Saloninus

Last updated

Saloninus
Aureus Saloninus Caesar (obverse).jpg
Roman emperor
Augustus
Caesar
July (?) 260 (briefly)
258–260
Predecessor Gallienus
SuccessorGallienus
Died260
Colonia Agrippina
Names
Publius Licinius Cornelius Saloninus Valerianus [1]
Regnal name
Imperator Caesar Publius Cornelius Licinius Saloninus Valerianus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus
Dynasty Valerian
Father Gallienus
Mother Cornelia Salonina

Publius Licinius Cornelius Saloninus Valerianus (died 260), typically just called Saloninus, was a Roman nobleman who briefly became emperor in 260. The grandson of Valerian I, Saloninus was appointed (subordinate) Caesar in 258 in an attempt to shore up the Licinial line of succession during the Crisis of the Third Century. During his time in power, Saloninus administered the German marches out of Cologne. Nevertheless, Saloninus soon became embroiled in a dispute with future Caesar of the Gallic Empire Postumus over war spoils. In 260, Saloninus' troops acclaimed him Emperor in an unsuccessful bid for political legitimacy; Postumus killed Saloninus shortly thereafter.

Contents

Early life

Saloninus' father was the later emperor Gallienus, his mother Cornelia Salonina, a Greek [2] [3] from Bithynia. In 258 Saloninus was appointed Caesar by his father (just like his older brother Valerian II, who had died around 258) and sent to Gaul to make sure his father's authority was respected there (the title Caesar in Imperial nomenclature indicated that the holder was the Crown Prince and first in line of succession after the Augustus , the title reserved for the ruling Emperor). Like Valerian II, who was made the ward of Ingenuus, governor of the Illyrian provinces, Saloninus was put under the protection of the praetorian prefect Silvanus (otherwise named as Albanus). [4] As Caesar in Gaul, Saloninus had his main seat in Cologne.

Reign

Bray [5] conjectures that Saloninus's appointment as Caesar, like that of his elder brother, Valerian II, in Illyria, was made at the instigation of Valerian I who was, simultaneously, the senior Emperor (Augustus) and grandfather of the two young Caesars and, as head of the Licinius clan, exercised also the patria potestas [6] over all members of the Imperial family, including his son Gallienus, his co-Emperor (and co-Augustus). Bray suggests that Valerian's motive in making these appointments was securing the succession and establishing a lasting imperial dynasty. It is not known how Valerian envisaged his grandson interacting with the existing governors and military commanders of the Gallic provinces. There is no reason to suppose that he ever thought the thing through as systematically as Diocletian when he established the Tetrarchy some thirty years later. However, Silvanus must have been a seasoned soldier and administrator, and he does seem to have harboured the notion that, as guardian of Saloninus, he should exercise real authority in Gaul. This was demonstrated by the circumstances in which he fell out with the Gallic emperor Postumus.

In 260 (probably in July) Silvanus (no doubt in Saloninus's name) ordered Postumus to hand over some booty that Postumus's troops had seized from a German warband which had been on its way home from a successful raid into Gaul. However, Postumus's men took violent exception to this attempt to enforce the rights of the representative of a distant emperor who was manifestly failing in his duty to protect the Gallic provinces. Asserting what was probably the prevailing custom of the frontier,[ clarification needed ] they turned on Saloninus and Silvanus, who had to then flee to Cologne with some loyal troops. It was probably at this time that Postumus was acclaimed emperor by his army. Riding the tide of military discontent which he could barely control, Postumus then besieged Saloninus and Silvanus in Cologne.

Death

Gallienus, who was fully engaged elsewhere – probably campaigning on the middle Danube – could do nothing to save his son (by this time Saloninus's grandfather, the senior Emperor Valerian, was probably already a captive of the Persian King Shapur I). Saloninus's troops, in their desperation, finally proclaimed him emperor, perhaps hoping that this would induce Postumus's army to desert him and join them in a bid for Empire – i.e., against Valerian and Gallienus. If this was indeed their hope, they were to be disappointed in the event, for Postumus's army pressed on with the siege and, about one month later, the citizens of Colonia Agrippina handed Saloninus and his guardian over to their enemy. Postumus was then unable to prevent his army from murdering them. Despite his public protestations of regret, it seems in fact unlikely that Postumus made a serious effort to resist this course of events.[ citation needed ]

Whether or not Gallienus ever concurred with Valerian's dynastic experiment is not known. The murder of Saloninus, so soon after the suspicious death of Valerian II, seems to have cured Gallienus of any ambition in this regard. Throughout the period of his sole reign, Gallienus made no effort to elevate his third son, Egnatius Marinianus, to the purple or associate him in any way with his government of the Empire – although he did allow him to be elected to the largely ceremonial office of Consul in 268.[ citation needed ]

Coinage and portraiture

Christopher Entwistle and Noël Adams have argued that a grey and white sardonyx kept in Munich that is generally thought to depict Philip II may actually be of Saloninus. [7]

Family tree

Aulus Egnatius Priscillianus
philosopher
Quintus Egnatius Proculus
consul suffectus
Lucius Egnatius Victor
Egnatius Victor Marinianus
consul suffectus
1.Mariniana Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg
Valerian
Roman Emperor
253-260
2.Cornelia Gallonia
previous
Aemilianus
Roman Emperor
253
Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg
(1) Gallienus
Roman Emperor
253-268
Cornelia Salonina
(2) Valerianus Minor
consul suffectus
Claudius Gothicus
Roman Emperor
268-270
Quintillus
Roman Emperor
270
next
Aurelian
Roman Emperor
270-275
Valerian II
caesar
Saloninus
co-emperor
Marinianus
consul 268

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 250s was a decade that ran from January 1, 250, to December 31, 259.

