Magnia Urbica was a Roman empress of the late 3rd century AD, known as the wife of Emperor Carinus, who ruled from AD 283 to 285. She held the rank of Augusta, confirming her formal status within the imperial court during the final phase of the turbulent Crisis of the Third Century.
Very little is recorded about her in the surviving literary sources, and most of what is known comes from coinage and inscriptions issued in her name. Her portraits appear on Roman coins with empress-style titulature, showing that she was publicly recognised as the consort of Carinus and part of the imperial dynastic presentation.
Carinus was Roman Emperor from AD 283 to 285, ruling during the turbulent final phase of the Crisis of the Third Century. He was the elder son of Emperor Carus and the brother of Numerian, and was elevated to imperial rank as part of a short-lived dynasty. After the death of Carus, Carinus controlled the western part of the empire, while Numerian governed in the east.
Ancient sources portray Carinus as a controversial and often dissolute ruler, though such accounts are likely coloured by hostile tradition after his fall. His reign ended in AD 285, when he was defeated during the struggle for power that brought Diocletian to the throne. He was the husband of Magnia Urbica, who held the title of Augusta.
