Tetricus I
Tetricus I | |
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Pontifex Maximus |
Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus was the emperor of the
Background
The
Gallienus attempted to invade the Gallic Empire twice but was repulsed both times, forcing him to acquiesce to the secession. Although he was unable to conquer the Gallic Empire, Gallienus did ensure that the Roman Empire was defended; he posted
Life
Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus, commonly referred to as Tetricus I, was born in Gaul, on an unknown date, to a noble family of
The Gallic Empire mirrored the Roman imperial administrative traditions, and as such each Gallic emperor adopted a Roman regnal title upon his accession; after becoming emperor, Tetricus's name was changed to Imperator Caesar Esuvius Tetricus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus Pontifex Maximus.[1][14] The Gallic Empire also followed the Roman tradition of emperors appointing themselves as consul, with Tetricus appointing himself as consul in 271, 272, 273, and 274; the names of the other consuls for 271–273 are not known, but it is known that Tetricus's son, Tetricus II, served as his colleague in 274.[1][15][16] Tetricus was also tribune from 271 to 274.[17] Tetricus elevated Tetricus II as caesar in 273[b] to increase the legitimacy of his reign by founding a dynasty;[19] he may have also elevated his son to co-emperor during the last days of his reign, but this is uncertain.[20][21] The unreliable Historia Augusta, in its biography of Emperor Aurelian, states that Tetricus elevated his son at an unspecified date, however neither of the ancient historians Aurelius Victor or Eutropius mention such an event.[22]
During Tetricus's reign, the main threats to the Gallic Empire came from the Roman Empire and
After Aurelian had succeeded in his reconquest of the Palmyrene Empire, he turned his attention to the Gallic Empire, beginning preparations for an invasion in 273. In early 274, Aurelian began to march into northern Gaul, while Tetricus led his troops southward from Augusta Treverorum to meet him. The armies of Aurelian and Tetricus met in February or March 274 at the Battle of Châlons, near modern-day Châlons.[10][19] The army of Tetricus was soundly defeated, and Tetricus surrendered either directly after his defeat or later; the latest possible date for his surrender was March 274, when the Gallic mints switched from minting coins of Tetricus I and II to those of Aurelian.[10][25][26][27] Ancient sources including Aurelius Victor, Eutropius, the Historia Augusta, and Orosius report that Tetricus had already made a deal with Aurelian, offering to surrender in exchange for an honourable defeat and no punishment, quoting Virgil: "eripe me his invicte malis" (rescue me undefeated from these troubles). However, this is believed by modern historians to be a product of Roman imperial propaganda;[10][25][26] Aurelian, who was attempting to stabilise his fragile empire, benefited from the account that Tetricus had planned to betray his army, as his troops would then be less likely to rise up again.[10]
Upon Tetricus's surrender, the Gallic Empire rejoined the Roman Empire, once more restored to its former borders, and Aurelian held a triumph in Rome
Numismatics
The gold
Most of the coins minted during Tetricus's reign were of low quality; his antoninianus contained so little silver content that imitations were easy to make, leading to the market being flooded with fakes.[33]
The coinage of the Gallic Empire does not give any evidence of public games or festivals, as was common in the Roman Empire, although it is believed that similar games and festivals were held. There are a number of issues of coins in which the emperor's head faces left, rather than the usual right, which are believed to have been used for donatives granted to soldiers upon the emperor's accession or consulships.[1]
Historiography
The ancient sources for the Gallic Empire are poor, made up largely of brief notes from late-fourth-century Latin authors who depended heavily on the theorised
Epigraphic sources also provide some information, however, the usage of epigraphs was in decline during the period, and many are undated.[36] Inscriptions bearing Tetricus' name are very common throughout Gaul, although these are broken into two regions by a vertical line of inscriptions bearing Aurelian's name, which were made after the surrender of Tetricus; no Tetrican inscriptions overlap with Aurelianic inscriptions.[37]
Notes
References
Primary sources
These sources were written by early chroniclers and have been drawn upon by modern scholars.
- Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus
- Aurelius Victor, Liber de Caesaribus
- Eutropius, Brevarium, Book 9
- Historia Augusta, The Thirty Tyrants
- Joannes Zonaras, Compendium of History, Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284
- Zosimus, Historia Nova
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nicholson 2018.
- ^ Southern 2015, p. 140.
- ^ PolferA 1999.
