Probus 276 - 282 A.D.

By clicking on the pictures you'll be linked to a more complete description of the coin. At the bottom of this page there is a more elaborate biography of the emperor.

	Obverse: IMP PROBVS PF AVG
	Reverse: SOLI INVICTO
	Fieldmarks: -
	Exergue: R Γ

      Marcus Aurelius Equitius Probus was born at Sirmium on the 19th of August 232 AD. There's not much known about his parents or his initial career but he was successful and held a high command in the armies of Aurelius. Under Aurelian's successor Tacitus he held several commands in the eastern provinces of Syria and Egypt. When Tacitus died in 276 AD Probus didn't accept his successor Florianus who was Tacitus' half-brother and instead declared himself emperor. Probus made hasty preparations to meet Florianus who was on his way with his numerical far superior western army to deal with the other pretender to the throne. The armies met at Tarsus where Probus put to use his years of military experience, he avoided a direct confrontation with Florianus' army and tried to let the intense desert heat weaken his western army, which wasn't accustomed to the hot conditions at Tarsus. This tactic worked and Florianus' army which feared a disaster turned on their leader killed him and pledged their allegiance to Probus. After this victory Probus quickly moved to Rome to have his new powers ratified by the Senate.

      His second and immediate concern was the troubled state of the empire. Tacitus and Florian already dealt with a Gothic attack on Asia Minor but several Germanic tribes caused serious trouble in Gaul and along the Rhine and Danube. For a couple of years Probus successfully campaigned against, Franks, Longiones, Burgundians, Vandals, Rhaetians and Sarmatians, all where defeated despite the large numbers of some of the invaders. It is said that at one time sixteen Germanic chiefs kneeled at Probus' feet. As precautions against further invasions several hostages where taken and eventually more then 16000 Germans where recruited in the Roman army. Probus also built new outposts and fortresses along the banks of the Danube and Rhine and increased the number of border guards.

      In 279 Probus moved to the east to deal with the rebellion of Julius Saturninus the governor of Syria who had declared himself emperor. The problem was solved before Probus arrived because Saturninus was killed either by his own soldiers or assassins sent by Probus. Another reason for going east was Probus' ambition to re-conquer Mesopotamia but he abandoned the idea and signed a truce with the Persian king Bahram II. On his return back to the west he settled nearly a 100000 Scythians in Thrace in an attempt to repopulate areas abandoned by the effects of either invasions or plague. Probus had to move on soon after because the generals of the Rhine fleet and Gaul, Bonosus and Proculus, had declared themselves joined emperor in 280 AD. It took Probus several months to deal with them but eventually he succeeded and Bonosus hung himself and Proculus was either executed or killed in battle. Another rebellion was launched in Britannia but it was quickly crushed by one of Probus' generals and in 281 AD Probus moved to Rome for a big triumphal parade. To celebrate his achievements coins where issued with the inscription "RESTTVTOR ORBIS" which meant Restorer of the World.

      In 282 Probus moved to Sirmium to plan a new campaign against the Persians unfortunately trouble was brewing within the army because when the army wasn't campaigning Probus made sure the soldiers where put to work. He had them drain land, erect buildings, bridges and defense-works, he even had them plant vineyards. Because of the troubled state of the empire in these days Probus used the army to restore the damage done by all the invasions and raging civil wars. The legionaries however saw this differently and thought it beneath them to do all these tasks, they where meant to fight with all its promises of victory and rich spoils. In September 282, the praetorian prefect Marcus Aurelius Carus was declared emperor by his troops, Probus immediately sent troops to deal with the usurper but they defected. His position was severely weakened and his own troops switched allegiance and murdered Probus. He was buried in a tomb near Sirmium and with him the empire had lost a great leader.

For much more information and a huge Probus coin collection see : http://www.probvs.info/

For this biography I've used the texts from the following websites:
http://www.imperiumromanum.com/
http://www.roman-emperors.org/
http://www.roman-empire.net/
And from: Gibbon's Decline and fall of the Roman empire