique slaughters hatefull seeme,
And euen the name thereof makes men full euill of parties deeme:
For why, th’vnhappy slayne moues milder men to mercy still,
And noble Peeres are enui’de when compel’de theyr foes they kill,
The vanquisht iniur’de seeme, and victours deem’de vniustly ill.
But who so euer shall this case it selfe with trueth perpende
Not partially that deemes, ensearching what hee did pretend:
Hee shall perceiue and finde it better farre and needefull more
To wrecke the wrong, then wincke thereat, and after smarte therfore.
For, to the slayne beside his woe, there comes a dastarde’s name,
The victour hath beside his health, of fortitude the fame.
But certis how by poysons hee, and all meanes sought my spoile,
You may right soone by tortures try without of farder toyle,
And therefore I commaunded all his seruaunts present bee.
That you the trueth may know when their confessions plain you see:
While I was at my mother’s house, he brought with swords his traine,
Forwarnd, so armde, by fight my foe, I haue mine enmy slain.
Sith hee about a mischiefe went, no brother’s harte that bore,
To take reuenge on such, is due: as custome telles of yore.
The founder right of Rome, not with his brother flouting bare:
I leaue to speake what Germanique and Titus erst did dare,
And Marcus wise and milde his daughter’s husband did not spare.
But I, for mee when poysons were and swords to slay mee drest,
Reueng’de my foe, (of foe the name his workes assign’de him best)
Therefore thanke you the gods, that they one prince preserued you,
Beholde the same, him loyall loue, to him bee iust and true:
For euen as loue aboue, amongst the gods doth rule alone,
So hee in earth the empire all, alottes and giues to one.”

Thus hauing sayde alowde, with irefull moode,
And bloudy countnaunce cast about the place,
Th’assembly pale and trembling, fearefull stoode,
And I retourn’de to th’pallace thence a space.
My brother’s householde then I made a way a pace,
His friends, his seruaunts all, young, olde, and new,
And th’infantes eke, without respect I slewe:

The wrastlers and the waggeners likewise,
Musitians, players, which did please his minde:
Of th’order of the Senatours full wise,
In whome was noble bloud or wealth to finde.
Not one of Getae’s friends I left behinde:
Also my wife whome I exilde away
To Sicile Ile, I caused them to slay.

Lucilla eke, that auncient noble Dame,
To Marcus wise the daughter sage and graue,
Of Commodus that sister great of fame,
Which honour much in Rome deseru’de to haue,
I say, shee did my deedes therein depraue,
Because to Getae’s mother shee wept sore,
For Getae’s death: I causde her die therefore.

Her sonne likewise, I caused should bee slayne,
And of th’imperiall bloud (to make all sure)
I left not one aliue, that might remayne,
Or vnto whom they might my place procure.
By night likewise I put like acts in vre:
For day and night I ceased not to slay,
Of Getae’s friendes to roote the rest away.

I vestall virgins buried eke aliue,
And made the souldiers multitudes to kill
Because I deemde they were in wordes to blyue.
Against my couche wherein I trauailde still,
The souldiers slewe the men that thought no ill,
Or made them buy their liues with all they had,
Which were, to scape with life alone, full glad.

This donne, for feare from Rome with speede I gate,
The townelike life at home misliked mee:
For why the citty did my murders hate,
Where souldiers held their slaughters franke and free,
And were enricht by spoile of each degree.
I gate therefore with all my Martiall crewe
From Itayle land, Danubian shoares to vewe.

Where, vnto hunting I applyde my selfe,
To ride abroade in couche, and giue them lawes:
In fewe dispacht their pleas about but pelfe,
Not gieuen to heare long pleading playnts for strawes.
I counted such but cafling captiue dawes
As spent their substaunce, time, and goods in suite,
About such things as could not yeelde them fruite.

I clad my selfe much like the Germanes then,
So trimde my haire, chose them my garde to serue:
So framde my selfe to please these ruder men,
As might them cause of mee full well deserue,
From labour none with them I seemde to swerue:
To digge, lifte, beare, to grinde, moulde, knead or bake,
In painfull sort and simple fare to take.

The Germanes much reioyste my kinde of life,
My sufferaunce great in during labours long:
The name of mate with vs was holden rife,
I seemde a fellowe souldier them among:
Of stature small, yet was I wondrous strong,
So that the stoutest men which in mine armies were,
Durst not with mee great burdens dare to beare.

When at Danubius I had placed strength,
To Thracia thence with speede apace I went:
Where monuments agayne I made at length
To Alexander’s fame: to Rome I sent
Likewise of statues for the same intent,
In Capitole and temples them to place,
For honour great of Alexander’s grace.

