Julius Valens Licinianus, known as Licinian, was a

Roman usurper Roman usurpers were individuals or groups of individuals who obtained or tried to obtain power by force and without legitimate legal authority. Usurpation was endemic during the Roman imperial era, especially from the crisis of the third century ...

in 250. Apparently, Licinian, who was a senator, had the support of the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

and parts of the population when he initiated an uprising against

Decius Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius ( 201 ADJune 251 AD), sometimes translated as Trajan Decius or Decius, was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 249 to 251. A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was procla ...

, who was fighting the Goths. However, Valerian, who had been left in charge in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, had little trouble in suppressing the rebellion. It is possible that Licinian was the same Valens Senior, who usurped the purple in

during the absence of the Emperor

in the war against the Goths (250), and who was quickly executed.

Aurelius Victor Sextus Aurelius Victor (c. 320 – c. 390) was a historian and politician of the Roman Empire. Victor was the author of a short history of imperial Rome, entitled ''De Caesaribus'' and covering the period from Augustus to Constantius II. The work w ...

, ''Liber de Caesaribus'', 29.3; ''

Epitome de Caesaribus The ''Epitome de Caesaribus'' is a Latin historical work written at the end of the 4th century. It is a brief account of the reigns of the Roman emperors from Augustus to Theodosius the Great. It is attributed to Aurelius Victor, but was written ...

'', 29.5

Sources

References

Nathan, Geoffrey, and Robin McMahon, "Trajan Decius (249-251 A.D.) and Usurpers During His Reign", ''De Imperatoribus Romanis''
{{refend Crisis of the Third Century 3rd-century Roman usurpers Senators of the Roman Empire Licinianus