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

Year 259 (CCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aemilianus and Bassus. The denomination 259 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">260</span> Calendar year

Year 260 (CCLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Saecularis and Donatus. The denomination 260 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">Valerian (emperor)</span> Roman emperor from 253 to 260

Valerian was Roman emperor from 253 to spring 260 AD. Valerian is known as the first Roman emperor to have been taken captive in battle, captured by the Persian emperor Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, causing shock and instability throughout the Roman Empire. The unprecedented event and his unknown fate generated a variety of different reactions and "new narratives about the Roman Empire in diverse contexts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallic Empire</span> Breakaway state of the Roman Empire (260–274)

The Gallic Empire 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. 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.

<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">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">Ingenuus</span> Usurper of throne of Roman Empire (died 260)

Ingenuus was a Roman military commander, the imperial legate in Pannonia, who became a usurper to the throne of the emperor Gallienus when he led a brief and unsuccessful revolt in the year 260. Appointed by Gallienus himself, Ingenuus served him well by repulsing a Sarmatian invasion and securing the Pannonian border, at least temporarily. Ingenuus had also been charged with the military education of Caesar Cornelius Licinius Valerianus, the young son of Emperor Gallienus, but after the boy's death in 258, his position became perilous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aureolus</span> Usurper of the Roman Empire (died 268)

Aureolus was a Roman military commander during the reign of Emperor Gallienus before he attempted to usurp the Roman Empire. After turning against Gallienus, Aureolus was killed during the political turmoil that surrounded the Emperor's assassination in a conspiracy orchestrated by his senior officers. Aureolus is known as one of the Thirty Tyrants and is referenced in ancient sources including the Historia Augusta, Zonaras' epitome and Zosimus' Historia Nova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Licinia gens</span> Ancient Roman family

The gens Licinia was a celebrated plebeian family at ancient Rome, which appears from the earliest days of the Republic until imperial times, and which eventually obtained the imperial dignity. The first of the gens to obtain the consulship was Gaius Licinius Calvus Stolo, who, as tribune of the plebs from 376 to 367 BC, prevented the election of any of the annual magistrates, until the patricians acquiesced to the passage of the lex Licinia Sextia, or Licinian Rogations. This law, named for Licinius and his colleague, Lucius Sextius, opened the consulship for the first time to the plebeians. Licinius himself was subsequently elected consul in 364 and 361 BC, and from this time, the Licinii became one of the most illustrious gentes in the Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerian II</span> Roman caesar from 256 to 258

Publius Licinius Cornelius Valerianus, also known as Valerian II, was the eldest son of Roman Emperor Gallienus and Augusta Cornelia Salonina who was of Greek origin and grandson of the Emperor Valerian who was of a noble and traditional senatorial family.

The Gallienus usurpers were the usurpers who claimed imperial power during the reign of Gallienus. The existence of usurpers during the Crisis of the Third Century was very common, and the high number of usurpers fought by Gallienus is due to his long rule; fifteen years being considered long by the standards of the 3rd century Roman Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Edessa</span> 260 Persian victory over Rome

The Battle of Edessa took place between the armies of the Roman Empire under the command of Emperor Valerian and the Sasanian Empire under Shahanshah Shapur I, in Edessa in 260. The Roman army was defeated and captured in its entirety by the Iranian forces; for the first time, a Roman emperor was taken prisoner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornelia Salonina</span> Consort of Roman Emperor Gallienus (died 268)

Publia Licinia Julia Cornelia Salonina was an Augusta of the Roman Empire, married to Roman Emperor Gallienus and mother of Valerian II, Saloninus, and Marinianus.

Silvanus was a Roman soldier and probably praetorian prefect during the third century who came briefly to the notice of history in the reign of Valerian and his co-Emperor Gallienus. He is generally assumed to have been the commander of the praetorians under Gallienus.

Publius Cornelius Saecularis was a Roman politician who was appointed consul twice, first in around AD 240 and later in AD 260, during the Crisis of the Third Century.

Valerianus or Valerian the Elder was Roman Emperor from 253 AD to 260 AD.

References

  1. His full title after he proclaimed himself Emperor was IMPERATOR CAESAR CORNELIVS LICINIVS SALONINVS VALERIANVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS, which means "Military commander Caesar Cornelius Licinius Saloninius Valerianus, Pious, Lucky, Undefeated, Augustus".
  2. Lissner, Ivar (1958). The Caesars: might and madness . Putnam. p.  291. OCLC   403811. Gallienus' wife was a remarkably sensitive and cultured Greek woman named Cornelia Salonina who came from Bithynia
  3. Bengtson, Hermann – Bloedow, Edmund Frederick (1988). History of Greece: from the beginnings to the Byzantine era. University of Ottawa Press. p.  344. ISBN   0-7766-0210-1. The Empress Salonina, a Greek from Bithynia, took an avid part in the philhellenic efforts of the emperor.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. For a discussion of whether Silvanus was in fact Praetorian Prefect see the relevant article.
  5. Bray, John (1997). Gallienus: A study in reformist and sexual politics. Adelaide: Wakefield Press.
  6. "patria potestas". www.britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica.
  7. Entwistle, Christopher; Adams, Noël (2011). 'Gems of Heaven': Recent Research on Engraved Gemstones in Late Antiquity, C. AD 200-600. British Museum. ISBN   9780861591770.
Regnal titles
Preceded by Roman Emperor
260
Served alongside: Gallienus
Succeeded by