Editing 259 (section)

== Events ==

=== By place ===
==== Roman Empire ====
* Emperor [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] leads an army (70,000 men) to relieve [[Edessa, Mesopotamia|Edessa]], besieged by the forces of Persian King [[Shapur I]]. An outbreak of a [[Bubonic plague|plague]] kills many [[Roman legionary|legionaries]], weakening the Roman position in [[Syria]].
* [[Battle of Mediolanum]]: A [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] confederation, the [[Alamanni]] (300,000 warriors), who crossed the [[Alps]], are defeated by [[Roman legion]]s under [[Gallienus]], near [[Mediolanum]] (modern [[Milan]]). 
* [[Postumus]] revolts against Gallienus in [[Gaul]]. The western provinces of [[Roman Britain|Britain]] and [[Spain]] join his independent realm&mdash;which is called in modern times the [[Gallic Empire]].
* Postumus, governor of Gaul, declares himself [[Roman Emperor|Emperor]], and continues to rule the Gallic Empire until [[269]], when he is killed by his soldiers.
* The Roman fort of [[Wiesbaden]] ([[Germany]]) is captured by the [[Alamanni]] (possibly [[260]]).
* The [[Franks]], who invaded the [[Roman Empire]] near [[Cologne]] in [[257]], reach [[Tarragona|Tarraco]] in [[Hispania]].

==== Persia ====
* [[Mesopotamia]]: [[Odaenathus]], the ruler of the kingdom of [[Palmyra]], sacks the city of [[Nehardea]], destroying its great [[yeshiva]].

=== By topic ===
==== Religion ====
* [[Pope Dionysius]] is elected as the [[pope]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Butler |first1=Alban |last2=Burns |first2=Paul |title=Butler's Lives of the Saints |date=1 January 1995 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-0-86012-260-9 |page=151 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dCwqkdk1LcsC&pg=PA151 |language=en}}</ref>