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<p>[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 4726136, member: 19463"]I believe the interesting point made by the Wikipedia article is that Postumus was unable to assist against Gallienus/Claudius because he was occupied with other usurpers in his own region. Had this not been the case, the eventual outcome might have been different. Setting up as a third Augustus sandwiched between the Roman and Gallic empires would certainly not have gone well for Aureolus. As it was, he picked the wrong horse. Perhaps he was hoping that Claudius would march East to settle Palmyra leaving the West to Gaul. We never know why; it is hard enough to know what happened. The history of this period is muddy at best and based on later semi-historical fiction like <i>Historia Augusta</i>. The role and personality of Claudius II is thrown into considerable question since he was selected as most favored ancestor by Constantine I who even issued memorial coins for him. Nothing negative about the man would have survived that period. </p><p><br /></p><p>What we do not know for sure about much of Roman history should give you cause to read critically even more than usual. What we don't know about Gallienus through Carus is frightening. In some cases, the safest 'document' on the period is our coins. Historians make names for themselves by proposing new versions of 'facts' and discrediting the previous generation who had done the same thing a generation before. The difference between opinions, interpretations and facts needs to be kept in mind whenever reading 'history'.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="dougsmit, post: 4726136, member: 19463"]I believe the interesting point made by the Wikipedia article is that Postumus was unable to assist against Gallienus/Claudius because he was occupied with other usurpers in his own region. Had this not been the case, the eventual outcome might have been different. Setting up as a third Augustus sandwiched between the Roman and Gallic empires would certainly not have gone well for Aureolus. As it was, he picked the wrong horse. Perhaps he was hoping that Claudius would march East to settle Palmyra leaving the West to Gaul. We never know why; it is hard enough to know what happened. The history of this period is muddy at best and based on later semi-historical fiction like [I]Historia Augusta[/I]. The role and personality of Claudius II is thrown into considerable question since he was selected as most favored ancestor by Constantine I who even issued memorial coins for him. Nothing negative about the man would have survived that period. What we do not know for sure about much of Roman history should give you cause to read critically even more than usual. What we don't know about Gallienus through Carus is frightening. In some cases, the safest 'document' on the period is our coins. Historians make names for themselves by proposing new versions of 'facts' and discrediting the previous generation who had done the same thing a generation before. The difference between opinions, interpretations and facts needs to be kept in mind whenever reading 'history'.[/QUOTE]
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