Vetranio
| Vetranio | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Coin of Vetranio | |
| Roman emperor | |
| Reign | 1 March – 25 December 350 |
| Co-emperors | Magnentius Constantius II |
| Born | Moesia |
| Died | c. 356 Bithynia |
Vetranio (died c. 356 AD) was briefly
Life and career
Early life
Vetranio was born in the Roman province of Moesia to low-born parents, sometime in the late 3rd century. His early professions are unknown, but it is evident that very early in his youth he joined the army.[1]
Though unlettered, Vetranio rose rapidly through the ranks from obscurity, being ultimately elevated by Constans to the governor of Illyria. He held this command for a very long period of time, and by the time of Constans' death (January 350) was considered an officer of both popularity and experience. After the murder of Constans by the usurper Magnentius, Constantina, Constans' sister and the daughter of Constantine the Great, asked the aged Vetranio to assume the purple, which he did on 1 March.[2] She most likely thought Vetranio could protect her family and herself against the usurper, and merely hoped to secure his fidelity, though Edward Gibbon credits her notoriously unscrupulous ambition for the scheme, suggesting interested motives on her part.[3] In any case, Constantius II was then embroiled in a dangerous struggle with Shapur II, the king of the Sasanian Empire. Constantina may have doubted her brother's resolution.
Emperor
Vetranio accepted the purple, and coins were minted in his name, showing the title of
Constantius, however, designed to conceal his enmity to Vetranio, and, while disdaining negotiation with Magnentius, speciously conceded his (Vetranio's) claims and title, wishing to reconcile him to his cause for the war against Magnentius. According to
Sardica
Constantius presently threw off the disguise. On 25 December,
Later life and death
Later he was dismissed in peace. Though dismissed from his command, he was allowed to live the remainder of his years as a private citizen on a state pension in
References
- The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, (The Modern Library, 1932), ch. XVIII., p. 589, note 75
- ^ Hunt 1998, p. 15.
- ^ Gibbon, p. 589
- ^ Roma Numismatics: Roman Empire, Vetranio – Not so Loyal After All
- ^ Gibbon, p. 590
- ^ Philostorgius, Church History Chap. 22: "As soon as he received intelligence of these matters, Constantius sent the crown forthwith to Veteranis, confirming to him by this act his title of king."
- ISBN 978-0-19-255827-5.
- ^ Gibbon, p. 591, note 78. Gibbon favors the latter.
- ^ Hunt 1998, p. 16.
- ^ Gibbon, p. 592
- ^ Gibbon, p. 592
Sources
- Crawford, Peter (2016). Constantius II: Usurpers, Eunuchs, and the Antichrist. Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-78340-055-3.
- Dearn, Alan (2003). "The Coinage of Vetranio: Imperial Representation and the Memory of Constantine the Great". The Numismatic Chronicle. 163: 169–191. JSTOR 42667169.
- Drinkwater, John F. (2000). "The revolt and ethnic origin of the usurper Magnentius (350–353), and the rebellion of Vetranio (350)". Chiron. 30: 131–159.
- Hunt, David (1998). "The successors of Constantine". In ISBN 0-521-30200-5.
- ISBN 0-521-07233-6.
- Omissi, Adrastos (2018). Emperors and Usurpers in the Later Roman Empire: Civil War, Panegyric, and the Construction of Legitimacy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-255827-5.
External links
