Gallic Empire

Last updated
Gallic Empire
260–274
GallicEmpire262.png
The Gallic Empire under Postumus by 262 (in blue), with the Roman Empire
Capital
Common languages
Government Autocracy
Emperor 
• 260–269
Postumus
• 269
Marius
• 269–270
Victorinus
• 270–274
Tetricus I
Historical era Late Antiquity
• Established
260
274
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Blank.png Roman Empire
Roman Empire Blank.png

The Gallic Empire [a] or the Gallic Roman Empire are names used in modern historiography for a breakaway part of the Roman Empire that functioned de facto as a separate state from 260 to 274. [b] It originated during the Crisis of the Third Century, when a series of Roman military leaders and aristocrats declared themselves emperors and took control of Gaul and adjacent provinces without attempting to conquer Italy or otherwise seize the central Roman administrative apparatus. [7]

Contents

The Gallic Empire was established by Postumus in 260 in the wake of barbarian invasions and instability in Rome, and at its height included the territories of Germania, Gaul, Britannia, and (for a time) Hispania. After Postumus' assassination in 269 it lost much of its territory, but continued under a number of emperors and usurpers. It was retaken by Roman emperor Aurelian after the Battle of Châlons in 274.

History

Origins

The Roman Crisis of the Third Century continued as the Emperor Valerian was defeated and captured by the Sasanian Empire of Persia in the Battle of Edessa, together with a large part of the Roman field army in the east. This left his son Gallienus in very shaky control. Shortly thereafter, the Palmyrene leader Odaenathus gained control of a wide swath of the east, including Egypt, Syria, Judea, and Arabia Petraea; while he was nominally loyal to the Roman government, his domain was de facto independent and has come to be referred to as the Palmyrene Empire.

The governors in Pannonia staged unsuccessful local revolts. The Emperor left for the Danube to attend to their disruption. This left Postumus, who was governor of Germania Superior and Inferior, in charge at the Rhine border. An exceptional administrator, Postumus had also ably protected Germania Inferior against an invasion led by the Franks in the summer of 260. In fact, Postumus defeated the Frankish forces at Empel so decisively that there would be no further Germanic raids for ten years. This all combined to make Postumus one of the most powerful men in the western reaches of the Roman Empire.

The Gallic Empire at its greatest territorial extent, after its creation by Postumus in 260 Map of the Gallic Empire, 260 AD.jpg
The Gallic Empire at its greatest territorial extent, after its creation by Postumus in 260

Gallienus's son Saloninus and the praetorian prefect Silvanus remained at Colonia Agrippina (Cologne), to keep the young heir out of danger and perhaps also as a check on Postumus' ambitions. Before long, however, Postumus besieged Colonia Agrippina and put the young heir and his guardian to death, making his revolt official. Postumus is thought to have established his capital there or at Augusta Treverorum (Trier). [8] Lugdunum (Lyon) was one of the most important cities in the area under his control.

Postumus did not make any effort to extend his control into Italy or to depose Gallienus. Instead, he established parallel institutions modelled on the Roman Empire's central government: his regime had its own praetorian guard, two annually elected consuls (not all of the names have survived), and probably its own senate. According to the numismatic evidence, Postumus held the office of consul five times.

Postumus successfully fended off a military incursion by Gallienus in 263, and was never challenged by him again. However, in early 269 he was challenged by Laelianus, who was probably one of his own commanders. Laelianus was declared emperor at Mogontiacum (Mainz) by his Legio XXII Primigenia. In response, Postumus quickly retook Mogontiacum and Laelianus was killed. In the aftermath of the battle, however, Postumus was overthrown and killed by his own troops, reportedly because he did not allow them to sack the city. [9] [10]

After Postumus

Coin of Tetricus, last emperor (271-274) of the Gallic Empire Coin of Tetricus I.jpg
Coin of Tetricus, last emperor (271–274) of the Gallic Empire

An officer in Postumus' army, Marcus Aurelius Marius, was installed as Emperor upon Postumus's death, but died very shortly after; ancient sources writing much later state that he reigned only two days, though it is more likely, based on the numismatic record, that he reigned for a few months. [11] Subsequently, the tribune of the praetorians, Marcus Piavonius Victorinus came to power, being recognized as Emperor in northern Gaul and Britannia, but not in Hispania. [12] Meanwhile, Roman Emperor Gallienus had been killed in a coup in 268, and his successor in the central Roman provinces, Claudius Gothicus, re-established Roman authority in Gallia Narbonensis and parts of Gallia Aquitania; there is some evidence that the provinces of Hispania, which did not recognize Postumus's successors in Gaul, may have realigned with Rome then. [12] [13]

