The Severan Emperors The Gallic Empire

Rome: The Barrack Room Emperors

244 to 270 A.D.

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.

Under the Barrack Room Emperors, the coinage was severely de-based and inflation accelerated. Under Claudius II the coinage reached it's nadir with most coins containing only a few percent of silver.

List of Emperors
Roman Bibliography Information on Roman Denominations

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
AE30 of Zeugma
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
Otacilia Severa
Wife of Philip I
AR Antoninianus
Otacilia Severa
Wife of Philip I
AR Tetradrachm of Antioch
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
Trajan Decius
249 - 251 AD
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Trajan Decius
249 - 251 AD
AE Sestertius 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
Mariniana
wife of Valerian I
AR Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -with Valerian I
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AR Antoninianus of Lugdunum
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AR Antoninianus of Siscia
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
AE Antoninianus of Rome
Gallienus -sole rule
Shared 253-260: Sole 260-268
Provincial of Alexandria, Troas
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
Quietus
260 - 261 AD
AE23 of Nicaea
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

The Republic
The Julio-Claudian Emperors
The Flavian, Adoptive and Antonine Emperors
The Severan Emperors
The Barrack Room Emperors
The Gallic Empire
Aurelian's Monetary Reforms
The Tetrarchy, Constantine and Licinius
The heirs of Constantine
The Valentinian Emperors to the Fall
Roman Imitative Coins