Volusianus (L. Petronius Taurus)

Volusianus was a Roman general and senior official of the mid-Third Century AD who distinguished himself in both the military and the civil spheres of public life. (In the period of the early Empire – i.e. from the accession of Augustus to that of Diocletian - most officials of the highest rank served in both capacities at different times in their careers). Although V may have begun his career under the aegis of Valerian (or even earlier) he rose to prominence in the reign of Gallienus and was obviously one of that Emperor’s most trusted (and trustworthy) aides. His career illustrates yet again the opportunities for advancement enjoyed by young soldiers of relatively humble backgrounds at that time.

ources

Almost all of what we know of this man is derived from an inscription dedicated to him by the Town Council of the municipium of Arretium (Arezzo) of which he was a patron [cite book |title=Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, Vol. xi, No. 1836 |last=Ed. De Gruter |year=1862 |publisher=Berlin |] . This is helpfully interpreted by Jones "et al". in their prospography [cite book |title=The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol i, 6 ‘Volusianus’. |last=Jones |first=A.H.M. |coauthors=J.R. Martindale & J. Morris |year=1971 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |] and also by Bray [cite book |title=Gallienus: A study in reformist and sexual politics |last=Bray |first= John| |year=1997 |publisher=Wakefield Press |location=Adelaide |] . As a "Consul" and Urban Prefect he is mentioned in the "Fasti Romani", i.e. the record of Roman office-holders [ See Jones "et al.", "Op. Cit" ] . See also website on Roman Consuls cite web | title = Consuls - Roman - Consuls of Rome | url = http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_consuls_table.htm.

Origins

V was the son of a Roman citizen also with the "praenomen" 'Lucius' of the Petronii clan. His Roman Voting Tribe was the Sabatinae. Sabatina was a district in Etruria and it is likely that the family was of Etruscan origin. V’s patronage of Arezzo in later life (see above) does not necessarily mean that he was born there, but it does indicate some strong regional connection. It is possible that the clan Petronii Volusianii was related to the Licinii, also of Etruscan provenance, of which Valerian and Gallienus were the most distinguished members. This could in part explain the rapidity of V’s rise in the 250-60s. When his recorded career began he was of equestrian rank – see below - but we do not know if he was born into that level of society or achieved it as a result of his career. He would probably have become a senator when he was appointed Consul in 261 - see below - but the Arretium Inscription is strangely silent on this point.

V's agnomenor nick-name, 'Taurus' – i.e. ‘Bull’, may indicate that V had a massive physique. If so this no doubt assisted his advancement as a career soldier.

Career

The Arretium Inscription lists V’s appointments in reverse chronological order according to the usual Roman practice. In chronological order they are:

- "LAVRENS LAVINAS" – This signifies the holding of a minor priesthood. The holders had to be of equestrian status;

- "EX V DECVRIIS" – Signifies membership of one of the equestrian panels of five judges available to decide issues of fact;

- "EQVO PVBLICO" – Indicates that he had taken part in the annual parade of the equestrian order in Rome;

- "CENTVRIO DEPVTATVS" – One of the commanders of the troops detached from the provincial armies for special service about the Emperor. When the Emperors were in Rome these were quartered at the "Castra Peregrina" [http://Castra Peregrina] on the Caelian Hill. If his family was of equestrian origin V is likely to have enlisted in the army at the rank of centurion or, perhaps, "optio ad spem ordinis" (centurion’s adjutant awaiting a promotion)thus obviating long years of service in the ranks;

- "PRIMVS PILVS (see [http://Primus Pilus] ) LEGIONIS XXX VLPIAE" – Senior ranking centurion of this legion which was normally stationed at "Castra Vetera" Xanten in "Germania Inferior". It is likely that he held this appointment when Gallienus was campaigning against the Franks early in his reign. However, he is likely to have come to Gallienus’s attention when he was "Centurio Deputatus" – unless, of course, he already had some family/Etruscan regional connection to the Imperial family (see above);

- "PRAEPOSITVS EQVITVM SINGVLIARORVM AVGG NN" - Commander of a troop of 'household' cavalry serving directly under the Emperor. The form '‘Augg NN" (i.e. "Augusti Nostri"– i.e. 'of Our (Lords) the Augustuses’ indicates that there were two Emperors when V held this office – i.e. Valerian and Gallienus. This appointment would have been made by Gallienus directly – perhaps with the final approval of Valerian;

- "LEGIONIS X ET XIII GEMINAE PROVINCIAE PANNONIAE ITIM (ITEM?) LEGIONIS DACIAE" – Indicates that he was commander ("dux") of a legionary detachment made up of units from 2 twinned legions, X which had its main base at "Vindobana" in "Upper" "Pannonia" (modern Vienna, Austria)and XIII from "Apulum", "Dacia"(modern Alba Julia, Romania). This detachment is likely to have been part of Gallienus's Imperial Field Army "Comitatus" and have been quartered in districts near the Imperial HQ;

