Macrinus (165-June 218) was the Emperor of the Roman Empire from 217 to 218, succeeding Caracalla and preceding Elagabalus.
Biography[]
Macrinus was from Caesarea Mauretaniae (present-day Cherchell, Algeria), and he was of mixed Mauretanian and Punic descent. Under Septimius Severus he became an important bureaucrat, and Severus' son Caracalla made him prefect of the Praetorian Guard. Macrinus was rumored to have sought to take the throne for himself, and Caracalla was known to execute political opponents, so Macrinus feared for his safety and had Caracalla murdered. He reversed several problems under Caracalla, releasing hostages held by him to increase relations with Dacia and installing Tiridates II of Armenia as King of Armenia to repair relations there. In 217 he fought to a draw with Parthia at the Battle of Nisibis, and he later paid a large sum of money to Artabanus IV of Parthia in exchange for peace. His reluctance to engage in war and his defeat by the Parthians led to Caracalla's cousin Julia Soaemias using her position in a sun cult to make Elagabalus the successor of Macrinus, overthrowing and executing him.