Tetricus I.

Aureus of Tetricus I.

Tetricus I , actually Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus , was the last emperor of the Gallic special empire ( Imperium Galliarum ) from 271 to 274 , whose throne he ascended after the assassination of Victorinus .

Life

Tetricus I came from a noble family and held the rank of praeses provinciae Aquitaniae when Victorinus was murdered in Cologne in early 271. Victorinus' mother Victoria bribed the army so that the soldiers proclaimed Tetricus I emperor, even though he was not on the Rhine at the time. Near Burdigalia ( Bordeaux ), Tetricus I assumed the dignity of emperor, his rule was recognized in Gaul and Britain . Domitianus , who had meanwhile been promoted to emperor , could not assert himself. After his appointment, Tetricus fought back several Germanic tribes who wanted to use the confusion that followed Victorinus' death to invade the realm.

Tetricus I taught his capital at Augusta Treverorum a (Trier) and appointed there in the spring / early summer 273 his son Tetricus II. To Caesar . Apparently he made little effort to extend the territory of the Gallic Empire beyond Gaul and Britain. However, he managed to bring the southwest of Aquitaine and western Narbonensis under his rule again, two regions that had been under the control of Rome again since the reign of Claudius Gothicus .

After being extremely successful in the east, the legitimate emperor Aurelian marched west in 273 to recapture Gaul for the empire. Both Tetrici then moved with their army from the Rhine to the south, in order to stand in the way of Aurelian, who was on the way to northern Gaul. The decisive battle took place in February or March 274 near Châlons-en-Champagne . It remains unclear whether Tetricus and his son had to surrender or defected to Aurelian. Their army, however, was defeated and the end of the Gallic special empire was finally sealed.

According to all available written sources, both Tetrici were shown to the crowd in Aurelian's triumphal procession in Rome, but their lives were spared by the victor. Aurelian is said to have given Tetricus I the title of corrector Lucaniae later and elevated his son Tetricus II to the rank of senator. However, it remains controversial to what extent these messages could only be Proaurelian propaganda.

swell

• Aurelius Victor , De Caesaribus 33:14; 35.3-4.
• Eutropius , Breviarium ab urbe condita 9,10; 9.13.
• Historia Augusta , Aurelianus 32: 3-4; 34.2; 39.1.
• Historia Augusta, Claudius 4.4; 7.5.
• Historia Augusta, Thirty Tyrants 24; 25; 31.2; 31.4.

literature

• Michael Peachin: Roman Imperial Titulature and Chronology, AD 235-284 . Gieben, Amsterdam 1990, ISBN 90-5063-034-0 , pp. 490-493 (compilation of evidence in numismatic, inscribed and narrative sources)
• Ruprecht Ziegler : Emperor Tetricus and the senatorial nobility . In: Tyche. Contributions to ancient history, papyrology and epigraphy 18, 2003, pp. 223–232

Web links

Commons : Tetricus I.  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Michel Polfer: Short biography (English) at De Imperatoribus Romanis (with references).

predecessor	Office	successor
Victorinus and / or Domitianus	Emperor of the Imperium Galliarum 271–274	Aurelian