Victorino
Marcus Piavonius Victorinus (Latin: Marcus Piavonius Victorinus; died 271), known in Roman historiography as Victorinus, was emperor of the Gallic Empire from 269 to 271.
Having served under the Roman Emperor Gallienus, Victorinus joined Posthumus's rebellion and became his closest associate. Shortly after the latter's death and a brief rebellion on the Rhine, Victorinus was elected emperor and ruled for just under two years. He died as a result of a conspiracy.
Biography
Before I came to power
The sources contain rather scant information about the origin of Marco Piavonio Victorino. Her name indicates that her ancestors came from the western provinces of the Roman Empire. Her mother was named Victoria or Vitruvia in the sources, and was a relative, presumably a cousin, of the founder of the Gallic Empire, Posthumus. Since after the death of her Since Victorino's mother spent large sums of money bribing the troops, it can be concluded that her family had significant wealth. However, it is unknown whether he was wealthy from the beginning or whether he acquired his wealth while in the service of Postumus, or perhaps during his reign. In Augusta Treverorum, during excavations, the house of Victorinus with mosaics was discovered, which was one of the richest and most luxurious of the nobility of this city.
According to historian Maurice Bouvier-Ajam, Victorinus's career was sponsored by his mother Victoria, who visited Rome and possibly gained an audience with the Emperor Gallienus himself. The young Marco enlisted in the cavalry corps under the command of Aureolo. When Postumus rebelled in Gaul, he might find himself stationed in Moesia. In 264, Victorinus participated in the expedition of the Roman troops to Gaul and, under the influence of the massacre he saw there, he went over to the side of Postumus, along with part of his subordinate troops. The author of the biography Victorino in the Historia Augusto, Trebelio Pollio, characterizes him as "a man of military activity".
Under Posthumus, Victorinus was tribune to a Praetorian cohort, later promoted to Praetorian Prefect. He carried out various orders of the Emperor and, in particular, was involved in taking measures to strengthen the Rhine frontier and repel German incursions. When Gallienus came to Gaul to suppress Posthumus's rebellion, it was Victorinus who participated in the battles against him, having previously recruited German mercenary auxiliaries for the campaign. Trebellius Pollio says that, in view of Gallienus's invasion, Posthumus he even named Victorinus as his co-regent. Their joint consulship in 267 also seems to confirm this point, but during his reign Posthumus shared consular powers with other people, so this argument, according to historian Yulia Kulikova, seems unconvincing. The only proof is a Posthumous coin with a legend mentioning two Augusti — [SAEC] VLVM AVGG.
When Postumus was assassinated at Mogontiacum, Victorinus was in pursuit of the rebel Lelian. It is likely that the absence of Victorinus, whose duty as praetorian prefect was to protect the emperor, facilitated the death of Postumus and, furthermore, influenced the election of the new emperor Marius. According to numismatic and epigraphic data, Victorinus was elected emperor two days after Marius's death at the end of 269, but before December 10. However, on January 1, 270 he took office as consul.
Reign and death
He was recognized in Gaul and Britain as a legitimate ruler, but his power no longer extended to the provinces of Hispania, so apparently, at the suggestion of scholars such as John F. Drinkwater, he ruled the northwestern regions of the Empire. However, a milestone found in Sádaba dedicated to Victorino leaves the possibility that the province of Citerior belonged to the Gallic Empire until 271, although this is still an unlikely hypothesis. Victorino spent most of his reign trying to reclaim the territories that had broken away from the Gallic Empire and returned to the control of the Roman government. Thanks to his personal qualities, Victorino managed to win the support of his fourteen legions. Under his command, Augusta Treverorum continued as the capital of the Gallic Empire, but Victorino moved his residence to Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, a city of particular importance. reign, the eastern part of Gallia Narbonensis was lost, where the cavalry of the prefect of the vigiles, Julio Placidiano, who served the Roman emperor Claudius II, was stationed, as well as historians such as Yulia Kulikova or John Drinkwater they believe that this province remained neutral or indecisive. Also, it is possible that Recia was still under the control of the Gallic emperor.
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There is a hypothesis that Victorino tried to conclude a political-military alliance with the Kingdom of Palmyra, whose ruler Zenobia maintained correspondence with Victoria. It cannot be ruled out that he continued to maintain certain contacts with the Roman Empire. Victorino sought to preserve the state created by Póstumo continuing with his internal and external policy. Legends on the coins depict him as the savior of Gaul's civilian population from military anarchy, but he did not have the opportunity to pursue a broad policy as raids by Germanic tribes increased, putting increased pressure on the valley. support for the Emperor by the Army of the Rhine also proved fragile, due to the personality of Victorinus, whose positive qualities were hidden by "his debauchery and passion for pleasure with women". In addition, he had a weakness for women. lavish receptions, to the point that their public appearances resembled an artistic action, which did not contribute to strengthening their power.
The culmination of the series of problems that Victorino had to face was the revolt of Augustodunum, a city that went over to Claudius II and, for unknown reasons, argued with the usurper and closed its gates before him. In addition, a Bagouda rebellion began; however, Julio Placidiano's units in Gaul Narbonensis did not intervene in the conflict.
Victorino approached Augustodunum with a considerable force, besieged the rebellious city for seven months and only when the defenders ran out of food did the metropolis fall, and consequently, it was looted and destroyed by Victorino's troops. It was not rebuilt until the 4th century.Having emerged victorious, the emperor returned to Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, where he died during a conspiracy. Classical sources name the immediate cause of the assassination as the revenge of Atitianus, the actuary, a chief of supplies, for Victorinus's affair with his wife. Since discontent had long raged in the Rhenish legions, Atitianus it was easy for him to organize an anti-Victorian faction. As Victorinus became consul again in 271, his assassination is dated to earlier that year. The emperor's son, Victorinus the Younger, died with him or a little later.
After his death, Victorinus was deified by his successor Dark I, possibly under the influence of Victoria, who also bribed troops into supporting the latter's election as emperor. Another military commander, Domitian II, appeared to to have proclaimed himself emperor, but he was eliminated in a short time. According to Trebellio Pollio, not far from Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium was the tomb of Victorino and his son, in which the inscription "Here lie the two Victorinos, suitors", although current historians, such as Ingemar König, believe that this fact was invented by that writer.