Flavius Magnus "The Usurper" Magnentius
303-353
Born: Samarobriva (Amiens), Gaul
Died: Möns, Friesland, Niedersachsen, Germany
303-353
Born: Samarobriva (Amiens), Gaul
Died: Möns, Friesland, Niedersachsen, Germany
<font color="#000000">Magnentius</font><div><!-- /jumpto --><!-- bodytext --><font size="3" color="#000000">Flavius Magnus Magnentius</font><font size="3" color="#000000">usurper</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> of the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Roman Empire</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Reign</font><font size="3" color="#000000">January 18, 350 – August 11, 353</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Born</font><font size="3" color="#000000">303</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Birthplace</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Samarobriva</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Gaul</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Died</font><font size="3" color="#000000">August 11, 353 (aged 50)</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Place of death</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Mons Seleucus</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Predecessor</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constans</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Successor</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constantius II</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Wife</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Justina</font><p><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><strong>Flavius Magnus Magnentius</strong> (303–August 11, 353) was a </font></font><font size="3" color="#000000">usurper</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> of the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Roman Empire</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> (January 18, 350 – August 11, 353).</font></p><span><font size="3" color="#000000">Early life and career</font></span><p><font size="3" color="#000000">Born in Samarobriva (</font><font size="3" color="#000000">Amiens</font><font size="3" color="#000000">), </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Gaul</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, Magnentius was the commander of the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Herculians</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> and Iovians, the imperial guard units<sup><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></sup>. When the army grew dissatisfied with the behaviour of </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Roman Emperor</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constans</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, it elevated Magnentius at </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Autun</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> on January 18, 350. Constans was abandoned by all except a handful of retainers, and he was slain shortly afterwards by a troop of light </font><font size="3" color="#000000">cavalry</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> near the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Pyrenees</font><font size="3" color="#000000">.</font></p><span><font size="3" color="#000000">Usurper</font></span><p><font size="3" color="#000000">Magnentius quickly attracted the loyalty of the provinces in </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Britannia</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Gaul</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, and </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Hispania</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, in part because he proved to be far more tolerant towards both </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Christians</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> and </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Pagans</font><font size="3" color="#000000">. His control on </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Italia</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> and </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Africa</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> was applied through the election of his men to the most important offices. However, the short-lived revolt of </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Nepotianus</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, a member of the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constantinian dynasty</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, showed Magnentius that his status of Emperor was to be consolidated against the members of that dynasty.</font></p><p><font size="3" color="#000000">The self-proclaimed emperor tried to strengthen his grasp on the territories previously controlled by Constans, moving towards the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Danube</font><font size="3" color="#000000">. </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Vetranio</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, commander of the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Pannonian</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> army, had been elected </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Augustus</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> by his troops in </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Mursa</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> on 1 March. This revolt had a loyalist mark, since Vetranio was supported by </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constantina</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, and </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constantius II</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> himself recognized Vetranio, sending him the imperial diadem.</font></p><span><font size="3" color="#000000">Demise</font></span><p><font size="3" color="#000000">The remaining emperor of the family of </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Constantine I</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, Constantius II broke off his war in </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Syria</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> with </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Persia</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, and marched west. Despite Magnentius' efforts to gain Vetranio to his cause, the old general reached Constantius with his army, and resigned the crown.</font></p><p><font size="3" color="#000000">After electing </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Magnus Decentius</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> (probably his brother) to </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Caesar</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> and gathering as many troops as possible, the armies of Magnentius and Constantius met in the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Battle of Mursa Major</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> in 351; Magnentius led his troops into battle, while Constantius spent the day of battle praying in a nearby church. Despite Magnentius' heroism, his troops were defeated and forced to retreat back to Gaul.</font></p><p><font size="3" color="#000000">As a result of Magnentius' defeat, Italy ejected his garrisons and rejoined the loyalist cause. Magnentius made a final stand in 353 in the </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Battle of Mons Seleucus</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, after which he committed </font><font size="3" color="#000000">suicide</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> by falling on his sword.</font></p><p><font size="3" color="#000000">Following the suppression of Magnentius' rebellion, Constantius commanded an investigation be made to find his followers. The most notorious agent in this search was the <em>primicerius notariorum</em> </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Paulus Catena</font><font size="3" color="#000000">.</font></p><p><font size="3" color="#000000">Some sources state that Magnentius' father was a </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Briton</font><font size="3" color="#000000"> and his mother a </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Frank</font><font size="3"><font color="#000000">.<sup><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></sup></font></font></p><span><font size="3" color="#000000">Notes</font></span><div><ol><li><strong><font size="3" color="#000000">^</font></strong><font size="3" color="#000000"> </font><font size="3" color="#000000">Zosimus</font><font size="3" color="#000000">, ii.58</font></li><li><strong><font size="3" color="#000000">^</font></strong><font size="3" color="#000000"> Drinkwater pp.131–59. Original sources: Epit. de Caes. 42.7; Zos. HN 2.46.3, 54.1; Zonar. 13.6.1.</font></li></ol></div><span><font size="3" color="#000000">References</font></span><ul><li><font size="3" color="#000000">Cameron, Averil, and Peter Garnsey <em>ed.</em>, <em>The Cambridge Ancient History</em>, Vol XIII, Cambridge University Press, 1988.</font></li><li><span><font size="3" color="#000000">Drinkwater, J.F. (2000). "The revolt and ethnic origin of the usurper Magnentius (350–53), and the rebellion of Vetranio (350)". <em>Chiron</em> (30).</font></span></li></ul></div>