The Constitutio Antoniniana (Latin for: "Constitution [or Edict] of Antoninus") (also called the Edict of Caracalla or the Antonine Constitution) was an edict issued in 212, by the Roman Emperor Caracalla declaring that all free men in the Roman Empire were to be given theoretical Roman citizenship and that all free women in the Empire were to be given the same rights as Roman women.

Before 212, for the most part only inhabitants of Italy held full Roman citizenship. Colonies of Romans established in other provinces, Romans (or their descendants) living in provinces, the inhabitants of various cities throughout the Empire, and small numbers of local nobles (such as kings of client countries) held full citizenship also. Provincials, on the other hand, were usually non-citizens, although some held the Latin Right.

Analysis

The Roman jurist Ulpian's Digest stated, "All persons throughout the Roman world were made Roman citizens by an edict of the Emperor Antoninus Caracas."

Caracalla (/ˌkærəˈkælə/) was the popular nickname of Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus (4 April AD 188 – 8 April AD 217), Roman emperor (AD 198–217). The eldest son of Septimius Severus, Caracalla reigned jointly with his father from 198 until Severus' death in 211. For a short time Caracalla then ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until Caracalla had Geta murdered later in 211. Caracalla is remembered as one of the most notorious and unpleasant of emperors (according to the literate elite) because of the massacres and persecutions he authorized and instigated throughout the Empire.

Caracalla's reign was also notable for the Constitutio Antoniniana (also called the Edict of Caracalla or the Antonine Constitution), granting Roman citizenship to all freemen throughout the Roman Empire, which according to the hostile historian Cassius Dio, was done for the purposes of raising tax revenue. This gave all the enfranchised men the two first names of Caracalla "Marcus Aurelius". Caracalla also commissioned a large public bath-house (thermae) project in Rome, and the remains of the Baths of Caracalla are still one of the major tourist attractions of the Italian capital.

Caracalla (also known as Caracalla II, 1942 – after 1955) was a French racehorse and sire. Unraced as a two-year-old and never competing at a distance shorter than 2,400 metres he was undefeated in eight races in a racing career which lasted from the spring of 1945 until October 1946. Caracalla excelled over extended distances, winning the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix Royal Oak in France and the Ascot Gold Cup in Britain. On his final appearance he proved himself capable of beating top class opposition at middle distances when he won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was then retired to stud, where his record was disappointing.

Background

Caracalla was an exceptionally good-looking bay horse with a narrow white blaze and white socks on his hind legs, bred by his owner Marcel Boussac at his Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard in Neuvy-au-Houlme in Lower Normandy.

Caracalla's dam was the highly successful broodmare, Astronomie, whose other progeny included Marsyas, Arbar, and the Epsom Oaks winner Asmena. Caracalla's sire Tourbillon, also bred and raced by Boussac, won the Prix du Jockey Club in 1931 and went on to become Leading sire in France on three occasions. Tourbillon's success as a breeding stallion was largely responsible for the survival of the Byerley Turk sire line. Because of the presence of certain American bloodlines in Tourbillon's pedigree, his offspring were considered "half-bred" (non-Thoroughbred) by the General Stud Book.