Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius (d. 293) was a military commander of the
Roman Empire in the 3rd century. He was a Menapian, born
in the western part of Batavia, who usurped power in
286, declaring himself emperor of Britain and his homeland
northern Gaul. He did this only 13 years after the Gallic
Empire of Batavian Postumus was ended in
273. He held power for seven years, before being assassinated by his finance minister
Allectus (see Carausian Revolt).
History
Carausius was a man of humble origin, a Menapian from Germania Inferior who distinguished himself during Maximian's
campaign against the Bagaudae rebels in northern Gaul in 286.
This success, and his former occupation as a pilot, led to his appointment to command the
Classis Britannica, a fleet based in the English Channel, with the responsibility of eliminating Frankish and
Saxon pirates who had been raiding the coasts of Armorica and
Belgia. However, he was suspected of keeping captured treasure for himself, and even of allowing the pirates to carry out raids
and enrich themselves before taking action against them, and Maximian ordered his execution. In late 286 or early 287 Carausius
learned of this sentence and responded by declaring himself Emperor of Britain and northern Gaul.[1] His forces comprised not only his fleet, augmented by new ships he had built, and
the three legions stationed in Britain, but a legion he had seized in Gaul, a number of
foreign auxiliary units, a levy of Gaulish merchant ships, and barbarian
mercenaries attracted by the prospect of booty.[2]
Sheppard Frere wonders how Carausius was able to win support from the army when his
command had been sea-based, and speculates that he had perhaps been involved in an unrecorded victory in Britain, connected with
Diocletian's assumption of the title Britannicus Maximus in 285, and signs of
destruction in Romano-British towns at this time.[3]
However, the campaign against the Bagaudae was evidently land-based, and may be responsible for Carausius's popularity with the
army. Equally, if the accusations of larceny are true, he could perhaps afford to buy their loyalty.
Maximian prepared an invasion of Britain in 288 or 289 to oust him,[4] but it failed. A panegyric delivered to Constantius Chlorus attributes this failure to bad weather, but notes that Carausius claimed a
military victory.[5] Eutropius says that hostilities were in vain thanks to Carausius's military skill, and peace was
agreed.[6] Carausius began to entertain visions of
legitimacy and official recognition. He minted his own coins and brought their value in to line with Roman issues as well as
acknowledging and honouring Maximian and then Diocletian. Coinage is the main source of
information about the rogue emperor; his issues were initially crude but soon became more elaborate and were issued from mints in
Londinium, Rotomagnus and a third site, possibly
Colonia Claudia Victricensis.
Carausius appears to have appealed to native British dissatisfaction with Roman rule: he issued coins with legends such as
Restitutor Britanniae (Restorer of Britain) and Genius Britanniae (Spirit of Britain). However, he also used coins
for far more sophisticated propaganda. He issed the first proper silver coins that had appeared in the Roman Empire for generations, knowing that good quality bullion coinage would enhance his legitimacy and
make him look more successful than Diocletian and Maximian.
Some of these silver coins bear the legend Expectate veni, 'Come long-awaited one', recognised to allude to a line in the
Aeneid by the Augustan poet Virgil, written more than 300 years
previously. So he was trying to suggest that not only was he, Carausius, a kind of messianic new ruler, but was also showing his
association with Roman culture rather than any kind of remote provincial culture.
Some of the silver coins bear the legend RSR in the exergue (an area on a coin below the
legend). This was considered to be a mystery for a long time. Two Carausian medallions, now in the British Museum have also been found. One has RSR in the exergue, the other has INPCDA. Since 1998 these
letters have been recognised as representing the sixth and seventh lines of the Fourth Eclogue
of Virgil, which reads Redeunt Saturnia Regna, Iam Nova Progenies Caelo Demittitur Alto, meaning 'The Golden Ages are
back, now a new generation is let down from Heaven above'. This poem was as famous in the Roman world as Shakespeare's works are today so there is no question that anyone who was literate and educated would have
known what the initials represent (it was commonplace in antiquity to reduce slogans and phrases to abbreviations).
No other Roman emperor in history ever made such an explicit reference to famous Roman literature. It is quite extraordinary
that in a remote province like Britain a rebel emperor should utilise such a method to appeal to his public. He was claiming to
represent a revival of traditional Roman virtues and the great traditions of the Empire as established by Augustus back in the last few decades of the first century BC, not in Rome but in
Britain.
A milestone from Carlisle with his name on it suggests that the whole of Roman Britain was in Carausius' grasp.[7]
This situation continued until 293, when Constantius Chlorus, now the western
Caesar, marched into Gaul and reclaimed it for the empire. He isolated Carausius by besieging the port of Bononia, and invading Batavia in the Rhine delta, securing his rear against
Carausius's Frankish allies. He could not yet mount an invasion of Britain until a suitable fleet
could be built.[8] Nevertheless, Carausius's grip on power
was fatally undermined. Allectus, whom he had put in charge of his treasury, assassinated him
and assumed power himself.[9] His reign would last only
three years, after which he was defeated and killed by Constantius's subordinate Asclepiodotus.[10]
Legend
In Geoffrey of Monmouth's legendary History of the Kings of Britain (1136) Carausius is a Briton of humble birth, who by his
courage persuades the Roman Senate to give him command of a fleet to defend Britain from
barbarian attack. Once given the fleet, however, he sails around Britain stirring up unrest, and raises an army against
Bassanius, king of Britain. Carausius defeats Bassanius by persuading his Pictish allies to desert him in exchange for grants of land in Scotland, and sets himself up as king. Hearing of
Carausius's treachery, the Romans send Allectus to Britain with three legions. Allectus defeats
and kills Carausius and sets himself up as king in his place.[11]
References
- ^ C. E. V. Nixon & Barbara Saylor Rodgers (ed & trans), In Praise
of Later Roman Emperors: The Panegyrici Latini, University of California Press,
1994, 8:6; Aurelius Victor, Book of Caesars 39:20-21; Eutropius, Abridgement of Roman History 21; Orosius, Seven Books of History Against the Pagans 7:25.2-4
- ^ Panegyrici Latini 8:12
- ^ Sheppard Frere, Britannia: a
History of Roman Britain, third edition, Pimlico, 1987, pp. 326-327
- ^ Panegyrici Latini 10:12.1
- ^ Panegyrici Latini 8:12.2
- ^ Eutropius, Abridgement of Roman History 22
- ^ Frere, Britannia, p. 327-328
- ^ Panegyrici Latini 6:5, 8.6-8
- ^ Panegyrici Latini 8:12; Aurelius Victor, Book of Caesars
39.40; Eutropius,
Abridgement of Roman History 22; Orosius, Seven Books of History Against the Pagans 7:25.6
- ^ Eutropius, Abridgement of Roman History 9.22; Aurelius Victor,
Book of Caesars 39.42
- ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth,
Historia Regum Britanniae 5.3-4
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