Macrianus Major
Encyclopedia
Fulvius Macrianus also called Macrianus Major, was a Roman usurper
. He was one of Valerian's
fiscal officers. More precisely, sources refer to him as being in charge of the whole state accounts or, in the language of a later age, as Count of the Treasury and the person in charge of markets and provisions. It seems almost certain that he was an Equestrian. The Historia Augusta
claims that he was the foremost of Valerian's generals, but that is a gross exaggeration, if not entirely fictitious.
He followed Valerian during his ultimately catastrophic campaign against the Persians in 259 or 260; however, he remained at Samosata
during the fatal battle of Edessa
and his role in the events before and after the battle is questionable. After Valerian's capture by Sassanid Emperor
Shapur I
, Valerian's son Gallienus
became sole emperor, but was occupied with his own problems in the West. Macrianus grabbed the opportunity. With the support of Callistus
, Valerian's officer, and with the influence that possession of the treasury of Valerian brought, Macrianus managed to have his two sons Macrianus
and Quietus
elevated to the throne. He himself was not able to assume the purple because he was deformed in one of his legs.
Quietus and Balista stayed in the East to secure their rule. Macrianus Major and Minor marched the eastern army from Asia
to Europe
, but were defeated in Thrace
in 261 by Aureolus
. Macrianus and his son were killed in the battle. According to Joannes Zonaras
, their army was encircled by Aureolus and surrendered, except for the Pannonian legions. Macrianus asked the latter to kill him and his son to avoid delivery to Aureolus. Quietus was later murdered by Odaenathus
of Palmyra
.
Roman usurper
Usurpers are individuals or groups of individuals who obtain and maintain the power or rights of another by force and without legal authority. Usurpation was endemic during roman imperial era, especially from the crisis of the third century onwards, when political instability became the rule.The...
. He was one of Valerian's
Valerian (emperor)
Valerian , also known as Valerian the Elder, was Roman Emperor from 253 to 260. He was taken captive by Persian king Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, becoming the only Roman Emperor who was captured as a prisoner of war, resulting in wide-ranging instability across the Empire.-Origins and rise...
fiscal officers. More precisely, sources refer to him as being in charge of the whole state accounts or, in the language of a later age, as Count of the Treasury and the person in charge of markets and provisions. It seems almost certain that he was an Equestrian. The Historia Augusta
Augustan History
The Augustan History is a late Roman collection of biographies, in Latin, of the Roman Emperors, their junior colleagues and usurpers of the period 117 to 284...
claims that he was the foremost of Valerian's generals, but that is a gross exaggeration, if not entirely fictitious.
He followed Valerian during his ultimately catastrophic campaign against the Persians in 259 or 260; however, he remained at Samosata
Samosata
Samosata was an ancient city on the right bank of the Euphrates whose ruins existed at the modern city of Samsat, Adıyaman Province, Turkey until the site was flooded by the newly-constructed Atatürk Dam....
during the fatal battle of Edessa
Battle of Edessa
The Battle of Edessa took place between the armies of the Roman Empire under the command of Emperor Valerian and Sassanid forces under Shahanshah Shapur I in 259...
and his role in the events before and after the battle is questionable. After Valerian's capture by Sassanid Emperor
Sassanid Empire
The Sassanid Empire , known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr and Ērān in Middle Persian and resulting in the New Persian terms Iranshahr and Iran , was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty from 224 to 651...
Shapur I
Shapur I
Shapur I or also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sassanid King of the Second Persian Empire. The dates of his reign are commonly given as 240/42 - 270/72, but it is likely that he also reigned as co-regent prior to his father's death in 242 .-Early years:Shapur was the son of Ardashir I...
, Valerian's son Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
became sole emperor, but was occupied with his own problems in the West. Macrianus grabbed the opportunity. With the support of Callistus
Balista
Balista or Ballista , also known in the sources with the probably wrong name of "Callistus", was one of the Thirty Tyrants of the Historia Augusta, and supported the rebellion of the Macriani against Emperor Gallienus....
, Valerian's officer, and with the influence that possession of the treasury of Valerian brought, Macrianus managed to have his two sons Macrianus
Macrianus Minor
Titus Fulvius Iunius Macrianus , also known as Macrianus Minor, was a Roman usurper. He was the son of Fulvius Macrianus, also known as Macrianus Major.- Career :...
and Quietus
Quietus
Titus Fulvius Iunius Quietus was a Roman usurper against Roman Emperor Gallienus.Quietus was the son of Fulvius Macrianus and a noblewoman, possibly named Iunia...
elevated to the throne. He himself was not able to assume the purple because he was deformed in one of his legs.
Quietus and Balista stayed in the East to secure their rule. Macrianus Major and Minor marched the eastern army from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, but were defeated in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
in 261 by Aureolus
Aureolus
For the Frankish ruler of Aragon, see Aureolus of Aragon.Manius Acilius Aureolus was a Roman military commander and would-be usurper. He was one of the so-called Thirty Tyrants who populated the reign of the Emperor Gallienus...
. Macrianus and his son were killed in the battle. According to Joannes Zonaras
Joannes Zonaras
Ioannes Zonaras was a Byzantine chronicler and theologian, who lived at Constantinople.Under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos he held the offices of head justice and private secretary to the emperor, but after Alexios' death, he retired to the monastery of St Glykeria, where he spent the rest of his...
, their army was encircled by Aureolus and surrendered, except for the Pannonian legions. Macrianus asked the latter to kill him and his son to avoid delivery to Aureolus. Quietus was later murdered by Odaenathus
Odaenathus
Lucius Septimius Odaenathus, Odenathus or Odenatus , the Latinized form of the Syriac Odainath, was a ruler of Palmyra, Syria and later of the short lived Palmyrene Empire, in the second half of the 3rd century, who succeeded in recovering the Roman East from the Persians and restoring it to the...
of Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
.