Proculus

Proculus († 281) was a Roman usurper who may have collected in the year 280/81 together with Bonosus against Emperor Probus and ruled for a few weeks.

The usurpation of Proculus, is described in some detail along with that of three other usurpations, in a Vita the late antique Historia Augusta. However, this report is not very reliable ( see discussion below). In the Vita his origins and his career is set out in any case. Thus he derived his origin from the Franks. He is said to have been a nobleman who lived in Albingaunum, but his ancestors had passed through predatory wealth. He is said to have been married to a certain Samso and had at least one son, Herennianus. Both are, however, considered to be fictional characters.

Proculus is described as an experienced soldier. As the population of Lugdunum asked him for fear of the Emperor Probus, if he was ready to become emperor, he accepted. After he took office, he was able to arm 2000 of its own slaves.

On his return from Syria Probus forced him to retreat to the north, and after it had failed to find support among the Franks, he was betrayed and delivered to Probus, who had him killed.

The existence of Proculus was often questioned in the research, as the Historia Augusta is generally very unreliable (almost all documents are considered forgeries, several people are considered to be fictional, as are many events ), particularly with regard to the second half of the biographies. In the 90s of the 20th century, but came up a coin of Proculus, which was evaluated as authentic and is now located in the National Coin Collection Munich; a second specimen was found in 2012 in the north of England by detectorists (see image ). The existence of the usurper is therefore now recognized, even if the Vita in the Historia Augusta is to be treated with extreme caution.