Faces of Roman Emperors: Nerva to the Severan Dynasty (Image Gallery) p. 14

Image Gallery

by Arienne King
published on 22 February 2021

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Macrinus (Artistic Facial Reconstruction)

by Daniel Voshart
published on 23 October 2020

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Macrinus (Artistic Facial Reconstruction) — View Full-Size Image

Macrinus (r. 217-218 CE) became emperor after arranging the assassination of Caracalla in 217 CE. Caracalla’s popularity with the Roman army made Macrinus’ succession a point of contention. Because Macrinus was unable to appease the army, they rallied around 14-year old priest Elagabalus (r. 218-222 CE) when it was claimed he was the illegitimate son of Caracalla. A rebellion broke out to place Elagabalus on the throne, which led to Macrinus’ defeat and execution. His reign represented a brief break in the Severan dynasty, which was re-established with Elagabalus and Alexander Severus (222-235 CE).

Pictured alongside the reconstruction are the busts and statuary used as references. These include busts from the Capitoline Museum (top left) and Belgrade City Museum (top right) and coin portraits from his reign.

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