Marcus Aurelius Sabinus Julianus, known in English as Julian of Pannonia (died 285–286) was a

Roman usurper Roman usurpers were individuals or groups of individuals who obtained or tried to obtain power by force and without legitimate legal authority. Usurpation was endemic during the Roman imperial era, especially from the crisis of the third century ...

(283–285 or 286) against

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Carinus Marcus Aurelius Carinus (died 285) was Roman emperor from 283 to 285. The elder son of emperor Carus, he was first appointed ''Caesar'' and in the beginning of 283 co-emperor of the western portion of the empire by his father. Official accoun ...

Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...

. It is possible that up to four usurpers with a similar name rebelled in a timeframe of a decade, but at least one of them is known by

numismatic Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...

evidence.

Usurper against Carinus (283–285)

Julian was a ''

corrector A corrector (English plural ''correctors'', Latin plural ''correctores'') is a person or object practicing correction, usually by removing or rectifying errors. The word is originally a Roman title, ''corrector'', derived from the Latin verb '' ...

'' in northern Italy, in 283/284,Aurelius Victor, ''Liber'', 39.10. (and not a

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...

as stated by some sources).Zosimus, i.73.1. Soon after the news of the death of Emperor

Carus Marcus Aurelius Carus (c. 222 – July or August 283) was Roman emperor from 282 to 283. During his short reign, Carus fought the Germanic tribes and Sarmatians along the Danube frontier with success. He died while campaigning against th ...

(in 283) or

Numerian Numerian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Numerius Numerianus; died November 284) was Roman emperor from 283 to 284 with his older brother Carinus. They were sons of Carus, a general raised to the office of praetorian prefect under Emperor Probus in 282 ...

(in November 284) arrived in the western provinces, Julian revolted in

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

. He issued coins from Siscia, some of them bearing a legend celebrating Pannonia. Emperor

, brother of Numerian, who had marched from

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...

to deal with the usurpation, met, defeated, and killed Julian early in 285, in Italy (possibly in

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

), or in Illyricum. According to some scholars, it is possible that two usurpers actually existed: a Marcus Aurelius Julianus, ''corrector'' in Italy, rebelled after Carus' death, with the control of Pannonia, and defeated in Illyricum; and a Sabinus Julianus, praetorian prefect, usurper in Italy after Numerian's death, defeated near Verona. Another usurper, simply named Julian, raised some turmoil in

Africa Province Africa Proconsularis was a Roman province on the northern African coast that was established in 146 BC following the defeat of Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day Tunisia, the northeast of Algeria, ...

, against Carinus, with the support of the Quinquegentani tribe. It has been proposed that the Julianus proconsul of Africa attested by an undated letter was put to death by

with fabricated treason charges; his figure of rebel in Africa should be, therefore, linked to Julian of Pannonia (see also

Amnius Anicius Julianus Amnius Anicius Julianus ( 322–329) was a politician of the Roman Empire. Biography Anicius Julianus was consul in 322 with Petronius Probianus, ''praefectus urbi Romae'' between 326 and 329. He is identified with the proconsul of Africa wh ...

Usurper against Maximian and Diocletian

A third Julian is mentioned revolting between the time

had been raised to the rank of ''

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

'' (1 March 286) and the time

Constantius Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 t ...

and

Galerius Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus (; 258 – May 311) was Roman emperor from 305 to 311. During his reign he campaigned, aided by Diocletian, against the Sasanian Empire, sacking their capital Ctesiphon in 299. He also campaigned across the D ...

became ''

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...

'' (March 1, 293). The revolt of this Julianus took place in Italy, but ended when, during a siege, a breach was opened in the walls of his city, and he threw himself in the fire.Aurelius Victor, ''Epitome'', 39.3-4.

Notes

References

Primary sources

Aurelius Victor Sextus Aurelius Victor (c. 320 – c. 390) was a historian and politician of the Roman Empire. Victor was the author of a short history of imperial Rome, entitled ''De Caesaribus'' and covering the period from Augustus to Constantius II. The work w ...

, ''Epitome de Caesaribus'', 38.6, 39.3-4 * Aurelius Victor, ''Liber de Caesaribus'', 39.10, 39.22 *

Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to: People * * Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints * Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy * Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alchem ...

, ''Historia Nova'',

Secondary sources

Banchich, Thomas, and Michael DiMaio, "Iulianus (''ca.'' 286-293 A.D.)", ''De Imperatoribus Romanis''

*

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Julianus, Sabinus 3rd-century Roman usurpers 280s deaths Year of birth unknown Romans from unknown gentes Tetrarchy