Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus - 22mm - 2.64g - N°709

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay UK

Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus - 22mm - 2.64g Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus was a Roman emperor of Batavian origin. He usurped power from Gallienus in 260 and formed the so-called Gallic Empire . He was recognised in Gaul, Germania, Britannia and Iberia until his murder in 269. Little is known about the early life of Postumus, but it is believed that he was a Batavian [3] of humble origins who rose through the ranks of the army, and eventually promoted by the emperor Valerian to the position of imperial legate of Lower Germany .[2] [4] By 259, Valerian was campaigning in the east against the Persians, while his son and co-emperor Gallienus was distracted with the situation on the Danubian frontier .[5] Consequently Gallienus left his son, Saloninus , and military commanders, including Postumus, to protect the Rhine .[6] Amid the chaos of an invasion by the Alamanni and Franks , and spurred on by news of the defeat and capture of Valerian, [5] the army in Gaul revolted and proclaimed Postumus emperor. [7] The trigger was their defeat in 260 of a Juthungi army which was returning from Italy laden with prisoners, even though they had been repulsed by Gallienus at Mediolanum .[8] Under the command of Postumus and Marcus Simplicinius Genialis , the Roman army crushed the Juthungi, and Postumus proceeded to distribute the captured spoils to the legions he commanded. [4] Saloninus, on the advice of his praetorian prefect Silvanus (who had coordinated Roman policy in Gaul alongside Postumus), demanded the transfer of the recovered booty to his residence at Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium .[6] Infuriated by this command, the troops proclaimed Postumus emperor and proceeded to besiege and attack Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, trapping Saloninus and Silvanus. [4] After breaching the walls of the city, Postumus had Silvanus and Saloninus killed, [4] although his supporters later claimed that it was the native Gauls who were responsible for the murders. [9] Later he erected a triumphal arch to celebrate his victory.Postumus was immediately recognized as emperor in Gaul (except for Narbonensis ), [4] the two Germanias ,[9] and Raetia .[6] By 261, Britannia and Hispania had also acknowledged him as emperor. [9] He established his capital at Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium [9] and then proceeded to set up as much of the traditional Roman legislative and executive structures as he could. [10] Apart from the position of emperor , he immediately assumed the office of consul alongside a colleague, Honoratianus .[1] As per his imperial predecessors, he became the pontifex maximus of the state [1] and assumed tribunician power each year. [10] He established a senate [11] and a praetorian guard .[9] Reflecting his power base, the chief members of Postumus’ administration appeared to have been of northern Gallic origin, and indeed, the entire administration soon became rapidly Gallicized. [12] Both Victorinus and Tetricus I , important members of the government, hailed from this region. [12] Postumus represented himself as the restorer of Gaul ( Restitutor Galliarum ) and the bringer of security to the provinces ( Salus Provinciarum ) on some of his coins; [9] prior to 10 December, 261, he also took the title of Germanicus maximus , a title he earned after successfully defending Gaul against the Germans. [6] His principal objective in assuming the purple appeared to be the restoration and defence of the Rhine frontier and the surrounding area, a task that he approached with vigour, earning the admiration of the ancient authors, who declared that he restored the security that the provinces had enjoyed in the past. [9] So successful was he in the task of restoring peace and security to the provinces under his direct control that the coins issued by Postumus were of better workmanship and higher precious metal content than coins issued by Gallienus. [13] After having spent four years pushing the Franks out of Gaul, Postumus then recruited Frankish troops to fight against other Franks... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.