Victorinus spent most of his reign dealing with insurgencies and attempting to recover the Gaulish territories taken by Claudius Gothicus. He was assassinated in 271, but his mother Victoria took control of his troops and used her power to influence the selection of his successor. [12] With Victoria's support, the governor of Gallia Aquitania, Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus was made Emperor, and was recognized in Britannia and the parts of Gaul that had recognized Victorinus. [14] Tetricus fought off Germanic barbarians who had begun ravaging Gaul after the death of Victorinus, and was able to re-take Gallia Aquitania and western Gallia Narbonensis while Claudius Gothicus's successor Aurelian was in the east fighting the Palmyrene Empire, now in open revolt against Roman authority under Queen Zenobia. Tetricus established the imperial court at Trier, and in 273 he elevated his son, also named Tetricus, to the rank of Caesar.

The following year the younger Tetricus was made co-consul with his father, but the area under their control grew weak from internal strife, including a mutiny led by the usurper Faustinus. [14] By that time Aurelian had defeated the Palmyrene Empire and had made plans to reconquer the west. He moved into Gaul and defeated Tetricus at the Battle of Châlons in 274. According to some sources, Tetricus offered to surrender in exchange for clemency for him and his son before the battle. [14] This detail may be later propaganda, but either way, Aurelian was victorious, and the Gallic Empire was effectively ended. [14] In contrast with his propaganda after the recent defeat of Zenobia, Aurelian did not present his recapture of Gaul as a victory over a foreign enemy, and indeed many officials who had served in the army and administration of the Gallic Empire continued their careers, including Tetricus, who was appointed to an administrative post in Italy. [7]

Causes

The Gallic Empire was symptomatic of the fragmentation of power during the third-century crisis. It has also been taken to represent autonomous trends in the western provinces, including proto-feudalistic tendencies among the Gaulish land-owning class whose support has sometimes been thought to have underpinned the strength of the Gallic Empire, [15] and an interplay between the strength of Roman institutions and the growing importance of provincial concerns. [16]

One of Postumus' primary objectives as emperor was evidently the defense of the Germanic frontier. In 261, he repelled mixed groups of Franks and Alamanni to hold the Rhine limes secure (though lands beyond the upper Rhine and Danube had to be abandoned to the barbarians within a couple of years). [17] In so doing, Postumus positioned himself avowedly as not only the defender and restorer of Gaul, but also as the upholder of the Roman name. [8] [c]

Similarly with the withdrawal of legions after 408, many Britons desired a localized Roman authority rather than nationalist revolt. The desire for Roman order and institutions was entirely compatible with a degree of national or regional separatism.

List of Gallic Emperors

The Gallic Emperors are known primarily from the coins they minted. [18] The political and military history of the Gallic Empire can be sketched through the careers of these emperors. Their names are as follows: [19]

Postumus the Younger, Empress Victoria and Victorinus Junior are included as leaders in the list of the Thirty Tyrants, but there are no coins or inscriptions about them. Victorinus Junior and Postumus the Younger are both now generally considered to be fictional [21] [22] while Victoria’s existence was proven by the discovery of her funerary stele in 2012. [23]

Consuls of the Gallic Empire

YearConsulConsul
260 Postumus (second time) [24] Honoratianus [25]
261Postumus (third time) [24] unknown [26]
262unknown [26]
263
264
265Postumus (fourth time) [24]
266
267unknown [26]
269Postumus (fifth time) [26] Victorinus (first time) [26]
269unknown [26] unknown [26]
270Victorinus (second time) [24] Sanctus [26]
271 Tetricus (first time) [24] unknown [26]
272Tetricus (second time) [24]
273Tetricus (third time) [24]
Year and sequence unknown:
 ?Censor (twice) [26] Lepidus (twice) [26]
 ?Dialis [26] Bassus [26]
 ?"Apr." [26] "Ruf." [26]

Family tree

Laelianus
269		 Postumus
260–269		 Marcus Aurelius Marius
269		 Victoria
271		 Tetricus I
271–274
Postumus Junior (Fictional)
260–269		 Victorinus
268–271		 Tetricus II
271–274
Victorinus Junior (Fictional)
271

