Laelianus
| Laelianus | |
|---|---|
| Usurper within the Gallic Empire | |
 | |
| Reign | approximately late February to early June 269 (against Postumus) |
| Full name | Ulpius Cornelius Laelianus |
| Born | Gaul |
| Died | 269 |
| Predecessor | Postumus |
| Successor | Marcus Aurelius Marius |
Ulpius Cornelius Laelianus[1] (also incorrectly referred to as Lollianus and Aelianus)[2] was a usurper against Postumus, the emperor of the Gallic Empire. His revolt lasted from approximately late February to early June 269.[2]
Origins
Little is known about Laelianus. He shares the same nomen as a prominent Spanish noble family, the Ulpii, that included Trajan among its members, and may have been a relative.[2] This is supported by the strong allusion to Hispania on an aureus he struck, which featured the design of Hispania reclining with a rabbit to her side. If he indeed was a relative, this may be the reason Spain allied itself with Claudius II, after the death of Postumus, seemingly without a struggle.
Rule
Laelianus declared himself emperor at Moguntiacum in February/March 269.[3] after repulsing a Germanic invasion.[4] Although his exact position is unknown, he is believed to have been a senior officer under Postumus,[5] either the legatus of Germania Superior[6] or the commander of Legio XXII Primigenia.[2] Laelianus represented a strong danger to Postumus because of the two legions he commanded (Primigenia in Mainz and VIII Augusta in Strasbourg);[2] Despite this, his rebellion lasted only about two months before he was executed,[7] reputedly by his own soldiers, or by Postumus' troops after a siege of Laelianus' capital.[1] The siege of Mainz was also fatal for Postumus; it is said he was slain when he refused to allow his troops to plunder the city following its capture.[8]
Laelianus (under the name Lollianus) is listed among the Thirty Tyrants in the Historia Augusta.
See also
Sources
Primary Sources
- Aurelius Victor, Liber de Caesaribus
- Eutropius, Brevarium, Book 9
- Historia Augusta, The Thirty Tyrants
Secondary Sources
- Southern, Pat. The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine, Routledge, 2001
- Potter, David Stone, The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180-395, Routledge, 2004
- Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I: AD260-395, Cambridge University Press, 1971
- Canduci, Alexander (2010), Triumph & Tragedy: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Immortal Emperors, Pier 9, ISBN 978-1-74196-598-8
- http://www.roman-emperors.org/laelianu.htm Polfer, Michel, "Laelianus (A.D. 269)", De Imperatoribus Romanis] (1999)
References
External links
Media related to Laelianus at Wikimedia Commons