A group called the Herulians navigated through Asia Minor and then into Greece on a naval expedition. For Zosimus, a more reasoned contemporary view shows Claudius as less grand. [2], The future emperor Marcus Aurelius Claudius was born on May 10, 213 or 214. While besieging the insurgent general in Milan, Gallienus was murdered by his senior officers; his cavalry commander, Claudius, succeeded him as Claudius II. Although coins were never minted with the face of Odaenathus,[30] soon after his death coins were made with image of his son[31] — outstripping his authority under the emperor. [36] Since then, February 14 marks Valentine's Day, a day set aside by the Christian church in memory of the Roman priest and physician.[37]. [15], It is possible Claudius gained his position and the respect of the soldiers by being physically strong and especially cruel. Scholars assume Gallienus' efforts were focused on Aureolus, the officer who betrayed him, and the defeat of the Herulians was left to his successor, Claudius Gothicus. [19], At this time, another invasion was taking place. Should I fall, remember that I am the successor of Gallienus. The Humanist Sept. 1999: 1.

However, his story is riddled with fabrications and obsequious praises. Print. [20], At the Battle of Naissus, Claudius and his legions routed a huge Gothic army. Selected by the troops, Marcus Aurelius Marius was to replace Postumus as ruler. From then on, tension between the two empires would only get worse. Claudius assumed the consulship in 269 with Paternus, a member of the prominent senatorial family, the Paterni, who had supplied consuls and urban prefects throughout Gallienus' reign, and thus were quite influential. [4] Nevertheless, most historians adhere to the first version, moreover, as the Byzantine historian of the 6th century John Malalas reports, at the time of his death Claudius was 56 years old. [16], Claudius, like Maximinus Thrax before him, was of barbarian birth. After four years of delay, Postumus had established power, but in 265, when Gallienus and his men crossed the Alps, they defeated and besieged Postumus in an (unnamed) Gallic city. A colleague of Antiochianus, Virius Orfitus, also the descendant of a powerful family, would continue to hold influence during his father's term as prefect. The issue at hand was the position that Odaenathus held as corrector totius orientis (imparting overall command of the Roman armies and authority over the Roman provincial governors in the designated region). [27], Although we see a rise in Pannonian, Moesian and Illyrian marshals, and foreigners become notable figures, it would be impractical to think the government could function without help from the traditional classes within the empire. Several developments during Gallienus’ reign are of particular importance. Claudius is also held in high esteem by Zonaras, whose Greek tradition seems to have been influenced by Latin. This would keep Claudius' record of being an ancestor of Constantine from being tainted. The most significant source for Claudius II is the biography written by Trebellius Pollio as part of the collection of imperial biographies called the Historia Augusta. In addition, Flavius Antiochianus, one of the consuls of 270, who was an urban prefect the year before, would continue to hold his office for the following year. [3] Some researchers suggest a later date - 219 or 220. Accounts tell of people hearing the news of the new Emperor, and reacting by murdering Gallienus' family members until Claudius declared he would respect the memory of his predecessor.

The 6th-century Greek chronicler John Malalas and the Epitome de Caesaribus report that he was about 50 years old at the time of his death, meaning he was born around 218. The whole republic is fatigued and exhausted. The first is a dedication to Aurelius Heraclianus, the prefect involved in the conspiracy against Gallienus, from Traianus Mucianus, who also gave a dedication to Heraclianus' brother, Aurelius Appollinaris, who was the equestrian governor of the province of Thracia in 267-68 AD. Also, Claudius' unwillingness to do anything at the siege of Autun likely provoked a quarrel with Zenobia. [8], The Historia Augusta makes him a member of the gens Flavia. [5][6] Claudius came from Dalmatia or Illyricum, although it is possible that his place of birth was the region of Dardania in Moesia Superior.

[22] This set the stage for the ultimate destruction of the Gallic Empire under Aurelian. Gallienus was succeeded as Roman Emperor by Claudius II, who the historians Aurelius Victor and Zonaras say sent a letter to the Senate asking them to spare the lives of Gallienus' family, albeit too late. Vaballathus, the son of Zenobia, was given this title when Zenobia claimed it for him.

", extract: Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284. One version of the story tells of Heraclianus bringing Claudius into the plot while the account given by the Historia Augusta exculpates the would-be emperor and adds the prominent general Lucius Aurelius Marcianus into the plot. Yet they apparently were not. The fourth honors Julius Placidianus, the prefect of the vigiles. We are in want of darts, of spears, and of shields. [35], The legend was retold in later texts, and in the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493 AD, involved the Roman priest being martyred during a general persecution of Christians.

Marcus Aurelius Claudius 'Gothicus' (10 May 214 – January 270), also known as Claudius II, was Roman emperor from 268 to 270. When victory appeared to be near, Gallienus made the mistake of approaching the city walls too closely and was gravely injured, compelling him to withdraw the campaign.

