| Volusianus | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Possible bust of Volusianus at theMusée des Beaux-Arts de Tours.[1] | |||||||||
| Roman emperor | |||||||||
| Reign | c. August 251 – August 253 (withTrebonianus Gallus) | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Decius andHerennius Etruscus | ||||||||
| Successor | Aemilianus | ||||||||
| Born | After 207 | ||||||||
| Died | August 253 Interamna,Italy | ||||||||
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| Father | Trebonianus Gallus | ||||||||
| Mother | Afinia Gemina Baebiana | ||||||||
Gaius Vibius Volusianus (Latin:Gaius Vibius Afinius Gallus Veldumnianus Volusianus; died August 253), commonly calledVolusian, was aRoman emperor from 251 to 253, ruling with his fatherTrebonianus Gallus.
After EmperorDecius and his son and co-rulerHerennius Etruscus died in battle in June 251, Trebonianus Gallus was elected emperor in the field by the legion. Gallus raisedHostilian, the younger son of Decius, toaugustus (co-emperor) and elevated Volusianus tocaesar. After the death of Hostilian in July or August 251, Volusianus was raised toaugustus. The short reign of Gallus and Volusianus was notable for the outbreak of a plague, which is said by some to be the reason for Hostilian's death, and for hostilities with theSasanian Empire and theGoths. Volusianus and his father were killed in August 253 by their own soldiers, who were terrified of the forces of the usurperAemilian which were marching towardsRome.
Volusianus was the son ofTrebonianus Gallus,[3] who was named emperor in July 251 after his predecessors, Decius andHerennius Etruscus, died fighting theGoths at theBattle of Abritus.[3][4][5] Elected by the troops in the field, Gallus signed a treaty, decried by contemporary historians as "shameful", which promised tribute to the Goths if they abstained from raiding.[6] He subsequently made a bid for popularity by declaringHostilian, the surviving son of Decius,augustus (emperor) with him, voluntarily sharing his power with the prior imperial family. Later, still in July 251, Gallus elevated Volusianus tocaesar (heir-apparent).[3] Volusianus was wed to Hostilian's sister, of an unknown name.[7]
Hostilian died in July or August 251.[8] The reason for his death is disputed:[5]Aurelius Victor and the author of theEpitome de Caesaribus both say that Hostilian died of a plague, butZosimus claims that Trebonianus Gallus murdered the youngaugustus so that Volusianus could take his place.[9] Regardless of circumstances, Volusianus subsequently received the rank ofaugustus. He was made consul in 252, alongside Trebonianus Gallus, and in 253, alongsideValerius Maximus.[10][2] The same plague that killed Hostilian devastated the rest of Rome, although Trebonianus Gallus gained much popularity by ensuring that all of the plague victims were given proper burials, regardless of their social status.[6] During the reign of Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus, thepersecution of Christians was not as extreme as it was under Decius, althoughPope Cornelius was exiled in 252 AD.[11]Novatian was also forced to flee Rome during this period of persecution.[12] Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus issued only two imperialrescripts during their reign.[13]
During the shared reign of Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus, the Roman Empire was invaded by both the Goths and theSassanids. Both co-emperors chose to stay in Rome rather than confront the invasions themselves.[7][3][14][15][16][6] The Sassanids attacked in 252, quickly overrunningMesopotamia, and defeated the Romans at theBattle of Barbalissos, nearBarbalissos in the province ofEuphratensis (modern daySyria). They advanced into Roman territory as far asAntioch, which was captured in 253 after a prolonged siege.[6] In 253, the Goths invadedMoesia Inferior, as the new governor,Aemilian, had refused to pay the tribute to them. The Goths split into two bands, with one raiding the cities of Moesia Inferior andThracia, and the other crossing intoAsia Minor as far asEphesus.[6]
Aemilian succeeded in repelling the Goths, slaughtering many and forcing the rest back across theDanube. The prestige of this victory was so great that Aemilian's soldiers spontaneously declared him emperor, in opposition to Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus.[6] When the news reached Rome, Gallus and Volusianus called for reinforcements fromValerian, the future emperor, who had been strengthening the empire's defences on theRhine. Aemilian marched to Italy at a rapid pace, arriving before Valerian could such send any assistance. The troops available to the co-emperors feared fighting the much stronger forces of Aemilian. To forestall the battle, they mutinied, killing Gallus and Volusianus atInteramna, inUmbria, in August 253.[3][14][15] TheChronography of 354 says the co-emperors ruled for a total of two years, four months, and nine days.[16]
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Theaurei of Volusianus fell into two types. There were five styles of coins which featured hisbust on theobverse, with thereverse showing:Aequitas sitting,Aeternitas standing,Apollo standing,Juno sitting inside a rounded temple, orVictoria standing. There were a further six styles of coins which featured his bust with aRadiate on the obverse, with the reverse displaying:Concordia sitting,Felicitas standing,Libertas standing,Providence standing,Salus standing, or a helmetedVirtus standing.[17] The coins of Volusianus occasionally bore the inscriptionSaeculum nouum (new age), alongside the traditional inscriptionsRomae aeternae (eternal Rome) andPax aeternae (eternal peace).[18]
| previous Decius Roman Emperor 249-251 ∞Herennia Etruscilla |  Trebonianus Gallus Roman Emperor 251-253 ∞Afinia Gemina Baebiana | next Aemilianus Roman Emperor 253 ∞Cornelia Supera | |||||||||||||||||||
| Herennius Etruscus co-emperor | Volusianus co-emperor 251-253 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Media related toVolusianus at Wikimedia Commons
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| Preceded by | Roman Emperor 251–253 With:Trebonianus Gallus | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by | Roman consul 252–253 withTrebonianus Gallus, L. Valerius Poplicola Balbinus Maximus | Succeeded by |
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