View source for Marcus Aurelius Marius

{{Short description|Emperor of the Roman Gallic empire in 269}}
{{About|the emperor of the Gallic Empire|other people with the name Marius|Marius (disambiguation){{!}}Marius}}
{{Infobox monarch
| name            = Marius
| full name       = Marcus Aurelius Marius
| succession      = [[Roman emperor|Emperor]] of the [[Gallic Empire]]
| image           = Marius4.jpg
| caption         = Coin featuring Marius. Caption: IMP. C. M. AVR. MARIVS AVG.
| reign           = 269
| predecessor     = [[Postumus]]
| successor       = [[Victorinus]]
| spouse 1        =
| spouse 2        =
| issue           =
| dynasty         =
| father          =
| mother          =
| birth_date      =
| birth_place     =
| death_date      = 269
| death_place     = [[History of Trier|Augusta Treverorum]] ([[Trier]])
| place of burial =
| regnal name     = Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Marius Augustus|title=[[Augustus (honorific)|Augustus]] of [[Gaul]] and [[Britannia]]}}

'''Marcus Aurelius Marius'''<ref>Martindale, pg. 562</ref> was emperor of the [[Gallic Empire]] in 269 following the assassination of [[Postumus]].

== Reign ==
According to later tradition, particularly sources like the ''[[Historia Augusta]]'', his trade as a [[blacksmith]] led to him being nicknamed after [[Mamurius Veturius]], a legendary metalworker from the time of King [[Numa Pompilius]].<ref>''[[Historia Augusta]]'', ''Tyranni Triginta'', 8:1; Thomas Habinek, ''The World of Roman Song: From Ritualized Speech to Social Order'' (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005), p. 25.</ref> He rose through the ranks of the [[Roman army]] to become an officer, although his specific rank prior to becoming emperor is not definitively recorded.<ref>Martindale, pg. 562</ref> He was part of the army forces that revolted at Moguntiacum ([[Mainz]]) after the Emperor Postumus refused to allow them to sack the city following the defeat of the usurper [[Laelian|Laelianus]].<ref>Southern, pg. 118</ref> These troops murdered Postumus, and in the ensuing confusion, the army acclaimed Marius as Postumus' successor.<ref>Potter, pg. 266</ref>

One of his first decisions was to allow his troops to sack Moguntiacum, thereby fulfilling the desire that had contributed to the revolt.<ref>Polfer, ''Marius''</ref> He then moved to [[Augusta Treverorum]] ([[History of Trier|Trier]]) to consolidate his power.<ref name="Polfer, ''Marius''">Polfer, ''Marius''</ref> His reign ended when [[Victorinus]], a prominent officer formerly loyal to Postumus (and soon to be emperor himself), had Marius killed in mid-269, most likely at [[Augusta Treverorum]]. Based on the significant number of coins issued in his name, modern historians estimate his reign lasted for approximately two to three months.<ref>Polfer, ''Marius''; Potter, pg. 266</ref>

This modern estimation contrasts sharply with accounts from ancient written sources, notably the ''Historia Augusta'' and Eutropius, which claim Marius' reign lasted only two or three days before he was killed, allegedly by a [[sword]] of his own manufacture.<ref>Historia Augusta, ''Tyranni Triginta'', 8:1-2; Eutropius, 9:2; Victor, ''Liber de Caesaribus'', 33:11-12</ref> This traditional account of his reign's length is considered inaccurate due to the [[Numismatics|numismatic]] evidence, and the story of his death by a sword of his own making is likely legendary, perhaps inspired by his reputed origins.<ref>Polfer, ''Marius''; Martindale, pg. 562</ref>

Marius is listed as one of the [[Thirty Tyrants (Roman)|Thirty Tyrants]] in the ''Historia Augusta''. This source suggests he was chosen as emperor partly because his name recalled two famous Romans of the past, [[Marcus Aurelius]] and [[Gaius Marius]].<ref name="Polfer, ''Marius''">Polfer, ''Marius''</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
===Primary sources===
* [[Aurelius Victor]], [http://www.roman-emperors.org/epitome.htm ''Epitome de Caesaribus'']
* Aurelius Victor, [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/victor.caes.html#33.8 ''Liber de Caesaribus'']
* [[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]], [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/eutropius/eutropius9.shtml#9 ''Brevarium'', Book 9]
* [[Historia Augusta]], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/ Tyranni_XXX*.html ''The Thirty Tyrants'']

===Secondary sources===
* Southern, Pat. ''The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine'', Routledge, 2001
* Potter, David Stone, ''The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180-395'', Routledge, 2004
* Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I: AD260-395'', Cambridge University Press, 1971
* [http://www.roman-emperors.org/marius.htm Polfer, Michel, "Postumus (A.D. 269)", ''De Imperatoribus Romanis''] (1999)

== External links ==
*{{Commonsinline}}

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{{succession box |title=Emperor of the [[Gallic Empire]]|before=[[Postumus]]''' and/or '''[[Laelian]]|after=[[Victorinus]] |years=269}}
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{{Roman Emperors}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marius, Marcus Aurelius}}
[[Category:Gallic emperors]]
[[Category:Blacksmiths]]
[[Category:269 deaths]]
[[Category:Thirty Tyrants (Roman)]]
[[Category:3rd-century monarchs in Europe]]
[[Category:3rd-century murdered monarchs]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Deaths by edged and bladed weapons]]
[[Category:Aurelii]]
[[Category:Marii|Aurelius, Marcus]]
[[Category:Ancient artisans]]