The most pressing of these was an invasion of Illyricum and Pannonia by the Goths. The death of Gallienus is surrounded by conspiracy and betrayal, as were many emperors' deaths. This proved to be his downfall, for out of anger, Postumus' army mutinied and murdered him. When Ulpius Cornelius Laelianus, a high official under Postumus, declared himself emperor in Germania Superior, in the spring of 269, Postumus defeated him, but in doing so, refused to allow the sack of Mainz, which had served as Laelianus' headquarters. [20], At the same time, the Alamanni had crossed the Alps and attacked the empire. A large number of rare gold coins of Claudius have been discovered as part of the Lava Treasure in Corsica, France, in the 1980s. Potter, David S. "Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2005.08.01." 2004. Italics indicates a junior co-emperor, while underlining indicates a usurper. London: Routledge, 2004.

Hinting that Claudius "revived the tradition of the Decii", Victor illustrates the senatorial view, which saw Claudius' predecessor, Gallienus, as too relaxed when it came to religious policies. [25], Claudius was not the only man to reap the benefits of holding high office after the death of Gallienus. The text states that St. Valentine was beaten with clubs and finally beheaded for giving aid to Christians in Rome. This page was last edited on 5 September 2020, at 19:24. [dubious – discuss] The victory earned Claudius his surname of "Gothicus" (conqueror of the Goths), and that is how he is known to this day.

Claudius' successes in the year 269 were not continued in his next year as Emperor. During his reign he fought successfully against the Alemanni and decisively defeated the Goths at the Battle of Naissus. A legend tells of Claudius knocking out a horse's teeth with one punch. After its success, Gaul was in a state of inactivity and the empire was failing in the east. However, there is no evidence that the Goths who invaded at that time threatened the region, since their invasion did not extend beyond the middle Balkans. He won several victories and soon regained control of Hispania and the Rhone river valley of Gaul. [23] However, he fell victim to the Plague of Cyprian (possibly smallpox), and died early in January 270. Scholars assume Gallienus' efforts were focused on Aureolus, the officer who betrayed him, and the defeat of the Herulians was left to his successor, Claudius Gothicus. A short history of imperial Rome, entitled De Caesaribus written by Aurelius Victor in AD 361 states that Claudius consulted the Sibylline Books prior to his campaigns against the Goths. As the Scythians starved in the mountains or surrendered, the legions pursuing them began to see an epidemic spreading throughout the men. Marius' rule did not last long though, as Victorinus, Postumus' praetorian prefect, defeated him. However, he did not see the same success in Egypt, for a Palmyrene underground, led by Timagenes, undermined Probus, defeated his army, and killed him in a battle near the modern city of Cairo in the late summer of 270. Claudius had the deceased emperor deified and buried in a family tomb on the Appian Way. Print. Meijer, Fik. In the next three years, Gallienus' troubles would only get worse. [15], The Senate immediately deified Claudius as "Divus Claudius Gothicus". [28], It is still unknown why Claudius did nothing to help the city of Autun, but sources tell us his relations with Palmyra were waning in the course of 270. Emperors Don't Die in Bed. It is possible that the thin line between office and the status that accompanied it were dismissed in the Palmyrene court, especially when the circumstance worked against the interests of a regime that was able to defeat Persia, which a number of Roman emperors had failed to do.

As David Potter writes, "The coins of Vaballathus avoid claims to imperial power: he remains vir consularis, rex, imperator, dux Romanorum, a range of titles that did not mimic those of the central government. IMP(ERATOR) C(AESAR) M(ARCUS) AUR(E)L(IUS) CLAUDIUS P(IUS) F(ELIX) AUG(USTUS), The Empire and Foreign Affairs under Claudius, "Now when the war with the Goths was finished, there spread abroad a most grievous pestilence, and then Claudius himself was stricken by the disease, and, leaving mankind, he departed to heaven, an abode befitting his virtues." [2] Together with his cavalry commander, the future Emperor Aurelian, the Romans took thousands of prisoners, destroyed the Gothic cavalry as a force, and stormed their laager (a circular alignment of wagons long favored by the Goths). To comprehend the structure of government during the reign of Claudius, we must look at four inscriptions that deepen our understanding of a new, truncated empire. He died after succumbing to "pestilence", possibly the Plague of Cyprian that had ravaged the provinces of the Empire. [19], Under threat of invasion by multiple tribes, Gallienus' troubles primarily lay with Postumus, whom he could not attack because his attention was required in dealing with Macrianus and the invading Scythians. In a different and more controversial account, Aureolus forges a document in which Gallienus appears to be plotting against his generals and makes sure it falls into the hands of the emperor's senior staff. When the summer of 270 ended, things were looking very different in the empire than they did a year before.

Larue, Gerald A. The traitor Aureolus was not treated with the same reverence, as he was killed by his besiegers after a failed attempt to surrender. [10] In this post, Claudius was sent to defend Thermopylae, in connection with which the governor of Achaea was ordered to send him 200 Dardanian soldiers, 60 horsemen, 60 Cretan archers, and a thousand well-armed recruits. The Bryn Mawr Classical Review. [23] For this he was awarded the title of "Germanicus Maximus.