Magnentius

Magnentius
Medallion (worth 3 solidi) of Magnentius
Roman emperor in the West (unrecognized in the East)
Reign	18 January 350 – 10 August 353
Predecessor	Constans
Successor	Constantius II
Rivals	Vetranio (350) Nepotianus (350)
Born	c. 303 Samarobriva, Gaul
Died	10 August 353 (aged c. 50) Lugdunum (Lyon), Gaul
Spouse	Justina
Issue	Unnamed daughter[note 1]
Names Magnus Magnentius[note 2]
Religion	Disputed; See below

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 He attempted various public and religious reform, but almost all his acts were quickly repealed by Constantius after his death.^[8] In light of the political instability of his reign, modern and ancient historians tend to consider him a usurper rather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.

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