Carus
Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Carus Augustus
Marcus Aurelius Carus was Praetorian Prefect when he was acclaimed emperor after Probus's murder. He immediately raised his sons Carinus and Numerian to Caesar, signalling a dynastic ambition the Senate had to accept. He campaigned successfully on the Danube and then invaded Persia, capturing Ctesiphon, a rare Roman achievement. He died during the Persian campaign, reportedly struck by lightning, though contemporaries suspected foul play. His death cut short what might have been a transformative eastern campaign.
Carus came closer to a decisive defeat of Persia than any Roman emperor since Trajan, capturing Ctesiphon and advancing beyond the Tigris. His sudden death denied Rome the fruits of that campaign. His dynasty, the Cari, lasted barely three years but produced three emperors whose coinage forms a natural collecting sequence.
Key Events
Coinage
The coinage of Carus is issued from multiple mints and is moderately available, though not common. His portrait, compact, bearded, with the close-cropped style of the Illyrian emperors, continues the aesthetic of his predecessors. The FELICITAS REIPVBLICAE and VICTORIA EXERCITI reverses mark his military programme. Joint issues with Carinus and Numerian are also known.
Denominations
Notable Types
- FELICITAS REIPVBLICAE types
- VICTORIA EXERCITI types
- Joint types with Carinus and Numerian
- SAECVLI FELICITAS types
Common Reverses
Active Mints
Related Resources
Further Reading
- Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part II,
- Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume III,