Editing Gallic Empire (section)

==History==

===Origins===
The Roman [[Crisis of the Third Century]] continued as the Emperor [[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]] was defeated and captured by the [[Sasanian Empire]] of [[Persia]] in the [[Battle of Edessa]], together with a large part of the Roman field army in the east. This left his son [[Gallienus]] in very shaky control. Shortly thereafter, the [[Palmyra|Palmyrene]] leader [[Odaenathus]] gained control of a wide swath of the east, including [[Roman Egypt|Egypt]], [[Roman Syria|Syria]], [[Iudaea Province|Judea]], and [[Arabia Petraea]]; while he was nominally loyal to the Roman government, his domain was ''de facto'' independent and has come to be referred to as the [[Palmyrene Empire]].

The governors in [[Pannonia]] staged unsuccessful local revolts. The Emperor left for the Danube to attend to their disruption. This left [[Postumus]], who was governor of [[Germania Superior]] and [[Germania Inferior|Inferior]], in charge at the Rhine border. An exceptional administrator, Postumus had also ably protected Germania Inferior against an invasion led by the [[Franks]] in the summer of 260. In fact, Postumus defeated the Frankish forces at Empel so decisively that there would be no further Germanic raids for ten years. This all combined to make Postumus one of the most powerful men in the western reaches of the Roman Empire.

[[File:Map of the Gallic Empire, 260 AD.jpg|342px|thumbnail|The Gallic Empire at its greatest territorial extent, after its creation by [[Postumus]] in 260]]

Gallienus's son [[Saloninus]] and the praetorian prefect Silvanus remained at [[Colonia Agrippina]] ([[Cologne]]), to keep the young heir out of danger and perhaps also as a check on Postumus' ambitions. Before long, however, Postumus besieged Colonia Agrippina and put the young heir and his guardian to death, making his revolt official. Postumus is thought to have established his capital there or at [[Augusta Treverorum]] ([[Trier]]).{{sfn|Drinkwater|1987|pp=24-27}} [[Lugdunum]] ([[Lyon]]) was one of the most important cities in the area under his control.

Postumus did not make any effort to extend his control into Italy or to depose Gallienus. Instead, he established parallel institutions modelled on the Roman Empire's central government: his regime had its own praetorian guard, two annually elected [[Consul (Gallic Empire)|consuls]] (not all of the names have survived), and probably its own senate. According to the numismatic evidence, Postumus held the office of consul five times.

Postumus successfully fended off a military incursion by Gallienus in 263, and was never challenged by him again. However, in early 269 he was challenged by [[Laelianus]], who was probably one of his own commanders. Laelianus was declared emperor at [[Roman Mogontiacum|Mogontiacum]] (now [[Mainz]]) by his [[Legio XXII Primigenia]]. In response, Postumus quickly retook Mogontiacum and Laelianus was killed. In the aftermath of the battle, however, Postumus was overthrown and killed by his own troops, reportedly because he did not allow them to sack the city.<ref>[[Aurelius Victor]] 33.8.</ref><ref>[[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]] 9.9.1.</ref>

===After Postumus===
[[File:Coin of Tetricus I.jpg|thumb|left|Coin of [[Tetricus I|Tetricus]], last emperor (271–274) of the Gallic Empire]]
An officer in Postumus' army, [[Marcus Aurelius Marius]], was installed as Emperor upon Postumus's death, but died very shortly after; ancient sources writing much later state that he reigned only two days, though it is more likely, based on the numismatic record, that he reigned for a few months.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last= Polfer|first= Michael |title= Marius (A.D. 269)|url= http://www.roman-emperors.org/marius.htm|date= June 24, 1999|encyclopedia= De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families|access-date=July 10, 2009}}</ref> Subsequently, the tribune of the praetorians, [[Victorinus|Marcus Piavonius Victorinus]] came to power, being recognized as Emperor in northern Gaul and Britannia, but not in Hispania.<ref name="Victorinus"/> Meanwhile, Roman Emperor Gallienus had been killed in a coup in 268, and his successor in the central Roman provinces, [[Claudius Gothicus]], re-established Roman authority in [[Gallia Narbonensis]] and parts of [[Gallia Aquitania]]; there is some evidence that the provinces of Hispania, which did not recognize Postumus's successors in Gaul, may have realigned with Rome then.<ref name="Victorinus">{{cite encyclopedia |last= Polfer|first= Michel |title= Victorinus (A.D. 269–271)|url= http://www.roman-emperors.org/victorin.htm|date= June 3, 2000|encyclopedia= De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families|access-date=July 10, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Claudius">{{cite encyclopedia |last= Weigel|first= Richard D.|title= Claudius II Gothicus (268–270) |url= http://www.roman-emperors.org/claudgot.htm |date= June 19, 2001|encyclopedia= De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families|access-date=July 10, 2009}}</ref>

Victorinus spent most of his reign dealing with insurgencies and attempting to recover the Gaulish territories taken by Claudius Gothicus. He was assassinated in 271, but his mother [[Victoria (Roman usurper)|Victoria]] took control of his troops and used her power to influence the selection of his successor.<ref name="Victorinus"/> With Victoria's support, the governor of [[Gallia Aquitania]], [[Tetricus I|Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus]] was made Emperor, and was recognized in Britannia and the parts of Gaul that had recognized Victorinus.<ref name="TetricusI">{{cite encyclopedia |last= Polfer|first= Michel |title= Tetricus I (AD 271–273)|url= http://www.roman-emperors.org/tetrici.htm|date= January 28, 2000|encyclopedia= De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families|access-date=July 10, 2009}}</ref> Tetricus fought off Germanic barbarians who had begun ravaging Gaul after the death of Victorinus, and was able to re-take Gallia Aquitania and western Gallia Narbonensis while Claudius Gothicus's successor [[Aurelian]] was in the east fighting the [[Palmyrene Empire]], now in open revolt against Roman authority under Queen [[Zenobia]]. Tetricus established the imperial court at [[Trier]], and in 273 he elevated his son, [[Tetricus II|also named Tetricus]], to the rank of [[Caesar (title)|Caesar]].

The following year the younger Tetricus was made co-consul with his father, but the area under their control grew weak from internal strife, including a mutiny led by the usurper [[Faustinus]].<ref name="TetricusI" /> By that time Aurelian had defeated the Palmyrene Empire and had made plans to reconquer the west. He moved into Gaul and defeated Tetricus at the [[Battle of Châlons (274)|Battle of Châlons]] in 274. According to some sources, Tetricus offered to surrender in exchange for clemency for him and his son before the battle.<ref name="TetricusI" /> This detail may be later propaganda, but either way, Aurelian was victorious, and the Gallic Empire was effectively ended.<ref name="TetricusI" /> In contrast with his propaganda after the recent defeat of Zenobia, Aurelian did not present his recapture of Gaul as a victory over a foreign enemy, and indeed many officials who had served in the army and administration of the Gallic Empire continued their careers, including Tetricus, who was appointed to an administrative post in Italy.<ref name="Goldsworthy 2009 116–7" />