Select Observations of Roman Emperors, Observations on contemporary tyrants
Of the 30 Tyrants contemporary with Valerian and Gallienus.
I. CYriades instigated the Persians to invade the Roman territories, by their assistance took Antioch, and was by them elected Emperor. Having terrified all the East with his puissance or adventurousness, and killed his Father, he was slain by the treachery of his own party, when Valerian went to the Persian war. Trebellius Pollio in triginta tyrannis, cap. 2.
Hunc clarum, perfugium, & parricidium, & aspera tyrannis & summa luxuries literis dederunt. Id. ibid.
II. Ingenuus rebelled against Valerian in Hungary (as Cyriades had done in Syria) but was defeated by Gallienus who was so cruel to the Moesians for electing Ingenuus, that he made most of their Cities void of Males. Ingenuus to escape Gallienus his cruelty, stabbed himself with a dagger, saith Tr. Pollio ubi supra, c. 8.
III. Regillianus commanding in Illyricum, was made Emperor by the friends of those Moesians who were vanquished with Ingenuus, and so barbarously used by Gallienus. The occasion of his advancement was strange, he getting the Empire only in favour of his name. For when a Tribune demanded at supper, whence Regillianus was derived? one answered à Regno, another began to decline Rex, regis, regi, Regillianus; whereat the Soldiers (who in all actions are forward) brake out into these acclamations; Ergo potest Rex esse; Ergo potest nos regere; Deus tibi regis nomen imposuit: and within few daies the chief military Commanders saluted him Emperor. Ita quod aliis vel audacia vel judicium detulit, huic jocularis astutia, saith Tr. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 9.
He fought couragiously against the Sarmatians now called Poles, but was slain by the Roxolani (at present styled Russians or Muscovites) with the consent of the Soldiery and Peasants, who feared lest otherwise Gallienus would express greater cruelty towards them than before. Id. ib.
V. Macrianus the Father ascended the Imperial throne by the assistance of Balista, who moved with the misery of the Common-wealth, resolved by election of an Emperor to prevent the ruine of his Country. The affection of the Army forcibly set the Garland on Macrianus, and his 2 sons, Macrianus and Quietus as most worthy.
Egypt and all the East acknowledged Macrianus for Emperor, as Tristan proveth from an ancient Medal, in his Historical Commentaries, tom. 3.
He advanced his sons to the same dignity, which himself was ambitious of; his bodily weakness rendring him unfit for the discharge of his place, saith Valesius in Eusebium, p. 147.
Ioannes Zonaras in Annalibus Macrianum claudum fuisse scribit: quem in historia illorum temporum consulere, haudquaquam in utile fuerit. Solus enim ex iis qui ad nos pervenerunt scriptoribus, Macriani & filiorum ejus res gestas accurate commemoravit. Id. ibid.
Macrianus had the conduct of 45000 men against Gallienus, encountred with Aureolus in the confines of Thrace; where he and Macrianus the younger were discomfited and slain by Domitian, Aureolus's General; 30000 of his Soldiers that escaped going over to the adverse party. Tr. Pollio ubi supra.
Macriani clade audita, Dionysius Alexandrinus Gallieno gratulatur. Euseb. l. 7. c. 25. gratulatur, inquam, aliquanto plus quam par sit. Nam nec erat victoria tanta, quantam putabat Dionysius: nec erant ii Gallieni mores, quos putabat Dionysius. Jac. Cappellus in Eccles. Hist. centuriis quinque, p. 59, 60.
Macrianus's Standard-bearer falling by chance bowed his Banner, which other Ensigns seeing, and being ignorant of the cause, suspected he did it as yielding to the Emperor, whereupon the rest did the like with acclamations in favour of Gallienus. Zonaras.
VI. Macrianus junior hath been discoursed of in the account that is given of his Father.
VII. Quietus the other son of Macrianus was killed by Odenatus; after he heard of Aureolus's success against the Macriani and Quietus: that thereby he might seem to revenge the wrong done to Gallienus.
VIII. Valens was made Pro-consul of Achaia by Gallienus. Macrianus exceedingly fearing Valens, sent Piso a valiant Gentleman, that had been Consul, to kill him; Valens hearing thereof, and seeing no other means of security, assumed the Empire; which he enjoyed not long, being slain by his own Soldiers, after he had overthrown
IX. Piso; who using his enemies policy, had proclaimed himself Emperor, assuming the name of Thessalicus, from the place whither Valens had forced him to retire.
