The Roman Empire Saloninus As Caesar

Saloninus, the youngest son of Gallienus, came to the throne during one of the darkest periods of Roman history. Prior to his elevation to Caesar late in 258 that position had been held by his older brother Valerian II. But while campaigning with his father along the Danube in that same year, Valerian II died unexpectedly; the history is so poorly recorded that we cannot be certain how he died, though natural causes or battle wounds have both been suggested. Needless to say, when Saloninus was called to duty it was during a period of personal anxiety and grief, to which he could add the grave misfortunes then being experienced by the empire as a whole. The teenager Salolinus had less than two years remaining of his life, yet there could hardly have been a moment of that time in which he experienced calm, or the chance to indulge in the frivolities of youth. Instead he was thrust into the grave responsibilities of the age. Saloninus’ first task probably was to accompany his father on campaign against the Alamanni, who had launched a terrifying invasion of Italy.

Then he set up his court at Cologne, far from his father at a time when the western provinces were in an appalling condition. In addition to the usual and persistent bad news in the West, in due time the young Caesar also learned of the capture of his grandfather Valerian by the Persians and of the revolts in Illyricum by Ingenuus and Regalianus. But the worst was yet to come, for in 260 Saloninus fell victim to invasion and revolt. In that year the Franks crossed the Rhine and laid waste to Gaul, Germania Inferior, Belgica and Spain while the Alamanni poured into the agri Decumates and ventured into the interior of Gaul. Amid the chaos of these invasions, some of the Rhine legions hailed their commander Postumus, and then besieged Saloninus and his praetorian prefect Silvanus in Cologne. Either in June or in the fall of 260 Saloninus was raised from Caesar to Augustus, but that did not change his fate, as the city soon capitulated and handed over the new emperor and his prefect for execution.