Victorinus
Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Infobox royalty Marcus Piavonius Victorinus<ref group=note>Some of the inscriptions record his name as M. Piavvonius Victorinus, as does the first release of coins from the Colonia mint. A mosaic from Augusta Treverorum (Trier) lists him as Piaonius.</ref> was emperor in the Gallic provinces from 268 to 270<ref name=Martindale965>Martindale, p. 965</ref> or 269 to 271,<ref name=Polfer>Polfer, Victorinus</ref> following the brief reign of Marius. He was murdered by a jealous husband whose wife he had tried to seduce.
ReignEdit
Hailing from Gaul, Victorinus was born into a Gallic family of great wealth,<ref>Potter, p. 261</ref><ref name=Polfer /> and was a soldier under Postumus, the first of the so-called Gallic emperors.<ref name=Martindale965 /> He showed considerable ability, as he held the title of tribunus praetorianorum (tribune of the praetorians) in 266/267,<ref name=Martindale965 /><ref name=Polfer /> and rose swiftly to become co-consul with Postumus in 268.<ref name=Southern118>Southern, p. 118</ref> It is also possible that Postumus then elevated him to the post of praetorian prefect.<ref name=Potter266>Potter, p. 266</ref> Shortly after putting down a rebellion by Laelianus in 269, Postumus was murdered by his own troops, who appointed Marius as emperor in his place.<ref name=Potter266 />
After engineering the death of Marius, Victorinus was declared emperor by the troops located at Augusta Treverorum (Trier) in the fall of 269.<ref name=Potter266 /> His principal concern was to prevent the western provinces from submitting to the central authority of the Roman Empire, a fact made clear to him from the first few weeks when only the provinces of Gaul, Germania and Britain recognised him. Hispania deserted the Gallic Empire and declared its loyalty to Claudius Gothicus.<ref name=Potter266 /><ref name=Polfer /> Claudius then sent his trusted general Placidianus to south-east Gaul with instructions to bring over as many of the wavering cities as he could.<ref name=Southern118 /> Very quickly Placidianus captured Cularo (Grenoble), but did not proceed any further.<ref name=Potter266 />
The presence of Placidianus inspired the city of Augustodunum Haeduorum (Autun) to abandon Victorinus and declare its intention to declare for Claudius Gothicus.<ref name=Southern118 /><ref name=Potter266 /> This forced Victorinus to march south and besiege it, where it fell after seven months, after which Victorinus’ troops plundered and destroyed the city.<ref name=Southern118 /><ref name=Polfer /> Victorinus returned to Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Cologne) in triumph.<ref name=Polfer /> It remains a mystery just why Claudius did not authorise Placidianus to go to the relief of Augustodunum; however, it is speculated that Claudius, who was fully engaged either in Italy against the Alamanni or in the Balkans against the Goths, did not wish to open a second theatre of operations in Gaul, which would not only have involved a major military effort, but would also have required Claudius to assume responsibility for the defense of the Rhine frontier had he been successful.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> There is evidence to suggest that Claudius was having some difficulties in the East, which also occupied his attention.<ref name=Potter266 />
Victorinus was murdered at Colonia<ref name=Martindale965 /> in early 271<ref>Potter, p. 272</ref> by Attitianus, one of his officers, whose wife Victorinus had supposedly seduced.<ref name=Southern119>Southern, p. 119</ref> Since the motive was personal and not political,<ref name=Polfer /><ref name=Southern119 /> Victorinus' mother, Victoria (or Vitruvia), was able to continue to hold power after the death of Victorinus and she arranged for his deification and, after considerable payment to the troops, the appointment of Tetricus I as his successor.<ref name=Southern119 /><ref name=Polfer /> Another military commander appears to have been proclaimed as the emperor Domitianus II, but was soon eliminated.<ref>Abdy</ref>
Victorinus is listed among the Thirty Tyrants in the Historia Augusta. The dubious Historia Augusta equally has a short description of Victorinus Junior, allegedly the son of Victorinus, who was appointed emperor by his family the day his father was murdered, and would have been killed immediately afterwards by the troops. The Historia Augusta also says that both father and son were buried near Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in marble tombs.<ref>Historia Augusta, Tyranni Triginta, 7:1</ref>
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
SourcesEdit
Primary sourcesEdit
- Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus
- Aurelius Victor, Liber de Caesaribus
- Eutropius, Brevarium, Book 9
- Historia Augusta, The Thirty Tyrants
Secondary sourcesEdit
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
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- J. F. Drinkwater, The Gallic Empire: Separatism and Continuity in the North-western Provinces of the Roman Empire A.D. 260–274 (Stuttgart 1987)
- Richard Abdy, "The Domitian II coin from Chalgrove: a Gallic emperor returns to history". Antiquity. 83 (321), 2009: 751–757.
External linksEdit
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