Gallienus was Roman emperor from 253 to 268 CE. Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus, the eldest son of Emperor Valerian, was named co-emperor by his father in 253 CE. He was one of many who would claim the throne over the next two decades. For the 50 years from 235 to 285 CE, there were over 50 claimants to the imperial purple of Rome. Being the emperor of the Roman Empire did not always bring job security. In 253 CE, after only three months on the throne, Emperor Aemilian was preparing to meet in battle with his challenger, Publius Licinius Valerianus (Valerian). Unfortunately, before he would even step foot on the battlefield, his own army rebelled and murdered him; it was the same army that had just recently declared him emperor. With the support of both armies and the Roman Senate, Valerian was declared the new emperor.
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Definition
Timeline
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253 CE - 260 CEReign of Roman emperor Valerian with his son Gallienus as co-emperor.
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253 CE - 268 CEReign of Gallienus in Rome.
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c. 256 CEKing Chrocus of the Alemanni invades Gaul and destroys the region.
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259 CEThe Alemanni invade Italy.
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260 CEShapur I captures the Roman emperor Valerian at Edessa.
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262 CE - 266 CEOdaenathus expels Persian garrisons and restores Syria and Armenia to the Roman Empire. Odaenathus invades Mesopotamia, and inflicts two defeats upon Shapur I, which ends with the sack of Ctesiphon.
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265 CEGallienus builds walls around Verona.
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c. 266 CE - c. 267 CEOdaenathus is assassinated.
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267 CEZenobia rules as Regent in Palmyra.
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268 CEGallienus defeats Aureolus at Mediolanum.
