Featured Most Underrated Roman Ruler

It seems to me that the situation was such that he was not able to rescue or avenge his father with all the other threats, not the least of which was Postumus whom he never was able to dislodge and was a constant reminder that he was not in control of the empire, the reality might have been that with so many threats and in a precarious position for his whole reign he was a realist and realized he simply couldn't spend the time and resources.

 

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Was Postumus a threat to the Empire as a whole or just recognition that the idea Diocletian later introduced was needed then. Gallienus was spread too thin. Postumus was not trying to take over the whole Empire but just his corner of the world. Later, Carausius and Allectus tried the same thing and would have succeeded had Diocletian not have delegated the West to Maximianus. In the beginning, Rome was just a part of Italy. At the end, the Byzantine Empire was just inside the walls of Constantinople. Between the two we have a constant flux as to what was Roman and what was under local control whether client states or independent neighbors/enemies. Gallienus probably thought he was entitled to rule the world because Trajan had. He was wrong.

I can't go so far as Ras does in that last line. Killing your family members to advance your personal position was standard operating procedure in many periods. Hanging the old fool out to dry is hardly an impeachable offence by ancient standards. If he didn't want to be a footstool, he should have not been captured. By ancient/medieval standards, the worst of our modern rulers would be considered weaklings and pushovers asking to be overthrown. Bastards? Psychopaths? No. Realists well suited to their times? Probably.

 

I was surprised to read that, too. I will try to find where I read it. It was from a brief biography of the man, not from a coin book.

 

I have run across that but I find it hard to believe that he had the ability to mount some kind of rescue mission or that Shapur I would have given up Valerian (if he were still alive) no matter what Gallienus offered. None of that precludes having tried but that there is no record of a try may well because no one bothered to record what the attempt might have been. The source of the abandonment of the father by the son comes from the writings of the Christian author, Lactantius, who wrote that Valerian was abandoned by his son as punishment for Valerian's launching a persecution of the Christians. Lactantius needs to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. He interprets every historical event from a Christian "perspective".

 

From what I understand his son, Saloninus, was executed after the city he was defending, Cologne, from a besieging army under Postumus fell . Gallienus simply may not have had the resources to raise the siege, or mount another expedition deep into Persia, especially as he was constantly trying to put down multiple insurgent claimants to the throne. It's not like Gallienus had a surplus of troops to go around or nothing else on his mind. By the way, all things considered Valerian might have tried a Varus or Mark Antony or Cato exit to spare his son just such a conundrum.

 

I put these in my other Valerian post, but I'll add to the set years here...
(years so far: G = 3, 9, 13; S = 5, 11, 14)

Valerian & Valerian II, 4


Gallienus, 10


Gallienus, 11


Salonina, 12


Gallienus, 15

 

I've always thought that Gallienus was a decent ruler who was dealt a bad hand. He certainly seemed to be on top of things early in his reign, but the concurrent capture of Valerian and death of Saloninus started a domino effect that I don't think even Trajan could have fixed. Not only the Persians and the barbarians, but a string of generals sent to deal with usurpers, only to decide, "Wow, this guy can't keep his own generals in line... Hey, I bet I could do better!"

I initially planned to only have one Gallienus coin, then decided to do one for sole and one for joint reign, then gave up and built a little collection.






As for my personal favorite emperors who either get a bad rap, or else overlooked, I have always had a soft spot for Quintillus, who supposedly took his own life to prevent a Civil War


Also Tacitus, who used his powers as emperor to try to actively diminish the office of the emperor


And while I cannot say that he was an even remotely competent statesman, Trebonianus Gallus honored Hostilian's right to the purple and adopted him as his son, rather than killing him as pretty much any other 3rd century emperor would have done - Counts for something, right?

 

Very nice coins. He issued a huge quantity of coins, some of them wretchedly struck. Yours are examples of some of the better struck coins. nice collection.

 

Here's a cool gold plus a few of Gallienus, Salonina, and the kids Saloninus and Valerian II. With regard to Gallienus, modern scholarship like the OP post suggests is rehabilitating his reputation, and lasting fifteen years in power seems incredible. Gibbon, relying on the Historia Augusta tarnished his reputation indubitably.



Unusual Vocative Case and wish for "Peace Everywhere" on the reverse.

















