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Gallienus (sole reign)

Reece Period attributed: Period 13

Obverse image of a coin of Gallienus (sole reign)

Member of the Third Century Emperors dynasty.

Coins for this issuer were issued from 260 until 268.

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus was the son of Valerian, born in 213. He ruled with his father, commanding the armies in the West while his father took care of the East. Valerian was taken captive by the Persians, and thus Gallienus became sole emperor. He struggled to keep the empire together and introduced a policy of religious tolerance that lasted for decades. Over seven attempts were made to set up a rival emperor and a series of secessionists in Gaul made things difficult.

A major revolt by Postumus formed a northern ‘empire’ which lasted about 15 years. Gallienus was a good soldier but unable to cope with the many factions on all edges of the empire; he was killed by his men near Milan and buried on the Appian way. His legacy is undeservedly bad; he alienated the Senate by refusing to allow senators into the military, a policy which stemmed from the recent betrayals and succession issues caused in part by senators in the army.

Other resources about Gallienus (sole reign)

View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to Gallienus (sole reign).

Information from Wikipedia

  • Preferred label: Gallienus
  • Full names:
    • Title:
    • Predecessor: Aemilianus
    • Successor: Claudius Gothicus
    • Definition: Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (/ˌɡæliˈɛnəs/; c. 218 – September 268) 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. Born into a wealthy and traditional senatorial family, Gallienus was the son of Valerian and Mariniana. Valerian became Emperor in September 253 and had the Roman Senate elevate Gallienus to the ranks of Caesar and Augustus. Valerian divided the empire between him and his son, with Valerian ruling the east and his son the west. Gallienus defeated the usurper Ingenuus in 258 and destroyed an Alemanni army at Mediolanum in 259. The defeat and capture of Valerian at Edessa in 260 by the Sasanian Empire threw the Roman Empire into the chaos of civil war. Control of the whole empire passed to Gallienus. He defeated the eastern usurpers Macrianus Major and Lucius Mussius Aemilianus in 261–262 but failed to stop the formation of the breakaway Gallic Empire under general Postumus. Aureolus, another usurper, proclaimed himself emperor in Mediolanum in 268 but was defeated outside the city by Gallienus and besieged inside. While the siege was ongoing, Gallienus was assassinated, stabbed to death by the officer Cecropius, as part of a conspiracy.
    • Parents:
    • Birth place: Roman Empire
    • Death place: Roman Italy, Mediolanum, Roman Empire
    • Spouse:
    • Other title(s):
      • Roman consul
      • List of Roman emperors
      • List of Roman consuls
    • Came After:
      • Arcesilaus (consul)
      • Marcus Nummius Albinus
      • Marcus Nummius Tuscus
      • Lucius Valerius Maximus (consul 233)
      • M. Acilius Glabrio
      • Mummius Bassus
      • Ovinius Paternus
      • Dexter
    • Came before:
      • Publius Cornelius Saecularis
      • Volusianus
      • Lucius Valerius Poplicola Balbinus Maximus
      • Gaius Iunius Donatus
      • Lucius Valerius Maximus (consul 233)
      • M. Acilius Glabrio
      • Marcus Nummius Albinus
      • Dexter
    • Subjects on wikipedia:

    Types issued

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