GALLIENUS (Imp. P. Licinius Egnatius Gallienus), Roman Emperor. - B. around 218, d. at Milan in July 268. Son of Valerian and of Egnatia Mariniana, he married Cornelia Salonina, by whom he had two sons. In 253 he was associated by his father in the government of the Empire, but until 260 he carried on only military activity, fighting especially against the barbarians who were raiding the northern frontiers of the Empire.
After his father's death, in 260, he remained alone at the head of the government, at a very critical moment for the Empire, troubled by internal revolts, epidemics and barbarian incursions from outside. G., however, showed marvellous energy: he reformed the army, fought successfully against usurpers and enemies, protected the arts and culture, promoting Hellenism and the mystery religions by means of which he hoped to withdraw the masses from the influence of Christianity. Toward the latter, however, whether because he had learned from his father's disastrous experience or through the influence of his wife, a great admirer of the Christians, he showed himself rather benevolent, so much so that he was called by Dionysius of Alexandria most religious and most loving of God. He suspended, in fact, the edict of persecution issued by his father, granting the bishops ample freedom to exercise their office; he further ordered that the churches and cemeteries that had been confiscated be restored to the communities, entrusting this task to the procurator Aurelius Cyrenius. Nevertheless, because of the anarchy that reigned in the Empire, on account of which the so-called period of the "thirty tyrants" occurred under him, the benefits of this religious policy were not felt everywhere, and there was no lack of martyrs, such as Marinus at Caesarea in Palestine. It must be said, however, that G. bore no blame in this, since it was officials and popular uprisings that caused those disorders. G. was killed at Milan by a conspiracy of generals, while he was preparing to fight the usurper Aureolus.
Bibliography5 worksEusebius, Hist. eccl., VII, 13, 15, 23; Wickers, s. v. in Pauly-Wissowa, XIII, coll. 350-56; A. Manaresi, L'Impero romano ed il cristianesim
BIBL.: Eusebius, Hist. eccl., VII, 13, 15, 23; Wickers, s. v. in Pauly-Wissowa, XIII, coll. 350-56; A. Manaresi, L'Impero romano ed il cristianesimo, Turin 1914, pp. 403-405; P. Allard, Storia critica delle persecuzioni, III, Florence 1935, pp. 154-82; E. Manni, L'Impero di G., Rome 1949 (with bibl.).
Amore, Agostino. “Gallieno (Imp. P. Licinius Egnatius Gallienus), imperatore romano.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, col. 1902. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950. https://azioneromana.com/article/gallieno-imp-p-licinius-egnatius-gallienus-imperatore-romano.
MLA
Amore, Agostino. “Gallieno (Imp. P. Licinius Egnatius Gallienus), imperatore romano.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950, col. 1902. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/gallieno-imp-p-licinius-egnatius-gallienus-imperatore-romano.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec5_gallieno_imp_p_licinius_egnati,
author = {Amore, Agostino},
title = {Gallieno (Imp. P. Licinius Egnatius Gallienus), imperatore romano},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {V},
pages = {1902},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1950},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/gallieno-imp-p-licinius-egnatius-gallienus-imperatore-romano}
}
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