The Supposed Death of Gallienus:

During the siege of Milan, at a late hour but while he was still lingering with pleasures of the table, a false alarm was suddenly given, reporting that Aureolus, at the head of all his forces, had made a desperate sally from the town. Gallienus, who was never deficient in personal bravery, started from his silken couch, and without allowing himself time either to put on his armor or to assemble his guards, he mounted on horseback and rode full speed towards the supposed place of the attack. There he was ambushed by enemies from among his own officers. Amidst the nocturnal tumult, he received a mortal wound from an uncertain hand. Perhaps his request to Apollo was too specific and asked only for protection from Aureolus?

 

Probably because he issued so many coins that that they are really inexpensive, even the ones that are well struck in decent silver. The larger brass were going out of circulation with the increasing debasement of the silvered double denarii so they are a bit harder to come by.

 

Back again. I found this in the Wikipedia article on Gallienus. "In 262 the mint in Alexandria started to again issue coins for Gallienus, demonstrating that Egypt had returned to his control... ." There is a citation linking this paragraph to a 1997 article by a John Bray on Gallienus. David Sear, in Vol 3 of his Roman Coins, lists Alexandria tetras for every regnal year from 1 to 15.

 

Love that aureus. Had the celators used a verb, it undoubtedly would have been in the subjunctive mood.

 

I just happen to have recently read a lurid account of Gallienus' indifference to his father's fate. This account is from a two-volume historical pot-boiler called Monarchs Retired from Business, published in 1857. I consider it to be an unreliable source - no sources cited, although I suppose some of this is based on the Historia Augusta with a lot of poetic license added:








The entire chapter is devoted to Valerian, complete with tales of serving as Shapur's footstool and ending up as a taxidermy exhibit.

As for coins, here's a couple of recent acquisitions from that era:

Salonina (wife of Gallienus) with VENVS FELIX reverse (RIC 7):



Valerian (join reign with Gallienus) with ORIENS AVGG reverse (RIC 106):

 

I do think that Postumus was a threat...in the end it was probably good he was there as a buffer but to Gallienus there is no doubt he was a very big threat, a thorn, he was unable to resolve.

There was no way he had the ability to deal with his father's capture and/or death. It is a testament to his ability that he lasted as long as he did in such a chaotic time and so many threats.

Not only was he a threat bit he arguably had better quality coinage.

My Postumus





Guess I should post one of my coins of his to stay on coin topic

 

His reputation is also being rehabilitated by Harry Sidebottom, a lecturer in Ancient History at Oxford, in his nearly a dozen novels, in two related series, covering Roman history -- and closely focusing on all the different emperors, including the first two Gordians, in addition to his fictional protagonists -- during the period from the assassination of Severus Alexander and his mother, well into the sole reign of Gallienus (so far). I think it's safe to say that Gallienus is more favorably portrayed than any other emperor (not that it's such a great group to choose from)! I happen to believe that Sidebottom's books are a cut above those of any of the many other novelists currently working in this genre.

 

Here's my only halfway-decent Gallienus coin, the one with a tigress on the reverse:



There are lots of other Gallienus coin-types I'd like to buy, but most of the examples I see are so wretched that I haven't so far.

 

Great write-up - many thanks. I too like Gallienus, the man and the coins. The portrait on this coin is one of my favorites:
Gallienus, Æ Antoninianus, Rome
Æ19/3.16, RIC II 186, SEAR 10409/Struck 247-258AD
OBV: Radiate, cuirassed bust r.; IMP GALLIENVS P F AVG GERM
REV: Mars walking r., holding transverse spear and trophy; VIRTVS AVGG



A fact often overlooked is that Gallienus was the first Roman emperor to legalize Christianity. Also, it is believed that Claudius II (Gothicus), who succeeded Gallienus, was involved in his murder. Nothing new for an ambitious Roman.

 

Do we know where to find the earliest reference to the footstool and stuffed story? I, personally, hate historical fiction. Too often someone makes up stories to sell books and it gets repeated often enough that it becomes 'history'. There are many periods in ancient history that we would love to know more accurately but that does not give us the right to fill in the blanks however skillfully we do it. This would be fine if not for the potential for confusion. That is why I prefer things like Game of Thrones which are set not on earth with characters created for the purpose who can do anything and not be right or wrong. Certainly some of the stories may be adapted from history but the names were changed to protect the innocent.

 

Lactantius writes about it, though it is almost certainly propaganda.

 

Gallienus holds a fond spot in my heart. My first ancient coins I purchased 60 years ago were a coin of Gallienus and one of Salonina. I still have those coins.