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The regime had no distinct name or style that has survived on official monuments, inscriptions or coins; its titles and administrative structures followed the models of the central Roman government. [2] Occasionally modern historians use the Latin phrase Imperium Galliarum to refer to the state, derived from a passage in Eutropius: Victorinus postea Galliarum accepit imperium, "Victorinus took command of the Gallic provinces". [3]
  2. ↑ The year of Postumus' accession was either 259 or 260. The year 259 was once favoured; however, most modern scholars consider that the summer or fall of 260 is more likely when Postumus was hailed emperor. [4] [5] The exact dating depends on several factors, including when the emperor Valerian was captured and disgraced. Other dates cited here must be pushed back by one year if 259 is accepted as the year of Postumus' accession. [6]
  3. ↑ Gallic emperors are called adsertores Romani nominis in the Historia Augusta .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallienus</span> Roman emperor from 253 to 268

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empire. He won numerous military victories against usurpers and Germanic tribes, but was unable to prevent the secession of important provinces. His 15-year reign was the longest in half a century.

The 270s decade ran from January 1, 270, to December 31, 279.

The 260s decade ran from January 1, 260, to December 31, 269.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurelian</span> Roman emperor (c. 214 – 275)

Aurelian was a Roman emperor who reigned from 270 to 275 during the Crisis of the Third Century. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited the Roman Empire after it had nearly disintegrated under the pressure of barbarian invasions and internal revolts. Born in modest circumstances, most likely in Moesia Superior, he entered the Roman army in 235 and climbed up the ranks. He went on to lead the cavalry of the emperor Gallienus, until Gallienus' assassination in 268. Following that, Claudius Gothicus became emperor until his own death in 270. Claudius' brother Quintillus then ruled for three months, before Aurelian took the empire for himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">268</span> Calendar year

Year 268 (CCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Paternus and Egnatius. The denomination 268 for this year has been used since the early medieval period when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudius Gothicus</span> Roman emperor from 268 to 270

Marcus Aurelius Claudius "Gothicus", also known as Claudius II, was Roman emperor from 268 to 270. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alemanni and decisively defeated the Goths at the Battle of Naissus. He died after succumbing to a "pestilence", possibly the Plague of Cyprian that had ravaged the provinces of the Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postumus</span> Roman emperor from 260 to 269

Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus was a Roman commander of Batavian origin, who ruled as emperor of the splinter state of the Roman Empire known to modern historians as the Gallic Empire. The Roman army in Gaul threw off its allegiance to Gallienus around the year 260, and Postumus assumed the title and powers of Emperor in the provinces of Gaul, Germania, Britannia, and Hispania. He ruled for the better part of ten years before he was murdered by his own troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Aurelius Marius</span> Emperor of the Roman Gallic empire in 269

Marcus Aurelius Marius was emperor of the Gallic Empire in 269 following the assassination of Postumus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laelian</span> Gallic usurper in 269

Laelian, also incorrectly referred to as Lollianus and Aelianus, was a usurper against Postumus, the emperor of the Gallic Empire. His revolt lasted from approximately late February to early June 269.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domitian II</span> Roman imperial usurper in c.271

Domitian II was a Roman soldier of the mid 3rd century who was acclaimed emperor, probably in northern Gaul in late 270 or early 271, and struck coins to advertise his elevation. It is now generally assumed that this man is to be equated with the Domitianus who is twice mentioned in the literary sources as a significant figure in the politics of the age, but on neither occasion as an outright contender for the Imperial throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victorinus</span> Roman emperor in Gaul from 268/269 to 270/271

Marcus Piavonius Victorinus was emperor in the Gallic provinces from 268 to 270 or 269 to 271, following the brief reign of Marius. He was murdered by a jealous husband whose wife he had tried to seduce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetricus I</span> Gallic emperor from 271 to 274 AD

Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus was a Gallo-Roman nobleman who ruled as emperor of the Gallic Empire from 271 to 274 AD. He was originally the praeses of Gallia Aquitania and became emperor after the murder of Emperor Victorinus in 271, with the support of Victorinus's mother, Victoria. During his reign, he faced external pressure from Germanic raiders, who pillaged the eastern and northern parts of his empire, and the Roman Empire, from which the Gallic Empire had seceded. He also faced increasing internal pressure, which led him to declare his son, Tetricus II, caesar in 273 and possibly co-emperor in 274, although this is debated. The Roman emperor Aurelian invaded in 273 or 274, leading to the Battle of Châlons, at which Tetricus surrendered. Whether this capitulation was the result of a secret agreement between Tetricus and Aurelian or that surrender was necessary after his defeat is debated. Aurelian spared Tetricus, and made him a senator and the corrector (governor) of Lucania et Bruttium. Tetricus died of natural causes a few years after 274.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tetricus II</span> Roman caesar from 273 to 274

Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus, better known as Tetricus II, was the son and heir of Tetricus I, emperor of the Gallic Empire from 271 to 274 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaballathus</span> Emperor of the Palmyrene Empire from 267 to 272

Septimius Vaballathus was emperor of the Palmyrene Empire centred at Palmyra in the region of Syria. He came to power as a child under his regent mother Zenobia, who led a revolt against the Roman Empire and formed the independent Palmyrene Empire.

