Victorinus

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For other uses, see Victorinus (disambiguation).

Victorinus
Emperor of the Gallic Empire
Ancient coin featuring Victorinus.
Reign	268 - 270 / early 271
Full name	Marcus Piav(v)onius Victorinus
Died	270 / early 271
Predecessor	Marcus Aurelius Marius
Successor	Victoria / Domitian II / Tetricus I
Issue	Victorinus Junior
Mother	Victoria

Marcus Piav(v)onius Victorinus was emperor of the secessionist Gallic Empire from 268 to 270 or 271, following the brief reign of Marius.

Victorinus, born to a family of great wealth, was a soldier under Postumus, the first of the so-called Gallic emperors. Victorinus held the title of tribunus praetorianorum (tribune of the praetorians) in 266/267, and was co-consul with Postumus in 267 or 268. Following the death of Marius, Victorinus was declared emperor by the troops located at Augusta Treverorum (Trier, Germany), and he was recognized by the provinces of Gaul and Britain, but not Hispania, which reunited with the Roman Empire.

During his reign, Victorinus successfully prevented the city of Augustodunum Haeduorum (Autun, France) from rejoining the Roman Empire. The city was besieged for seven months, before it was stormed and plundered.

Victorinus was murdered in 270 or early 271 by Attitianus, one of his officers, whose wife Victorinus had supposedly seduced. Victorinus' mother, Victoria (or Vitruvia), continued to hold power after the death of Victorinus and she arranged for his deification and, after considerable payment to the troops, the appointment of Tetricus I as his successor.

Victorinus is listed among the Thirty Tyrants in the Historia Augusta. The (dubious) Historia Augusta equally has a short description of Victorinus Junior, allegedly the son of Victorinus that was appointed emperor by his family the day his father was murdered, and would have been killed immediately afterwards by the troops.