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Volusian
Short Biography
about the life of Volusian
Short Biography profile and facts about one of the most famous Romans of all, in the life of
Volusian, Emperor of Rome and provinces of the Roman Empire.
Name commonly known as: Volusian
Latin Roman Name: Gaius Vibius Volusianus
Reigned as Roman Emperor /
Caesar:
251-253 joint emperor with his father
Gallus
Dynasty /
Historical Period: Crisis of the
Third Century (235 - 284). Era of
the Barracks Emperors (238 - 268)
Place and Date of
Birth: Unknown
Name of previous Emperor: His predecessors or the Emperors before Volusian
and Gallus were Decius
Herennius Etruscus
and
Hostilian
Family connections / Genealogy
*** Name of Father: Trebonianus Gallus
*** Name of Mother: Afinia
Gemina Baebiana
Place and Date of Death:
Died August 253 at Interamna (Lazio, Italy)
Name of next Emperor:
The successor to Volusian and his father and co-emperor Gallus was
Aemilian
Interesting facts
about the life of Volusian
Obtain a fast overview of the times of the Roman Emperor
Volusian from the following facts and information about his life.
The father of Volusian, Trebonianus Gallus, was an
experienced soldier who was proclaimed emperor in the year
251AD ruling jointly with Hostilian. Gallus had concluded a
disgraceful peace with the Goths and in return for the
withdrawal of the Goths had agreed to allow them to keep the
loot and Roman prisoners gained from their incursions and to
pay them an annual tribute. In 251, the plague broke out in
the city of Rome during which the co-emperor Hostilian died.
Gallus then raised his son Volusian to the position of
co-emperor. The plague was creating terrible problems in the
city of Rome. Gallus and Volusian gained popular support
with the plebs by providing proper burials for all plague
victims, even those who were too poor to afford it. Romans
were looking for someone to blame for the outbreak of the
plague. The Christians made a perfect target. The
persecution of Christians once again featured in Rome and
its provinces during the reign of Volusian.
Volusian
- The Persians and the Goths
Gallus and Volusian,
preoccupied with matters at home ignored the threat of
invasion to the Eastern Frontier by the Persian King Shapur
I in 252AD. King Shapur defeated the Roman forces at the
battle of Barbalissos and soon controlled the Roman province
of Syria and in 253AD he captured Antioch. At the same time
there was further problems for Volusian and his father with
the Goths. The governor of Upper Moesia (modern-day
Bulgaria), Aemilius Aemilianus, refused to pay the annual
tribute to the Goths which had been previously agreed by
Volusian and his father. The Goths 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.
Volusian
- The Coup
Aemilian immediately marched his army towards Rome. Gallus
and Volusian gathered an army and marched north to prevent
Aemilian from reaching the city. Gallus and Volusian
requested that Publius Licinius Valerianus brought
reinforcements from Germany to join
their forces. But the
reinforcements never arrived. Gallus and Volusian tried to
stall for time but in August 253 AD, camped at Interamna
(Lazio, Italy), word reached Volusian and his father that
Aemilian was rapidly approaching with a large force of
soldiers.
The news reached the army of Gallus and Volusian
and fearing defeat, the troops mutinied and the two
co-emperors were murdered. The troops then declared for
Aemilian who became the next emperor.
Volusian
- 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.
Volusian
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