The Constitution Antoniniana, Civitas, and the Cohortes: Caracalla’s Tripartite Strategy to Address Systemic Recruitment and Liquidity Concerns in the Third Century C.E.

Abstract

In 211 C.E., Caracalla became the sole emperor of the Roman Empire. His early reign was plagued by systemic recruitment and liquidity issues. The recruitment issues stemmed from perennial shortfalls in enlistment into the legions owing to such factors as better alternatives to legionary service--including the Urban Cohorts, the auxilia, and the Calvary alae-- and strict recruitment criteria, notably the requirement of Roman citizenship. The liquidity issue arose from a recent 150% increase in the legionary base pay that had been instigated by his predecessor, Septimius Severus, and that Caracalla himself had continued, resulting in a shortage in the physical stock of metal coinage to pay the troops. Caracalla masterfully deployed a series of policies to successfully overcome these two systemic issues: the vicesima hereditatium, which doubled the inheritance tax; his famous Constitutio Antoniniana, which granted citizenship to everyone within the Roman realm; and a bold campaign of currency manipulation. These measures cemented Caracalla's enduring legacy: he not only financed a replenished army that expanded the Empire on two overseas fronts, but also directed an impressive campaign of domestic public works projects.