Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus was a Roman commander of Batavian origin, who ruled as emperor of the splinter state of the Roman Empire known to modern historians as the Gallic Empire.
12 Facts About Postumus
2.
The Roman army in Gaul threw off its allegiance to Gallienus around the year 260, and Postumus assumed the title and powers of Emperor in the provinces of Gaul, Germania, Britannia, and Hispania.
3.
Postumus ruled for the better part of ten years before he was murdered by his own troops.
4.
Postumus was evidently in favour at court, and, according to Konig, was granted an honorary consulship.
5.
Consequently, Gallienus left his son, Saloninus, and military commanders, including Postumus, to protect the Rhine.
6.
Postumus assembled his army and made a show of reluctantly enforcing this command, thus inviting his troops to instead throw off their allegiance to Gallienus.
7.
Postumus was immediately recognized as emperor in Gaul, Germania Superior and Inferior, and Raetia.
8.
Postumus is thought to have established a senate, perhaps on the basis of the Council of the Three Gauls or provincial councils, and a Pretorian Guard, one of whose officers was the future Gallic emperor Victorinus.
9.
Scholars continue to debate whether Postumus originally intended to dislodge Gallienus from Rome or was content to rule only the western provinces.
10.
For whatever reason, Postumus failed to support Aureolus, who was defeated by Gallienus and besieged inside Mediolanum.
11.
Postumus's army wanted to sack the defeated city, and when Postumus tried to restrain them, the soldiers turned on him and killed him.
12.
Postumus' coinage has been of particular interest to numismatists, in light of the high quality and relative abundance of his coin issues.