Numerian As Caesar 282 – 283 AD As Augustus 283 – 284 AD Marcus Aurelius Numerianus was the younger son of the Emperor Carus. Numerian was born about 2540-254 AD, and was given the rank of Caesar soon after his father’s accession along with his brother Carinus. Early in 283 AD, Numerian accompanied his father to the East to deal with […]

Carus Ostia Museum 282 – 283 AD Marcus Aurelius Carus was the Prefect of the Praetorian Guard under Probus. Upon the Emperor’s death, Carus was proclaimed Emperor by the troops. He immediately conferred the rank of Caesar on his two sons Carinus and Numerian, and set out on an expedition against the Persians. Numerian accompanied his […]

Gaius Julius Saturninus 280 AD Gaius Julius Saturninus was a senior officer under Probus in Syria. According to Historiae Augusta, Saturninus led a short-lived revolt, which began with his proclamation as Augustus by the troops under his command in Alexandria Egypt. At first, we are told that Saturninus declined the honor. However, later in about 280AD, […]

Bonosus British usurper circa 280-281 AD   Bonosus was a tribune under the Emperor Probus. He was of British descent being born in Hispania (Roman Spain). His father was British and his mother was Gallic (French). Bonosus fought unsuccessfully against the Germans. Bonosus was proclaimed Emperor at Cologne along with his colleague Titus Ilius Proculus who was known […]

Probus 276-282 AD (M. Aurelius Probus). Born at Sirmium in 232 AD, Probus adopted the profession of arms and gained rapid promotion until, by the reign of Aurelian, he had become one of the leading generals of the Empire. Soon after the death of Tacitus, he was proclaimed emperor by his troops, and following the […]

Florianus 276 AD Half-brother of Tacitus Marcus Annins Florianus is said to have been the half-brother of Tacitus, and upon his death, Florianus, Prefect of the Praetorian Guard at the time, assumed the throne with the support of the Senate. Florianus immediately set out to deal with the troublesome tribe of the Heruli. While on […]

Tacitus 275-276 AD There is little reliable information about Marcus Claudius Tacitus. It does appear that after the murder of Aurelian, the soldiers of the Illyrian army, wishing to dissociate themselves from the assassins, sent a request to Rome that the Senate should nominate the new ruler and pledged themselves to support their choice. After […]

Lucius Julius Aurelius Setptimius Vabalathus Antoninianus Vabalathus & Aurelian 267-272 AD Lucius Julius Aurelius Setptimius Vaballathus (sometimes called Athenodorus) was the son of the ambitious Zenobia born in 259 AD. He became joint ruler of Palmyra with his mother following the assassination of Odenathus, his father. Gallienus refused to grant him the titles conferred upon […]

Septimia Zenobia (271-272AD) Æ Antoninianus as Augusta Queen of Palmyra Mother of Vabalathus Eastern Usurper of Rome Septimia Zenobia was the second wife of Odenathus, king of Palmyra. Zenobia had taken over the government of Palmyra following her husband’s assassination in 267 AD. She successfully defeated the attempts of Emperor Gallienus (253-268AD) to retake the lost […]

Severina Empress 270-275 AD Wife of Aurelian Little has come down to us throughout the ages about Severina other than her fairly extensive series of coinage. The evidence suggests that she was a major influence in her husband’s life particularly so since she was honored by Aurelian on almost every denomination issued by the mints […]