Quintillus

Quintillus
43rd Emperor of the Roman Empire

Reign	270 (17–177 days)
Full name	Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus (from birth to accession); Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus Augustus (as emperor)
Born	c. 220
Birthplace	Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior
Died	270 (aged 50)
Place of death	Aquileia, Italia
Predecessor	Claudius II
Successor	Aurelian

Quintillus (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus Augustus;^[1]^[2] c. 220 – April 270), commonly known as Quintillus, was Roman Emperor for less than a year in 270.

1 Early life and election as Emperor
2 Reign of Quintillus
3 Sources
- 3.1 Primary sources
- 3.2 Secondary sources
4 References

Early life and election as Emperor [edit]

Quintillus was born at Sirmium in Lower Pannonia.^[3] Originating from a low-born family, Quintillus came to prominence with the accession of his brother Claudius II Gothicus to the imperial throne in 268. Quintillus was possibly made Procurator of Sardinia during his brother’s reign.^[4] He was declared emperor either by the Senate or by his brother’s soldiers upon the latter's death in 270.

Eutropius reports Quintillus to have been elected by soldiers of the Roman army immediately following the death of his brother.^[5] The choice was reportedly approved by the Roman Senate. Joannes Zonaras reports him elected by the Senate itself.^[6] Records however agree that the legions which had followed Claudius in campaigning along the Danube were either unaware or disapproving of Quintillus' elevation. They instead elevated their current leader Aurelian as emperor.^[7]

Reign of Quintillus [edit]

The few records of Quintillus' reign are contradictory. They disagree on the length of his reign, variously reported to have lasted as few as 17 days and as many as 177 days (about six months).^[8] Records also disagree on the cause of his death. Historia Augusta reports him murdered by his own soldiers in reaction to his strict military discipline.^[9] Jerome reports him killed, presumably in conflict with Aurelian.^[10] John of Antioch and Joannes Zonaras reported Quintillus to have committed suicide by opening his veins and bleeding himself to death.^[6] John reports the suicide to have been assisted by a physician.^[11] Claudius Salmasius pointed that Dexippus recorded the death without stating causes.^[12] All records however agree in placing the death at Aquileia.

Quintillus was reportedly survived by his two sons.^[13]

The Historia Augusta reports Claudius and Quintillus having another brother named Crispus and through him a niece, Claudia. who reportedly married Eutropius and was mother to Constantius Chlorus.^[14] Some historians however suspect this account to be a genealogical fabrication to flatter Constantine I.^[15]

Surviving Roman records considered Quintillus a moderate and capable Emperor.^[16] He was seen as a champion of the Senate and thus compared to previous Emperors Servius Sulpicius Galba and Publius Helvius Pertinax. All three were highly regarded by Senatorial sources despite their failure to survive a full year of reign.^[15]

Sources [edit]

Primary sources [edit]

Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus
Eutropius, Breviarium ab urbe condita
Historia Augusta, Life of Claudius
Joannes Zonaras, Compendium of History extract: Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284
Zosimus, Historia Nova

Secondary sources [edit]

Banchich, Thomas, "Quintillus (270 A.D)", De Imperatoribus Romanis
Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I: AD260-395, Cambridge University Press, 1971
Canduci, Alexander (2010), Triumph & Tragedy: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Immortal Emperors, Pier 9, ISBN 978-1-74196-598-8
Southern, Pat. The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine, Routledge, 2001
Gibbon, Edward. Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire (1888)

References [edit]

^ In Classical Latin, Quintillus' name would be inscribed as MARCVS AVRELIVS CLAVDIVS QVINTILLVS AVGVSTVS.
^ Jones, pg. 759
^ "These men are usually called the Illyrian emperors since they all were born in that province (Illyricum) and were raised to power by legions stationed there." The Ancient World, Joseph Ward Swain
^ Canduci, pg. 92
^ Eutropius IX:12
^ ^a ^b Zonaras, 12:26
^ Gibbon, Ch. 11
^ Southern, pg. 110
^ Historia Augusta, Claudius, 12:5
^ Jerome, Chronica s.a. 271
^ John of Antioch, fr. 154 FHG IV, p. 599
^ Historia Augusta, Claudius, 12:6
^ Historia Augusta, Claudius, 13:9
^ Historia Augusta, Claudius, 13:1
^ ^a ^b Banchich, www.roman-emperors.org/quintil.htm
^ See Eutropius, IX:12

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Regnal titles
Preceded by Claudius II	Roman Emperor 270	Succeeded by Aurelian

v t e Roman emperors

Principate 27 BC – 235 AD	Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus Domitian Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus Commodus Pertinax Didius Julianus Septimius Severus Caracalla Geta Macrinus with Diadumenian Elagabalus Alexander Severus

Crisis 235–284	Maximinus Thrax Gordian I and Gordian II Pupienus and Balbinus Gordian III Philip the Arab Decius with Herennius Etruscus Hostilian Trebonianus Gallus with Volusianus Aemilianus Valerian Gallienus with Saloninus Claudius Gothicus Quintillus Aurelian Tacitus Florianus Probus Carus Carinus Numerian

Dominate 284–395	Diocletian Maximian Constantius Chlorus Galerius Severus Maxentius Maximinus Daia Licinius with Valerius Valens and Martinianus Constantine the Great Constantine II Constans I Constantius II with Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian I Valens Gratian Valentinian II Theodosius I

Western Empire 395–480	Honorius with Constantine III Constantius III Joannes Valentinian III Petronius Maximus Avitus Majorian Libius Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Julius Nepos Romulus Augustulus

Eastern/ Byzantine Empire 395–1204	Arcadius Theodosius II Marcian Leo I the Thracian Leo II Zeno Basiliscus Anastasius I Justin I Justinian I Justin II Tiberius II Constantine Maurice Phocas Heraclius Constantine III Heraklonas Constans II Constantine IV Justinian II Leontios Tiberios III Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosios III Leo III the Isaurian Constantine V Artabasdos Leo IV the Khazar Constantine VI Irene Nikephoros I Staurakios Michael I Rangabe Leo V the Armenian Michael II the Amorian Theophilos Michael III Basil I the Macedonian Leo VI the Wise Alexander Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos Romanos I Lekapenos Romanos II Nikephoros II Phokas John I Tzimiskes Basil II Constantine VIII Zoe Romanos III Argyros Michael IV the Paphlagonian Michael V Kalaphates Constantine IX Monomachos Theodora Michael VI Bringas Isaac I Komnenos Constantine X Doukas Romanos IV Diogenes Michael VII Doukas Nikephoros III Botaneiates Alexios I Komnenos John II Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Alexios II Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Alexios IV Angelos Alexios V Doukas

Empire of Nicaea 1204–1261	Constantine Laskaris Theodore I Laskaris John III Doukas Vatatzes Theodore II Laskaris John IV Laskaris

Eastern/ Byzantine Empire 1261–1453	Michael VIII Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos Michael IX Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John VI Kantakouzenos Matthew Kantakouzenos Andronikos IV Palaiologos John VII Palaiologos Andronikos V Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos Constantine XI Palaiologos

Persondata
Name	Quintillus
Alternative names
Short description	Roman emperor
Date of birth
Place of birth	Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior
Date of death	270
Place of death	Aquileia, Italia

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