- "TRIBVNVS COHORTIS III VIGILUM; XI VRBANAE; III PRAETORIAE" – Indicates he was successively commander of cohorts of the Vigiles (Roman Watch)(255?), the Urban cohorts(256?), and the Praetorian Guard (257?). He may have been posted to Rome to serve his time in the Watch and the Urban Cohorts, but given that Gallienus was very active in Germany and the Balkans in these years and that V was obviously one of his most trusted commanders it is quite possible that his command of these units was only titular and that his duties in Rome were carried out by deputies while V himself continued to serve 'In the Imperial Presence'. See also discussion below regarding his later appointment as Prefect of the City Watch. It is likely that Cohort III, Praetorian Guard, was a part of Gallienus’s Imperial Field Army or Comitatus in the late 250s [ The numismatic evidence suggests that some units of the Praetorian Guard served with Gallienus in his German wars. However, we do not know how the Praetorian cohorts were divided between Valerian and Gallienus when they were away from Rome, nor do we know if any units remained in the capital to discourage disloyalty and sedition. ] ;

- "TRIBVNVS COHORTIS I PRAETORIAE PROTECTOR AVGG NN" – This appointment is placed by Jones in 259 - the "Augg NN" format indicates that it was still in the joint reign of Vlaerian and Galllienus. The cohort was almost certainly a part of the Imperial Field Army. This is the first known reference to the new order of "Protectores Augusti Nostri" (Defenders of Our Lords the Augustuses);

- "PRAEFECTVS VIGILVM PERFECTISSIMVS VIR " – V is now Prefect of the Watch (probably 259). Again he could well have remained at the Imperial Court peripatetic on the northern frontiers while a deputy carried out his duties in Rome. This was the year of a major invasion of Italy by the Alamanni/Juthingi and it seems unlikely that Gallienus would have sent one of his most reliable commanders to Rome when his Comitatus was so heavily engaged [A few years later under Claudius Gothicus Julius Placidianus was sent to command an expeditionary force against the Gallic Empire while holding the office of Prefect of the Watch which suggests the practice of giving a senior commander the titular command of the watch cohorts of the Roman City Garrison while using him for more urgent purposes elsewhere was not unheard of).] "Perfectissimus Vir" was an honorific reserved for senior equestrian office-holders;

- "PRAEFECTVUS PRAETORIO EMINENTISSIVS VIR" – About 260(?). Praetorian Prefect was the highest office in the Empire below the Emperor himself. It had both military and civil responsibilities. The office was usually served ‘in the Imperial Presence’. "Eminentissimus Vir" ("lit" 'Most Eminent Man') was the highest equestrian honorific – perhaps equivalent to ‘His Excellency’;

- VIR CONSULARIS – According to the "fasti" [ See footnote 2 below.] V held this office with Gallienus in 261 – see web-site on Roman Consul. He probably remained Praetorian Praefect as the office of Consul, while hugely prestigious, was largely ceremonial. In order to allow him to serve as Consul he would almost certainly had to have been ennobled as a member of the Senatorial Order and would thus have had the honorific "Vir Clarissimus" (i.e. ‘Most Distinguished Man’), but this is not recorded on the Arretium inscription. Whether this was an over-sight or reflects some current of Roman politics now unknown to us is probably beyond determination.

Later life

Bray ["Op. Cit."] conjectures that V remained Praetorian Prefect until 267 when he was appointed Urban Prefect - i.e. Governor of the City of Rome. It is more likely that he remained as governor of Rome when Gallienus went to the Balkans to deal with the invasion of the Goths and Heruls in 268. There is no record of V taking part in that campaign and, if he had been in any way associated with the conspiracy that finally brought about the demise of the Emperor our sources would surely have mentioned it.

The notion of that V was ever disloyal to Gallienus can almost certainly be dismissed. On the contrary it may be presumed that the dying Emperor regretted leaving V "en poste" in Rome when he left the city for what turned out to be the last time..

Death

It is normally assumed that V was done to death in the senatorial purge of Gallienus’s family-members and supporters after his assassination in 268. Although he was not an Illyrian and, therefore, not of the clique of generals born in the Balkans that removed Gallienus it is likely that he was highly regarded in the Imperial Field Army in which he seems to have served with such distinction and, as such, he could have been a focus for its discontent at the murder of the Emperor. It is permissible to speculate that Claudius II who was the prime beneficiary of the murder of Gallienus, would not have been unhappy to see so loyal and formidable a ‘Gallienista’ removed without himself incurring the odium of ordering it personally. However, there is no reference in the ancient sources to support this speculation.

Conclusion

By any standards the above records a remarkable career. There is, of course, no indication how V behaved in office - i.e. whether he deserved his various promotions. The favour of Gallienus - possibly based on some family and/or Etruscan connection - was certainly crucial. However, given the general quality of the men Gallienus appointed to high military office, it is unlikely that the Emperor would have advanced V to such dizzy heights merely because he was a 'home boy'. It is, of course, pleasant to find that not all his creatures finally betrayed him.

References and notes