Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus Augustus was now sole ruler of the vast Roman Empire, or rather: the sole legitimate ruler. Most western provinces were in the hands of Postumus, ruler of the ‘Gallic Empire’, while Gallienus soon had to deal with usurpers and rebels in the eastern provinces as well.…
When he marched on Rome in 253, Aemilianus had taken away many troops from the Danube border. Valerianus had done the same when he marched on the Eternal City with the legions from the Rhine the same year. As a result, these borders were weakly defended and the Germanic and…
Soon after accepting the purple, the new emperor Trebonianus Gallus made a deal with the invading Goths. They were allowed to leave Roman territory with all their loot and prisoners and were even granted an annual tribute. It was a humiliating agreement, but what was worse was that, instead of…
After defeating Philippus Arabs at Verona in September of 249, Gaius Messius Quintus Decius had become the new ruler of the vast Roman Empire. The new emperor built the thermae Decianae or Baths of Decius on the Aventine Hill in Rome and was possibly also responsible for construction of the…
Marcus Julius Philippus had been born in the small village of Thraconitis in the north of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea.[1] This explains why he became known to posterity as Philip the Arab or Philippus Arabs. The emperor later had his place of birth completely rebuilt in grand style…
Gordianus III was just thirteen years old when he became sole Augustus of the Roman Empire. Since his grandfather and uncle, Gordianus I and II, had lost their lives when their rebellion had been quelled by Legio III Augusta, the new emperor decided to disband this legion. The legion would…