X. Balista assumed the Empire, when Quietus was slain by Odenatus, though pardon was offered him; because he durst not commit himself to Gallienus, Aureolus, or Odenatus. Tr. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 18. who saith, others affirm that he died a private man.
Some report he was killed by Aureolus, others by a common Soldier of Odenatus. Id. ibid.
Ea temporum illorum segnities erat, ut proxima quaeque ignorarent, quae ab avo nostro remotissima hodie scimus ex numis. C. A. Rupertus in minorem Synopsin Besoldi, c. 14.
Balista is erroneously called Callistus by Zonaras.
XI. Maeonius was another Usurper, who out of envy murdered his cousin Odenatus, having nothing to object against him, but the luxury of his Son Herod. Tr. Pollio ubi supra, Odenatus and his Son Herod were no Tyrants, receiving the title of Emperor from Gallienus and the Senate. Tristan in his Historical Commentaries, tom. 3.c. 16.
E Zonara disces occisum Odenatum non a consobrino, sed à fratris filio. Causam etiam illatae necis inde cognosces. Casaubon.
Pollio in the place above cited saith, Zenobia grudging that her Son-in-Law Herod should be placed before Herennianus and Timolaus, (whom Odenatus had by her self) conspired with Maeonius, who soon received his guerdon by the Soldiers.
XII. Aemilianus being in danger from a sedition of the multitude, for his preservation assumed Imperial power in Egypt, but was overcome by Theodotus a Captain of Gallienus, who commanded him to be strangled in prison. Tr. Pollio in triginta tyrannis, c. 21.
XIII. Saturninus also received there the Imperial dignity from the Army, yet was slain for his severity by those very Soldiers who advanced him. Id. Ib. c. 22.
XIV. Trebellianus usurping in Isauria, is slain by Causisoleus, brother to Theodotus. Id. ibid. c. 25.
XV. Celsus was elected Emperor by Fabius Pomp…nianus General of Africk, and Vibius Passienus Pro-consul. He reigned but a week, being put to death by Galliena, cousen to Gallienus; and had his corps eaten by dogs. Pollio in libro eitato, c. 28.
XVI. Posthumus the Father was the first Tyrant among the Gauls.
Tristan thinketh none of the contemporarie Usurpers are to be compared to him, whom he calleth the French Hercules.
Valerian preferred him before Aurelian, to be Tutor to Gallienus, saith Vopiscus in Aureliano, c. 8.
Posthumus though meanly born, assumed the Empire, which he so governed for 10 years, that by his great valour and moderation he recovered those Provinces which were almost lost. Eutropius, l. 9.
He was slain in a tumult of the Soldiers, because he would not permit them to pillage Mayence which rebelled against him in Lollianus his conspiracy. Id. Ib.
XVII. Posthumus junior also was slain in Lollianus his rebellion. Tr. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 5.
He was so eloquent in declaming, that his controversies are said to be inserted into Quintilian. Id. ib. c. 4.
Lollianus is confounded with Lucius Aelia…us in the Latine Eutropius, as appears by his Metaphrast, Paeanius.XVIII. Lollianus mounted the throne, where he sate not with like continuance, though confusion, as Postumus did.
Lollianus & Posthumus privata virtute clari, non nobilitatis pondere vixerunt. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 5.
XIX. The restless humour of the giddy Commons casts it self next on Marius a Smith, a sutable sovereign to their base affections; to whom they were no less unconstant & cruel than to the rest: putting a period to his government after*But both Pollio and Victor's assertion is questioned by Tristan.3 daies, with a sword of his own forging. Tr. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 7.
Ioculariter dictum, nequaquam mirum videri, si rem Romanam Marius reficere contenderet, quam Marius ejusdem artis auctor, stirpisque ac nominis, solidavisset. Victor Schotti.
Tumults seem incident to Smithe by fate,
Whose very trade doth as an Emblem show
Both the Incendiaries of a State,
And bellows too which the sedition blow;
The hammers with their harsh tumultuous jar
Make in their brains a kind of civil war.
Allen's Henry the 7th.
