Gallienus
Gallienus was a Roman emperor who ruled jointly with his father, Valerian, from 253 to 260 CE, and then alone until 268 CE. His reign was marked by significant military challenges, particularly from Germanic tribes along the Danube and Rhine rivers. After Valerian was captured by the Persian king Shāpūr I in 260 CE, Gallienus focused on consolidating control over the central provinces of the empire, which included Italy, North Africa, Egypt, Greece, and parts of Eastern Europe. He allowed a usurper, Marcus Cassianus Latinius Postumus, to maintain power in the West without reprisal, a move that may have been part of his strategy to ensure stability in the regions he directly governed.
Gallienus is noted for important administrative reforms, such as removing senators from military leadership roles and replacing them with professional equestrian officers. He also enhanced cavalry forces, laying the groundwork for larger field armies in the subsequent century. In a notable shift in policy, Gallienus reversed previous anti-Christian measures, permitting Christians to access their cemeteries and reinstating their bishops. His reign also saw a cultural flourishing, sometimes referred to as the "Gallienic Renaissance," characterized by increased support for the arts, literature, and Neoplatonic philosophy. Gallienus's rule ended with his assassination in 268 CE while he was engaged in military operations against the Goths.
Gallienus
Related civilization: Imperial Rome
Major role/position: Roman emperor
Life
Gallienus (gal-ee-EE-nuhs) ruled jointly with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 c.e. and then alone until 268 c.e. During his early career, Gallienus ruled the Western Roman Empire, fighting Germanic tribes along the Danube and the Rhine. After his father was taken captive by the Persian leader Shāpūr I in 260 c.e., the emperor solidified his control over the central portion of the empire, consisting of Italy, North Africa, Egypt, Greece, and Eastern Europe, at the expense of leaving the Roman East to an allied client ruler, Septimius Odenaethus. The West was ostensibly held by the usurper Marcus Cassianus Latinius Postumus, who suffered no reprisals from Rome. Gallienus’s inaction might have been an intentional policy that allowed stable rule for the areas under the emperor’s control. The last years of Gallienus’s reign were spent fighting the Goths in the Balkans until 268 c.e. when he was assassinated by his officers while besieging a renegade general in Milan.
Influence
Gallienus enacted some important administrative reforms such as the exclusion of senators from military command, while replacing them with professional equestrian officers. He also increased the use of a strategic reserve of cavalry, which heralded the large field armies of the fourth century. Reversing Valerian’s renewal of Decius's anti-Christian policies, Gallienus allowed Christians access to their cemeteries and restored the bishops to their parishes. Increased patronage of the arts, literature, and Neoplatonic philosophy during the emperor’s reign indicates some evidence of a “Gallienic Renaissance.”
Bibliography
Den Blois, L. The Policy of the Emperor Gallienus. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1976.