Imperator Caesar Marcus Annius Florianus Augustus[2]
Marcus Annius Florianus (died 276), also known asFlorian, was brieflyRoman emperor in the year 276. He took the throne after the murder of his half-brotherTacitus, but was killed after 88 days by his own troops during his confrontation with the rival emperorProbus, who took over the Eastern provinces after Tacitus' death.
Antoninianus of Tacitus. Legend: IMPerator Caesar Marcus CLavdius TACITVS AVGustus.
In late 275, Florianus' maternal half-brother,Tacitus, was proclaimed emperor after the unexpected death ofAurelian. Soon after, Tacitus appointed Florianus aspraetorian prefect.[3][4] Tacitus then ordered Florianus to lead troops toPannonia, in order to repel raids into Roman territory by theGoths.[5] Tacitus died suddenly around June 276,[6] allegedly as a consequence of a military plot, and Florianus swiftly proclaimed himself emperor, and was recognized as such by theRoman Senate and the western provinces.[7] Florianus then continued to campaign against the Goths, winning a major victory before the news reached him of the revolt ofProbus, who had served successfully as a commander under both Aurelian and Tacitus. Probus' revolt was supported by the provinces ofEgypt,Syria,Palestine, andPhoenicia.[7]
Medallion of Florian
Probus took advantage of his control of Egyptian grain, which he used to swiftly cut off the supply of grain to the rest of the empire. He led his troops toAsia Minor, in order to defend theCilician Gates, allowing him to utilizeguerrilla tactics to wage awar of attrition rather than a straightforward confrontation. Florianus led his troops toCilicia, andbilleted his forces inTarsus. However, many of his troops, who were unaccustomed to the hot climate of the area, fell ill due to a summer heat wave. Upon learning of this, Probus launched raids around the city, in order to weaken the morale of Florianus' forces. This strategy was successful, and Florianus lost control of his army, which rose up against him and killed him.[7] Florianus' reign lasted less than three months, 88 days to be precise.[8][9][10]
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