| Macrinus | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bust, Capitoline Museums | |||||||||
| Roman emperor | |||||||||
| Reign | 11 April 217 – 8 June 218 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Caracalla | ||||||||
| Successor | Elagabalus | ||||||||
| Co-emperor | Diadumenian (218) | ||||||||
| Born | c. 165 Caesarea, Mauretania Caesariensis (now Cherchell, Algeria) | ||||||||
| Died | June 218 (aged 53) Cappadocia (modern-day Turkey) | ||||||||
| Spouse | Nonia Celsa | ||||||||
| Issue | Diadumenian | ||||||||
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Marcus Opellius Macrinus (/məˈkraɪnəs/ mə-CRY-nəs; c. 165 – June 218) was a Roman emperor who reigned from April 217 to June 218, jointly with his young son Diadumenianus. Born in Caesarea (now called Cherchell, in modern Algeria), in the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis to an equestrian family of Berber origins, he became the first emperor who did not hail from the senatorial class and also the first emperor who never visited Rome during his reign. Before becoming emperor, Macrinus served under Emperor Caracalla as a praetorian prefect and dealt with Rome's civil affairs. He later conspired against Caracalla and had him murdered in a bid to protect his own life and succeeded Caracalla as emperor.
Macrinus was proclaimed emperor of Rome by 11 April 217 while in the eastern provinces of the empire and was subsequently confirmed as such by the Senate; however, for the duration of his reign, he never had the opportunity to return to Rome. His predecessor's policies had left Rome's coffers empty and the empire at war with several kingdoms, including Parthia, Armenia, and Dacia. As emperor, Macrinus first attempted to enact reform to restore economic and diplomatic stability in Rome. While Macrinus' diplomatic actions brought about peace with each of the individual kingdoms, the additional monetary costs and subsequent fiscal reforms generated unrest in the Roman military.
Caracalla's aunt Julia Maesa took advantage of the unrest and instigated a rebellion to have her fourteen-year-old grandson, Elagabalus, recognized as emperor. Macrinus was overthrown at the Battle of Antioch on 8 June 218 and Elagabalus proclaimed himself emperor with support from the rebelling Roman legions. Macrinus fled the battlefield and tried to reach Rome, but was captured in Chalcedon and later executed in Cappadocia. He sent his son to the care of Artabanus IV of Parthia, but Diadumenian was also captured before he could reach his destination and executed. After Macrinus' death, the Senate declared him and his son enemies of Rome and had their names struck from the records and their images destroyed, a procedure known as damnatio memoriae.