The Antonine Edict: Combined Motivations Behind the Citizenship Grant

The emperor Caracalla enacted the Constitutio Antoniniana in 212 CE. The edict granted the entire Roman Empire citizenship status. Scholars have theorized a multitude of motivations behind the edict, including tax revenues, religious motivations, and the increase in eligible military enlistments. The unprecedented edict likely had many motivations, and should be considered as apart of a complex political agenda. The implementation of citizenship varied due to Rome's pluralistic society. This thesis studies the complexity of this citizenship grant and the motivations behind the revolutionary edict.No embargoAcademic Major: Ancient History and Classic