270-289 Peasant German Emperors & Rome's Wall
In this 20 year period the Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus (pictured) died of plague and was replaced by his brother, Quintillus who was murdered in the same year by his usurper, Aurelian.
Aurelian died in 275 and was succeeded by Tacitus who died in 276 and was replaced by his brother Florian who was murdered in the same year by his usurper Probus who, in turn, was murdered in 282 and replaced by Carus who died of mysterious causes in 283 and was succeeded by his sons Numerian (who died in 284) and Carinus (who died in 285). Finally, Diocletian became emperor.
Claudius Gothicus, was one the generals responsible for the murder of the former emperor Gallienus, gained his name from a victory over the Goths in Serbia. He came from the German Danubian provinces and when he died of plague in 270 he was succeeded by his brother Quintillus, who was murdered by Aurelian -a general under Claudius - who believed he was better qualified to rule and better supported by the troops.
Aurelian was another peasant emperor. He moved the Roman population of Dacia south of the Danube and abandoned that area of the empire, making the new border more defensible. In the east, in 273, he crushed a local dynasty - led by Zenobia - attempting to establish an empire similar to the Gallic one.
In 274 he invaded Gaul and restored Roman rule, and then went for the Persians and was murdered in Thrace.
Aurelian's lasting legacy was that he built a new wall around Rome, making Romans feel less threatened.
The next emperor was the 75 year old Tacitus who attempted to restore the Senate to it's traditional importance in the state, but got involved in the Gothic wars and died in 276 of natural causes while campaigning.
Florian, Tacitus' brother, took over and was immediately murdered by an army commander, Probus, with the support of Syria and Egypt.
Probus was a Danubian peasant who rose up through the ranks. In 280 he had to settle 100,000 Germanic tribesmen in Thrace (a Black Sea area east of Macedonia, south of Dacia , west of Byzantium). His troops were unhappy being employed on public works and murdered him in 282.
The next emperor was another Danubian, Carus, who campaigned with his sons against the Persians and died mysteriously. His sons, Numerian and Carinus succeeded him, but were suspect of murdering their father and Diocletian - commander of the Imperial Bodyguard and another Danubian peasant - met Carinus in battle in Serbia and defeated him, becoming emperor in 285.
Around this time, too, the Egyptian civilization collapsed and Saxon invasions began.
Aurelian died in 275 and was succeeded by Tacitus who died in 276 and was replaced by his brother Florian who was murdered in the same year by his usurper Probus who, in turn, was murdered in 282 and replaced by Carus who died of mysterious causes in 283 and was succeeded by his sons Numerian (who died in 284) and Carinus (who died in 285). Finally, Diocletian became emperor.
Claudius Gothicus, was one the generals responsible for the murder of the former emperor Gallienus, gained his name from a victory over the Goths in Serbia. He came from the German Danubian provinces and when he died of plague in 270 he was succeeded by his brother Quintillus, who was murdered by Aurelian -a general under Claudius - who believed he was better qualified to rule and better supported by the troops.
Aurelian was another peasant emperor. He moved the Roman population of Dacia south of the Danube and abandoned that area of the empire, making the new border more defensible. In the east, in 273, he crushed a local dynasty - led by Zenobia - attempting to establish an empire similar to the Gallic one.
In 274 he invaded Gaul and restored Roman rule, and then went for the Persians and was murdered in Thrace.
Aurelian's lasting legacy was that he built a new wall around Rome, making Romans feel less threatened.
The next emperor was the 75 year old Tacitus who attempted to restore the Senate to it's traditional importance in the state, but got involved in the Gothic wars and died in 276 of natural causes while campaigning.
Florian, Tacitus' brother, took over and was immediately murdered by an army commander, Probus, with the support of Syria and Egypt.
Probus was a Danubian peasant who rose up through the ranks. In 280 he had to settle 100,000 Germanic tribesmen in Thrace (a Black Sea area east of Macedonia, south of Dacia , west of Byzantium). His troops were unhappy being employed on public works and murdered him in 282.
The next emperor was another Danubian, Carus, who campaigned with his sons against the Persians and died mysteriously. His sons, Numerian and Carinus succeeded him, but were suspect of murdering their father and Diocletian - commander of the Imperial Bodyguard and another Danubian peasant - met Carinus in battle in Serbia and defeated him, becoming emperor in 285.
Around this time, too, the Egyptian civilization collapsed and Saxon invasions began.
Labels: 270, aurelian, carinus, carus, claudius ii gothicus, diocletian, florian, numerian, probus, quintillus, tacitus
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