In the Battle of Châlons, fought in 274 on the site of modern Châlons-en-Champagne, France, Roman Emperor Aurelian defeated Emperor Tetricus I of the Gallic Empire, whose territories were rejoined with the Roman Empire after fourteen years of separation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria (Gallic Empire)</span> Late 3rd century leader of the Gallic Empire

Victoria, also known as Victorina or Vitruvia, was a leader in the Roman breakaway realm known as the Gallic Empire in the late 3rd century. She was the mother of Victorinus, who ruled as Gallic Emperor until his assassination in 271. Afterwards, Victoria used her authority to stabilize the empire and select a successor. For a few weeks, Victorina was considered as de facto empress of Gaul, from the death of Victorinus to the accession of Tetricus I. She took the throne as the reigning monarch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postumus the Younger</span> Possible 3rd century Roman imperial usurper

In the Historia Augusta, Postumus the Younger figures as one of the so-called Thirty Tyrants who usurped power against the Roman Emperor Gallienus. According to the pseudo-historical list of 'Thirty Tyrants', the Emperor of the Gallic Empire Postumus had a son, also called Postumus, whom he nominated to be first caesar, and later even augustus and co-ruler. Postumus the Younger would have been killed together with his father in 268, during the rebellion of Laelianus.

Julius Placidianus was a Roman general of the 3rd century. He was a professional soldier who advanced his career under Gallienus and survived into the age of Claudius II and Aurelian. Placidianus was consul in the year 273 as the posterior colleague of Marcus Claudius Tacitus, the future emperor. His life presented here is largely derived from L.L. Howe's history of the Praetorian Prefecture.

Faustinus was a 3rd-century CE political figure who launched a rebellion against the Gallic Emperor Tetricus I. His full name and his year of birth are unknown. According to a small number of literary sources, Faustinus sparked a mutiny among Tetricus' troops. At the time of his rebellion, Faustinus was a provincial governor (praeses), presumably of Gallia Belgica since the capital of that province—Augusta Treverorum—was where the rebellion began. Faustinus' revolt was formidable enough, according to the literary sources, to lead Tetricus to appeal to the central Roman emperor Aurelian for aid against the usurper.

The office of Consul was an honorary title in the Gallic Empire, as an indigenous version of the Roman Consuls.

References

  1. ↑ Bourne, R. J. (2001). Aspects of the relationship between the Central and Gallic Empires in the mid to late third century AD with special reference to coinage studies. Archaeopress. p. 22.
  2. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, pp. 126–127.
  3. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, p. 15.
  4. ↑ Polfer (Postumus)
  5. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, p. 97.
  6. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, pp. 95–106.
  7. 1 2 Goldsworthy, Adrian (2009). The Fall of the West. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 116–117.
  8. 1 2 Drinkwater 1987, pp. 24–27.
  9. ↑ Aurelius Victor 33.8.
  10. ↑ Eutropius 9.9.1.
  11. ↑ Polfer, Michael (June 24, 1999). "Marius (A.D. 269)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 Polfer, Michel (June 3, 2000). "Victorinus (A.D. 269–271)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  13. ↑ Weigel, Richard D. (June 19, 2001). "Claudius II Gothicus (268–270)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Polfer, Michel (January 28, 2000). "Tetricus I (AD 271–273)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
  15. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, p. 239.
  16. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, pp. 247–8.
  17. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, pp. 226–7.
  18. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, p. 16.
  19. ↑ Drinkwater 1987, p. 102.
  20. ↑ Richard Abdy. "The Domitian II coin from Chalgrove: a Gallic emperor returns to history" . Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  21. ↑ Cancik, H.; Schneider, H.; Salazar, C., Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, Volume 14 (2009), p. 91
  22. ↑ J. F. Drinkwater (1987). The Gallic Empire: Separatism and continuity in the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire, A.D. 260–274, Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden GMBH, Stuttgart, ISBN   3-515-04806-5, p. 65.
  23. ↑ Alain Beyrand (ed.). "Victorina, ruler of the Gauls". Pressibus. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Drinkwater (1987), p. 188.
  25. ↑ Potter (2004), p. 260
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Polfer, Michel (2000), "Postumus (A.D. 260-269)", De Imperatoribus Romanis

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.