I made mee garments eke of Thracian guise,
And captaynes mee to Alexander call;
To Pergame thence in Asia great that lies
I gate, Achilles tombe with honours all
To vewe perdy, as stories witnesse shall:
Whence (order set) to Antioche I farde,
Where my receyte with honour was preparde.

To Alexandria then I fared faste,
For they had scofte full oft before at mee:
My mother they had named Queene Iocaste,
Achilles great and Alexander mee.
They smil’de my folly great herein to see,
Which though I were a dwarfe of stature small,
Durst take the name of captaynes great and tall,

Ne Getae’s murder spared oft to spread,
As is their nature gieuen to taunt and iest:
Wherefore as though Religion had mee lead,
I offred sacrifice with solemne feast
At Alexander’s tombe, where most and least
Of all the youth were present to behold
The offerings great I brought, and giftes of gold.

This donne, I wil’d the youth should all prepare
To showe themselues in field: for I would choose
A band by Alexander’s name to fare,
As erst in Thrace and Sparta I did vse.
They came reioysing all, to heare the newes:
Where I with souldiers come to take the vewe,
Them compast in, and all the people slewe.

The valley all did swimme with streames of bloud,
So great that time a slaughter was there made:
It staynde the mighty mouthes of Nilus floud,
And on the shoares you might bloud wetshod wade:
My piners eke were prest with showle and spade
T’interre the dead, a monstrous trench that fill,
And on them [scarce all] dead, they rearde a mighty hill.

But then desiring glory more to get
By Parthian name, which erst my father had,
I sent to Artabane, without of let,
Ambassage great, with giftes his minde to glad:
And for his daughter them perswade I bad,
Desiring him to giue the Princesse mee to wife,
The cause of lasting loue, an end of [mortall] strife.

By this both ioynde in one, wee might for ay
Of all the world the diademe possesse:
And might to each in all attempts be stay,
In fight our foes by firmer force suppresse.
When they my message thus did there expresse,
At first hee fearde deceyte: agayne I sent:
Wherewith hee was at last full well content.

By giftes I wrought, and plight my fayth withall
For truth to him, and for his daughter’s loue,
And hee began mee sonne in lawe to call:
Which new reporte did all the Parthians moue
Us to receiue, our frendships firme t’approue,
Reioysing now such league at last to see,
Whereby they might from Romayne warres bee free.

And so I entred Parthia as mine owne,
The Parthians mee receiu’de with triomphes great:
When mine approache to Artabane was knowne,
In playne before the city of his seat,
Hee came to meete me with a nomber great,
Ware garlands gay, in golden vestures clad,
With all the ioy and triomphes might bee had.

So when great multitudes assembled were,
Their horses lefte behinde and bowes layd downe,
Amongst their cups deuoyde of force the feare,
By nombers great the chiefe of all the towne,
Which came to see the brideman’s highe renowne,
Disorderly vnarmde as so they [gazing] stand,
I gaue my souldiers signe, to take the blade in hand.

And downe by sword they fell, they could not flye,
The king escaped scarce, conuey’de by horse away:
Their solemne garments long, theire flight did tye,
A slaughter great of Parthians was that day,
Wee sackte their Townes, and noble men did slay.
From thence I past t’Azamia, after this
To hunt, and gaue my selfe [a while] to bath in blisse.

Thus hauing runne my reckelesse race vnkinde,
And doubting both of treason and my thrall,
I sought by curious artes of sprites to finde
Who should procure in th’end my fatall fall:
Materniane at Rome should search for all,
Hee should enquire my fate, of all the skillfull men,
And write hereof [with speede] what was their mindes agen.

What hee rewrate agayne, I wote not I,
From Carras I to Lunae’s temple went:
And for because it neare the campe did lye,
To sacrifice with fewe was mine intent:
For why to towne from thence retourne I ment,
And so from thence to th’campe likewise agayne
I might [mee thought] retyre, without a greater trayne.

Amongst the which, one Martiall of my garde,
Whose brother (not conuinste, accusde) I slewe,
Thus wise my captiue corps did watch to warde,
(For when therefore conuenient time hee knewe,
While I aparte me gate for nature’s due,
And bade the rest aside a space departe)
Hee came and stabde mee stifly through the harte.

Seuerus seruaunts I corrupted ofte,
Them feeid to make their Lorde my syre away;
With Getae’s men the like attempts I wrought,
To bane their lord, and brother mine to slay:
How I the Alexandrians did betray,
And Parthians eke, before to you I tolde,
Deseruing death for those a thousand folde.

But sith those faithfull seruaunts I did kill,
Which would not sley their noble lordes for golde,
I worthy was to haue a gard so ill,
As shoulde to perce my hatefull harte bee bolde:
The justice great of Ioua here beholde,
Uniustly who so seekes to slay the [iust and] good,
The sword at length shall take his false and traytours bloud.