Aemilian
Short Biography
about the life of Aemilian
Short Biography profile and facts about one of the most famous Romans of all, in the life of
Aemilian, Emperor of Rome and provinces of the Roman Empire.
Name commonly known as: Aemilian *** Latin Roman Name: Marcus Aemilius Aemilianus *** Reigned as Roman Emperor /
Caesar: 253 for 3 months *** Dynasty / Historical Period:
Crisis of the Third Century (235 - 284). Era of the Barracks
Emperors (238 - 268) *** Place and Date of Birth:
Born c. 207 in Africa *** Name of previous Emperor: His predecessor or the Emperor before Aemilian was
the father and son emperors, Gallus
and
Volusian
Family connections / Genealogy
*** Married: Cornelia Supera
Place and Date of Death:
253AD in Spoleto, 78 miles from Rome *** Name of next Emperor:
The successor to Aemilian was
Valerian
Interesting facts
about the life of Aemilian
Obtain a fast overview of the times of the Roman Emperor
Aemilian from the following facts and information about his life.
Gallus and Volusian the previous co-emperors of the Roman
empire were preoccupied with matters in Rome which included
a virulent outbreak of the plague. They ignored the
threat of invasion to the Eastern Frontier in 253AD by the
Persian King Shapur who defeated the Roman forces to control
Syria. At the same time there were further problems with the
Goths. Aemilian was the governor of Upper Moesia (modern-day
Bulgaria). He refused to pay the annual tribute to the Goths
which had been previously agreed by Volusian and his father.
The Goths then invaded the Lower Danube in retaliation for
the Roman breach of the peace treaty. Aemilian
defeated the invading Goths and his troops proclaimed him as
emperor.
Aemilian
- The Coup
Aemilian immediately marched his army towards Rome. The
co-emperors gathered an army and marched north to prevent
Aemilian from reaching the city. They then requested that
Publius Licinius Valerianus (Valerian) brought
reinforcements from Germany to join their forces. But the
reinforcements failed to arrive. They tried to stall for
time but in August 253 AD, camped at Interamna (Lazio,
Italy), word reached Volusian and Gallus that Aemilian was
rapidly approaching with a large force of soldiers. When
their army heard the news they feared defeat, their troops
mutinied and the two co-emperors were murdered. Their troops
then declared for Aemilian who became the next emperor.
The Death of Aemilian
Aemilian reigned as emperor for just 3 short months.
Valerian, the general who was bringing reinforcements to
help Gallus and Volusian, heard of the news of their
defeat and refused to accept Aemilian as the new emperor.
His mood was captured by his troops and with their support
he was promptly declared emperor. Valerian headed to Rome to
confront Aemilian and avenge the death of his old friend
Gallus. Aemilian answered the challenge and went with his
army to meet Valerian's army near Spoleto, 78 miles from
Rome. When it became evident that Valerian's forces were
larger, his soldiers killed Aemilian rather than risk
their own lives. Valerian then took the Roman throne.
Aemilian
- Crisis of the Third Century - Era of the Barracks Emperors
(238 - 268)
The Crisis of the Third
Century was the period in Roman history following the death
of Alexander Severus when Rome entered into the era of
Military Anarchy commonly known as the Crisis of the Third
Century. During the Crisis of the Third Century, lasting
over 50 years, not one
single Emperor died of natural causes. Revolts sprung up in
virtually all of the provinces and ambitious men struggled
for power. During the crisis there were civil wars, street
fights between the citizens of Rome and soldiers of the
imperial guard, fierce foreign enemies, plagues,
famines, fire and earthquakes. The "Barracks Emperors" (238
- 268) were all military generals who seized power by
force. Taxation was high, the economy was failing and Roman
territories were being captured by barbarians and the Roman
government was unstable. During this
uncertain era and violent environment the promise of an
afterlife seemed to be the only thing to hope for. And
people started to turn towards a new religion, Christianity.
Aemilian
The content of this Aemilian
category in the Emperors of Ancient Rome provides free educational
details, facts and information for reference and research
for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the
Colosseum Sitemap for a comprehensive search on interesting
different categories containing the history, facts and
information about the lives and people of Ancient Rome.
|