Salonina

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Antoninian of Cornelia Salonina

Iulia Cornelia Salonina Chrysogone († probably in the summer of 268 near Milan ) was the wife of the Roman emperor Gallienus and the mother of Valerianus Caesar , Saloninus and Marinianus .

Salonina's origin is unknown. Because of her nickname Chrysogone , attested to on coins, it is assumed that she was a Greek from Bithynia , but origin from the city of Salona in the province of Dalmatia (today Solin in Croatia) is also possible.

Perhaps when Gallienus was made co-regent of his father Valerian and he was awarded the title Augustus in autumn 253, Salonina received the title Augusta , which she held at the latest in 254. It can be assumed that at that time she had been married to Gallienus for several years and that her two oldest sons 253 were already alive; her first coin portraits show a no longer young woman. Her eldest son, Valerianus, died in 258, the second, Saloninus, was killed in 260 by the usurper Postumus . The third son, Marinianus, was probably born in 265/266.

Salonina mistrusted the officer Ingenuus , to whom Gallienus had entrusted the education of his son Valerianus, but could not do anything against him, since Gallienus trusted him. When Ingenuus was proclaimed anti-emperor in 260, Salonina's suspicions were justified.

From 254 at the latest, Salonina had the title Mater castrorum . In a single, presumably late inscription, the extended title Mater castrorum et senatus et patriae is attested for them.

As Empress she showed an interest in cultural events; the philosopher Porphyrios reports in his biography of his teacher Plotinus , the founder of Neoplatonism , that Salonina held Plotinus in great esteem. Plotinus could hope for the support of the Empress for his project to found a city in Campania .

The fact that Salonina was empress until the end of Gallienus' reign is guaranteed by coins. Presumably she accompanied her husband on his travels and campaigns; This is attested at least for his last campaign, which he led in 268 against the usurper Aureolus . Gallienus besieged Aureolus in Milan. When the emperor was murdered during the siege in the summer of 268 at the instigation of a group of his own officers, his wife was with him. She probably also died in the process. Since Gallienus had numerous enemies, his name and the names of his relatives were erased on inscriptions after his death.

literature

  • Brigitte Klein: Tranquillina, Otacilia, Etruscilla, Salonina. Four Empresses of the 3rd Century AD Saarbrücken 1998, pp. 178–250 (also dissertation, Saarbrücken University 1997).

Web links

Commons : Salonina  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ On the question of origin, see Klein (1998), p. 178f.
  2. ↑ Klein (1998), pp. 179f.
  3. ↑ For the title see Dietmar Kienast : Römische Kaisertabelle. Basic features of a Roman imperial chronology. Study edition, 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1996, ISBN 3-534-13289-0 , pp. 222f .; Klaus-Peter Johne : The Empire and the change of rulers . In: Klaus-Peter Johne et al. (Ed.): The time of the soldiers' emperors. Crisis and transformation of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century AD. (235-284). Volume 1. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-05-004529-0 , pp. 583-632, here pp. 610f.
  4. ↑ Porphyrios: Vita Plotini 12.
personal data
SURNAME Salonina
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Iulia Cornelia Salonina Chrysogone
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Wife of the Roman emperor Gallienus
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century
DATE OF DEATH uncertain: 268