- ^ Southern 2015, p. 118.
- ^ a b PolferA 2000.
- ^ Potter 2004, p. 257.
- ^ a b Jones, Martindale & Morris 1980, p. 885.
- ^ Potter 2004, p. 261.
- ^ Wightman 1985, p. 194.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Polfer 2000.
- ^ Jones, Martindale & Morris 1980, p. 965.
- ^ Potter 2004, p. 272.
- ^ a b c Southern 2015, p. 119.
- ^ Drinkwater 1987, p. 125.
- ^ Jones, Martindale & Morris 1980, p. 1041.
- ^ Bourne 2000, pp. 59–60.
- ^ Bourne 2000, pp. 46 & 51.
- ^ Bourne 2000, p. 72.
- ^ a b c d e f Southern 2015, p. 175.
- ^ a b c Sayles 2007, p. 138.
- ^ Bourne 2000, p. 60.
- ^ Bourne 2000, pp. 60–61.
- ^ Polfer 1999.
- ^ Bourne 2000, p. 50.
- ^ a b c d e Southern 2015, p. 176.
- ^ a b c d Vagi 2000, p. 386.
- ^ Southern 2008, p. 194.
- ^ Latowsky 2013, p. 58.
- ^ a b White 2005, p. 116.
- ^ Matyszak 2014, p. 134.
- ^ Southern 2008, p. 160.
- ^ Friedberg, Friedberg & Friedberg 2017, p. 50.
- ^ Brulet 2018.
- ^ Gwynn 2018, p. 1496.
- ^ Drinkwater 1987, pp. 122–125.
- ^ Bourne 2000, pp. 46–48.
- ^ Bourne 2000, p. 68.
Bibliography
- Bourne, Richard John (2000). Aspects of the Relationship Between the Central and Gallic Empires in the Mid to Late Third Century AD with Special Reference to Coinage Studies (PDF). Durham: British Archaeological Reports. ISBN 978-1-84171-250-5. Archived from the original(PDF) on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- Brulet, Raymond (2018). "Tetricus". The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity. OCLC 1030905378. Archived from the originalon 30 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- Drinkwater, J.F. (1987). The Gallic Empire: Separatism and Continuity in the North-Western Provinces of the Roman Empire, A.D. 260-274. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden. ISBN 978-3-515-04806-4.
- Friedberg, Arthur L.; Friedberg, Ira S.; Friedberg, Robert (2017). Gold Coins of the World: From Ancient Times to the Present. An Illustrated Standard Catalog with Valuations. Clifton: Coin & Currency Institute. ISBN 978-0-87184-009-7.
- Gwynn, David (2018). "Thirty Tyrants (Tyranni Triginta)". In Nicholson, Oliver (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 639, 934, 1206, & 1496. ISBN 978-0-192-56246-3.
- ISBN 978-0-521-20159-9.
- ISBN 9780520052970.
- Latowsky, Anne A. (2013). Emperor of the World: Charlemagne and the Construction of Imperial Authority, 800–1229. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-801-45148-5.
- Matyszak, Philip (2014). The Roman Empire (9th ed.). London: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-1-78074-425-4.
- Nicholson, Oliver (2018). "Gallic Empire". The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity. OCLC 1030905378. Archived from the originalon 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- Potter, David S. (2004). The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180–395. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-69477-8.
- Sayles, Wayne G. (2007). Ancient Coin Collecting III: The Roman World – Politics and Propaganda. Iola: KP. ISBN 978-0-89689-478-5.
- Southern, Patricia (2015). The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-49694-6.
- Southern, Pat (2008). Empress Zenobia: Palmyra's Rebel Queen. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-441-17351-5.
- Vagi, David L. (2000). Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, c. 82 B.C.– A.D. 480. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn. ISBN 978-1-57958-316-3.
- White, John F. (2005). Restorer of the World: The Roman Emperor Aurelian. Staplehurst: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-862-27250-7.
External links
- PolferA, Michel (2000). "Roman Emperors - DIR Victorinus". www.roman-emperors.org. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- Polfer, Michel (2000). "Roman Emperors - DIR Tetricus I". www.roman-emperors.org. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- PolferA, Michel (1999). "Roman Emperors - DIR Marius". www.roman-emperors.org. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- Polfer, Michel (1999). "Roman Emperors - DIR Faustinus". Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.