The veins of Marius his hand seemed as if they were finews, he staying carts with his 4th finger: if he gave but a fillip to the strongest men that lived in his time, they would feel it as much as if they had been struck with an hammer. Tr. Pollio ubi supra.
XX. Victorinus the Father was deputy to Posthumus in France, and inferior to none in the office; not to Trajan in valour, nor to Antonine in clemency, nor to Nerva in gravity, nor to Vespasian in ordering the Treasury, nor to Pertinax or Severus in military discipline: but all these vertues were obscured by his desire and use of women. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 6.
He forcing other mens wives, was slain at Colen in the 2. year of his usurpation, by a Clark whose wife he had ravished.
XXI. Victorinus junior was slain at the same time with his Father.
XXII. Tetricus the Father assumed the Empire by the sollicitation of Victoria or Victorina, upon the death of Victorinus her son, and grand-child.
He ascended to the Throne with great applause, but considering the desperate practises of the vulgar, chose to adorn Aurelian's triumph in a voluntary captivity, rather than rule or live at the devotion of a lawless multitude.
XXIII. Tetricus junior was named Cesar by Victoria or Vitruvia, when his Father was styled Augustus.
He submitted to Aurelian as his Father did.
XXIV. Zenobia took the government upon her in the name of Herennianus and Timolaus her sons, saith Tr. Pollio in triginta tyrannis, c. 27 and 30. But Vopiscus in Aureliano, c. 38. writeth, that she held the Empire in the name of Vaballathus, son of Herod, whom Odenatus had by a former Wife.
She was a Lady of so strong a vertue, and of such command upon her self, that she is said never to have made use of her husbands company, when she perceived her self with child. Dr. Heylin in his Geography.
Zenobiam Longini discipulam Christianam fuisse suadere satagit magnus Baronius, sed nondum persuadet. Langbain in Longinum, p. 53.
She not only insulted over the Romans, but held the Arabians, Saracens, Armenians, and other fierce and intractable people in such awe, that although she were both a woman and a Barbarian, they never stirred against her. Tr. Pollio in 30 tyrannis, c. 30. out of Aurelian his Epistle.
In Occidente per Posthumum Praesidem Galliae, in Oriente per Odenatum regulum Palmyrenorum & ejus uxorem Zenobiam, servatum imperium. Laet in Compend. Hist. Vniv.
She was somewhat brown, had black and bright eies, teeth like pearl, a shril and manly voice.
She read the Roman history in Greek, and also had her self abridged the Alexandrian and all the Oriental Histories, whereby she attained the highest pitch both of wisdom and authority. Sir Iohn Hayward in his Epistle to the Reader before his life of Henry the 4th.
Larga prudenter, conservatrix thesaurorum ultra foemineum modum. Pollio ubi supra.
She was led in triumph by Aurelian, as well as Tetricus both Father and Son.
XXV. Herennianus son of Zenobia was killed by Aurelian, saith Tr. Pollio de 30 tyrannis, c. 27.
XXVI. Timolaus brother to Herennianus had the like fate, as the same Author writeth in the place before cited.
He was an excellent Latin Orator. Pollio de 30 tyrannis, c. 28.
XXVII. Hermias Vaballathus, grandchild of Odenatus, is reckoned among the Usurpers in Gallienus his time, by Tristan in his Historical Commentaries, tom. 3. and C. A. Rupertus on Bésoldus's minor synopsis of History.
XXVIII. Victoria or Vitruvia for her desire of rule was called the Mother of Armies.
She was mother to Victorinus the elder, who usurped in those times, and grandmother to the younger Tyrant.
The relations of her death vary.
Non tam digna res erat ut etiam Victorina sive Victoria, in literas mitteretur, nisi Gallieni mores hoc facerent, ut memoria digna etiam mulieres censerentur. Pollio de 30 tyrannis, c. 31.
XXIX. Aureolus assumed the Empire by constraint of the Soldiery.
He was killed by Claudius the Emperor at a bridge, which from that time beareth his name. Pollio de 30 tyrannis, c. 11.
XXX. Antoninus is reckoned by Zosimus among the Tyrants of those times, but he relateth not where his Usurpation was; for which Tristan calleth him a negligent and confused Historian.
Titus and Censorinus are omitted here, (though mentioned by Tr. Pollio in his book of Usurpers) because the one lived in the time of Maximinus the Emperor, the other of Claudius.