¬The Severan Emperors The Tetrarchy®

Rome: The Barrack Room Emperors

244 to 285 A.D.

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This period saw a series of emperors who had been military men who saw their chance and took it, proclaiming themselves emperor. This resulted in an unstable period of short reigns punctuated by the ghastly deaths of the outgoing rulers.

In 260 AD, Valerian suffered the ultimate indignity of being captured by the Persian king, Shapur, and being forced to become Shapur's footstool for the rest of his life.

Valerian's son and successor, Gallienus, had a hard time keeping things together and in 260 AD Gallienus's son, Saloninus was captured and executed at Colonia Agrippina (Cologne), by a usurper, Postumus. Postumus had founded a break-away empire, comprising of Gaul, Germany, Spain and Britain. This empire lasted for 15 years under different rulers.

Under the Barrack Room Emperors, the coinage was severely de-based and inflation accelerated. However, on the death of Carinus in 283 AD, all was to change.

List of Emperors

Click on image for more details and history
Philip I (the Arab)
244 - 249 AD
AE28 of Viminacium
Philip I (the Arab)
244 - 249 AD
AR Antoninianus
Philip I (the Arab)
244 - 249 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Philip I (the Arab)
244 - 249 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Philip I (the Arab)
244 - 249 AD
AR Tetradrachm of Antioch
Otacilia Severa
Wife of Philip I
AR Antoninianus
Philip II
Caes. 244-247 AD: Aug. 247-249 AD
AR Antoninianus
Philip II
Caes. 244-247 AD: Aug. 247-249 AD
AR Antoninianus
Trajan Decius
249 - 251 AD
AR Antoninianus
Trajan Decius
249 - 251 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Herennia Etruscilla
Wife of Trajan Decius
AR Antoninianus
Herennius Etruscus
Caes. 250-251 AD: Aug. 251 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Hostilian
Ceasar then Augustus 251 AD
AR Antoninianus
Trebonianus Gallus
251 - 253 AD
AR Antoninianus of Milan
Volusian
Caes. 251 AD: Aug. 251- 253 AD
AR Antoninianus of uncertain mint
Volusian
Caes. 251 AD: Aug. 251- 253 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Aemilian
253 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Valerian I
253 - 260 AD
AR Antoninianus of Milan
Valerian I
253 - 260 AD
AR Antoninianus of Syria
Gallienus -with Valerian I
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AR Antoninianus of Lugdunum
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AR Antoninianus of Siscia
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260 AD: Sole 260-268 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Salonina
Wife of Gallienus
AR Antoninianus of Antioch
Salonina
Wife of Gallienus
AR Antoninianus of Antioch
Valerian II
Caesar 256 AD-258 AD
AR Antoninianus of Antioch
Valerian II
Caesar 256 AD-258 AD
AR Antoninianus of Lugdunum
Saloninus
Caes. 255-259 AD: Aug. 259 AD
AR Antoninianus of Antioch
Saloninus
Caes. 255-259 AD: Aug. 259 AD
AR Antoninianus of Cologne
Macrianus
260 - 261 AD
AR Antoninianus of Antioch
Quietus
260 - 261 AD
AR Antoninianus of Antioch
Postumus (Gallic Empire)
260 - 269 AD
AR Antonianus
Postumus (Gallic Empire)
260 - 269 AD
AR Antonianus
Postumus, issued by Aureolus
260 - 269 AD
AE Antonianus
Postumus (Gallic Empire)
260 - 269 AD
AE Antonianus of Cologne
Postumus (Gallic Empire)
260 - 269 AD
AR Antonianus of Lugdunum
Postumus (Gallic Empire)
260 - 269 AD
"Double Sestertius" of Lugdunum
Marius (Gallic Empire)
269 AD
AE Antoninianus of Cologne
Victorinus (Gallic Empire)
269 - 271 AD
AE Antoninianus
Tetricus I (Gallic Empire)
271 - 274 AD
AE Antoninianus
Tetricus II (Gallic Empire)
273-274 AD
AE Antonininus
Tetricus II (Gallic Empire)
273-274 AD
AE Antonininus
Claudius II, Gothicus
268 - 270 AD
Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria
Claudius II, Gothicus
268 - 270 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Claudius II, Gothicus
268 - 270 AD
AE Antoninianus of Antioch
Quintillus
270 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Antoninianus
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Antoninianus of Milan
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Antoninianus of Milan
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Denarius of Rome
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Antoninianus of Siscia
Aurelian
270 - 275 AD
AE Antoninianus of Mediolanum
Aurelian and Severina
270 - 275 AD
AE As of Rome
Severina
Wife of Aurelian
AE Antonininus of Serdica
Vabalathus with Aurelian
270-272 AD
Tetradrachm of Alexandria
Vabalathus with Aurelian
270-272 AD
AE Antoninianus of Antioch
Tacitus
275 - 276 AD
AE Antoninianus of Gaul mint
Tacitus
275 - 276 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Tacitus
275 - 276 AD
Double Antoninianus of Tripolis
Tacitus
275 - 276 AD
Double Antoninianus of Antioch
Tacitus
275 - 276 AD
Antoninianus of Antioch
Tacitus
275 - 276 AD
Billon Antoninianus of Cyzicus
Florianus
276 AD
Double Antoninianus
Florianus
276 AD
AE Antoninianus of Ticinum
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Probus
276 - 282 AD
Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Serdica
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Serdica
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Siscia
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Siscia
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Siscia
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Ticinum
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Probus
276 - 282 AD
AE Antoninianus of Siscia
Carus
282 - 283 AD
AE Antoninianus of Ticinum
Carus
282 - 283 AD
AE Antoninianus of Ticinum
Numerian as Augustus
Caes. 282-283 AD: Aug. 283-284 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Numerian as Augustus
Caes. 282-283 AD: Aug. 283-284 AD
AE Antoninianus of Lugdunum
Carinus as Caesar
Caes. 282-283 AD: Aug. 283-285 AD
AE Antoninianus of Siscia
Carinus as Augustus
Caes. 282-283 AD: Aug. 283-285 AD
AE Antoninianus of Antioch
Magnia Urbica, wife of Carinus
283-285 AD
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Julian of Pannonia




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The Flavian, Adoptive and Antonine Emperors
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The Tetrarchy, Constantine and Licinius
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The Valentinian Emperors to the Fall
Roman Imitative Coins

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