Geta, Caracalla

211 - 243 AD

Caracalla at one point got infuriated with his reception at the hands of the Alexandrians. He dissolved the Academy and allowed his troops to sack the city, murdering many of its youth. This isolated incident partly explains the hostility, but apart from this it is difficult to see what underlay such an upsurge of nationalistic feeling, reflected generally in the abusive tone adopted toward the emperors. The Alexandrians had offended him by alleging that he was implicated in the murder of his brother Geta.