Saloninus
Saloninus | |||||||||
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Colonia Agrippina | |||||||||
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Dynasty | Valerian | ||||||||
Father | Gallienus | ||||||||
Mother | Cornelia Salonina |
Publius Licinius Cornelius Saloninus Valerianus (died 260), typically just called Saloninus, was a
Early life
Saloninus' father was the later emperor
Reign
This section includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2024) |
Bray[5] conjectures that Saloninus's appointment as Caesar, like that of his elder brother, Valerian II, in Illyria, was made at the instigation of Valerian I who was, simultaneously, the senior Emperor (Augustus) and grandfather of the two young Caesars and, as head of the Licinius clan, exercised also the patria potestas[6] over all members of the Imperial family, including his son Gallienus, his co-Emperor (and co-Augustus). Bray suggests that Valerian's motive in making these appointments was securing the succession and establishing a lasting imperial dynasty. It is not known how Valerian envisaged his grandson interacting with the existing governors and military commanders of the Gallic provinces. There is no reason to suppose that he ever thought the thing through as systematically as Diocletian when he established the Tetrarchy some thirty years later. However, Silvanus must have been a seasoned soldier and administrator, and he does seem to have harboured the notion that, as guardian of Saloninus, he should exercise real authority in Gaul. This was demonstrated by the circumstances in which he fell out with the Gallic emperor Postumus.
In 260 (probably in July) Silvanus (no doubt in Saloninus's name) ordered Postumus to hand over some booty that Postumus's troops had seized from a German warband which had been on its way home from a successful raid into Gaul. However, Postumus's men took violent exception to this attempt to enforce the rights of the representative of a distant emperor who was manifestly failing in his duty to protect the Gallic provinces. Asserting what was probably the prevailing custom of the frontier,[clarification needed] they turned on Saloninus and Silvanus, who had to then flee to Cologne with some loyal troops. It was probably at this time that Postumus was acclaimed emperor by his army. Riding the tide of military discontent which he could barely control, Postumus then besieged Saloninus and Silvanus in Cologne.
Death
Gallienus, who was fully engaged elsewhere – probably campaigning on the middle Danube – could do nothing to save his son (by this time Saloninus's grandfather, the senior Emperor Valerian, was probably already a captive of the Persian King
Whether or not Gallienus ever concurred with Valerian's dynastic experiment is not known. The murder of Saloninus, so soon after the suspicious death of Valerian II, seems to have cured Gallienus of any ambition in this regard. Throughout the period of his sole reign, Gallienus made no effort to elevate his third son,
Coinage and portraiture
Christopher Entwistle and Noël Adams have argued that a grey and white sardonyx kept in Munich that is generally thought to depict Philip II may actually be of Saloninus.[7]
Family tree
Aulus Egnatius Priscillianus philosopher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Quintus Egnatius Proculus consul suffectus | Lucius Egnatius Victor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mariniana | Valerian Roman Emperor 253-260 | 2.Cornelia Gallonia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
previous Valerianus Minor consul suffectus | Claudius Gothicus Roman Emperor 268-270 | Quintillus Roman Emperor 270 | next Aurelian Roman Emperor 270-275 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Valerian II caesar | Saloninus co-emperor | Marinianus consul 268 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ His full title after he proclaimed himself Emperor was IMPERATOR CAESAR CORNELIVS LICINIVS SALONINVS VALERIANVS PIVS FELIX INVICTVS AVGVSTVS, which means "Military commander Caesar Cornelius Licinius Saloninius Valerianus, Pious, Lucky, Undefeated, Augustus".
- OCLC 403811.
Gallienus' wife was a remarkably sensitive and cultured Greek woman named Cornelia Salonina who came from Bithynia
- ISBN 0-7766-0210-1.)
The Empress Salonina, a Greek from Bithynia, took an avid part in the philhellenic efforts of the emperor.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ For a discussion of whether Silvanus was in fact Praetorian Prefect see the relevant article.
- ^ Bray, John (1997). Gallienus: A study in reformist and sexual politics. Adelaide: Wakefield Press.
- ^ "patria potestas". www.britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ISBN 9780861591770.