Amandus was a rebel in Gaul in the time of Diocletian and leader of the Bagaudae. [1]
He instigated a revolt in Gaul in 285, during the brief power vacuum that followed the death of Carinus. Amandus took charge of a group of peasants ruined by taxes, fugitive slaves, and thieves with the assistance of Aelianus. [2] The two burnt several villages, and ransomed several cities. In response, the emperor Diocletian sent his colleague Maximian. Maximiam weakened their forces in several battles, before forcing them to retreat to a citadel near Paris now known as Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. Maximian successfully destroyed the citadel and killed everyone inside, including Amandus. [3]
Amandus was once thought to be a Roman usurper, with coins issued with his name. However, the only known specimen of this coin is probably a forgery. [4]
