Magnus Magnentius (c. 303 – 10 August 353) was a Roman general and usurper against Constantius II. Of Germanic descent, Magnentius served with distinction in Gaul under the emperor Constans. On 18 January 350 Magnentius was acclaimed Augustus. Quickly killing the unpopular Constans, Magnentius gained control over most of the Western Empire. The Eastern emperor Constantius II, the brother of Constans, refused to acknowledge Magnentius' legitimacy and led a successful campaign against Magnentius. Ultimately, Magnentius' forces were scattered after the Battle of Mons Seleucus, and he died by suicide on 10 August 353.[8]
Much of Magnentius' short reign was concerned with asserting his legitimacy. Unlike Constans, Magnentius was unrelated to Constantine the Great, and so had no dynastic claim to the emperorship. Magnentius instead sought popular support by modeling himself as a liberator who had freed the Western Empire from the tyranny of Constans. He attempted various public and religious reform, but almost all his acts were quickly repealed by Constantius after his death.[8] In light of the political instability of his reign, modern and ancient historians tend to consider him a usurper rather than an emperor.
Perhaps the most important consequence of Magnentius' revolt was the severe depletion of the Empire's military forces in civil war: The Battle of Mursa left so many Roman soldiers dead that, according to Zosimus, Constantius feared that Rome would no longer be able to effectively hold off barbarian invasions.[9][10] Following his death, Constantius II became the sole emperor of the Roman Empire.
^Jones, Martindale & Morris, p. 1038.
^Britannica 2021.
^Jones, Martindale & Morris, p. 532.
^RE 1928, p. 445, col. 1.
^Cohen 1892, p. 12, n. 28.
^Labrousse 1958, p. 64.
^Finney 2017, p. 337.
^ abBarnes 1993, p. 106.
^Zosimus 2017, 2.51.1.
^Zonaras 2009, p. 165.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
Magnus Magnentius (c. 303 – 10 August 353) was a Roman general and usurper against Constantius II. Of Germanic descent, Magnentius served with distinction...
how the setting for Magnentius’ coup was not a military centre, Vetranio’s proclamation as emperor in opposition to Magnentius, and Julian’s report that...
Rabanus Maurus Magnentius (c. 780 – 4 February 856), also known as Hrabanus or Rhabanus, was a Frankish Benedictine monk, theologian, poet, encyclopedist...
Constans was overthrown and assassinated by the usurper Magnentius. Unwilling to accept Magnentius as co-ruler, Constantius waged a civil war against the...
civilian officials and Magnentius had himself proclaimed Augustus of the west, resulting in the murder of Constans. Magnentius quickly marched his army...
negotiation with Magnentius, speciously conceded his (Vetranio's) claims and title, wishing to reconcile him to his cause for the war against Magnentius. According...
emperor Constantius II and the usurper Magnentius. Constantius' forces were victorious. Support for Magnentius had been eroding since his defeat at the...
Trent (d. 405) August 11 – Magnentius, Roman usurper (b. 303) August 18 – Magnus Decentius, brother and Caesar of Magnentius Flavius Martinus, vicarius...
the fighting Marcellinus, a general of Magnentius is killed; Magnentius himself survives. Winter – Magnentius flees to Aquileia in northern Italy and...
urbi Titianus (or Anicius, or Anicetus), a supporter of Magnentius, fled the city. Magnentius quickly dealt with this revolt by sending his trusted magister...
Emperor Constans I makes himself extremely unpopular; one of his generals, Magnentius, is proclaimed emperor at Augustodunum in the Diocese of Galliae, with...
him to abdicate in favor of Magnentius. Constantius rejected the proposal, but Titianus was freely released back to Magnentius. Titianus was known to have...
Chi-Rho began to be used on Christian sarcophagi and frescoes. The usurper Magnentius appears to have been the first to use the Chi-Rho monogram flanked by...
Empire from 350 to 353, under his brother Magnentius. Nothing is known of Decentius prior to 350. Magnentius usurped power from Constans on 18 January...
Cibalae. In 350, Constans I was assassinated by agents of the usurper Magnentius, a commander who proclaimed himself emperor in Gaul. Constantius II, older...
the opposition of Vetranio to Magnentius, and whose hand had been sought from Constantius by ambassadors of Magnentius himself. The marriage, besides...
the fighting Marcellinus, a general of Magnentius is killed; Magnentius himself survives. Winter – Magnentius flees to Aquileia in northern Italy and...
II Valerius Valens Martinian Constantine II Constantius II Constans I Magnentius Nepotianus Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian I Valens Procopius Gratian...
Tralles and from there to the imperial household in Macellum. In 350, Magnentius rebelled and killed the emperor Constans, claiming the purple. Constantius...
depleted military force in the province; many soldiers had marched with Magnentius in his unsuccessful bid to become emperor. Few returned, and supply, pay...
He tried to control the violent recriminations following the defeat of Magnentius. Martinus tried to rein in the vengeance of Constantius' notary Paulus...
in pursuit of the usurper Magnus Magnentius, who withdraws with his army to Gaul. He declares an amnesty for Magnentius' soldiers, many of whom desert to...
Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnentius. He address the Senate and the Roman people. August 25 – Battle of Strasbourg:...
II Valerius Valens Martinian Constantine II Constantius II Constans I Magnentius Nepotianus Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian I Valens Procopius Gratian...
Global Information