Gallienus

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus

AD218 ~ 268

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus was born in 218 and succeeded the throne as sole emperor in 260 after the death of his father Valerian.

When his father was chosen as emperor in 253 he asked that Gallienus would co-rule to share the power and responsibility. They divided the empire into the Eastern realm and Western realm. While his father attempted to quell the threat of Persians in the East, Gallienus remained in Italy to watch over the threat posed by Germanic tribes on the Danube.

Gallienus was a ruler admired by many as unlike many rulers before him he held the belief that if an empire was to be fought for, an action must be taken to preserve its history and culture.

When in 260 his father was taken captive and killed by the eastern invaders and killed it took a rally by a general, prefect and the remainder to the loyal eastern roman legions to fight back against his captor and stop their looting and plundering. The fighting in the West continued and Gallienus lost a large part of Gaul to invaders. Around this time, general Claudius II rose up from the ranks and gained loyalty from the army and succeeded Gallienus as Emperor.

In 268 Gallienus was murdered and his reign ended.


 
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