Caracalla

About Caracalla

Caracalla, a Roman Emperor who reigned from 198 to 217 CE, holds a significant place in history, ranking #319 globally by MIT's Historical Popularity Index. His primary lasting contribution is the Baths of Caracalla, a massive public bath complex in Rome that demonstrated imperial power and engineering prowess. He also famously issued the Edict of Caracalla in 212 CE, which granted Roman citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the Empire, fundamentally reshaping Roman society and governance.

Despite his historical influence, Caracalla's modern internet attention is relatively modest. In 2025, his annualized Wikipedia views totaled 1.3 million. This places him well behind contemporary politicians like George W. Bush (#441 importance) who garnered 7.4 million views, indicating a relative lack of digital engagement compared to his historical weight. His Attention Gap score of +3x suggests that even his current attention is three times *higher* than might be expected based on his HPI rank, though the sheer volume is low in an absolute sense.

Intriguingly, his digital footprint is shrinking. Caracalla experienced a substantial 17.7% year-over-year decline in Wikipedia views for 2025. Furthermore, the 2025 Momentum data shows a sharp -67% drop between Q1 and Q3, suggesting that whatever residual interest existed in the ancient Roman ruler is currently waning on the modern web.