Good general of humble origin, after a brilliant military career
was made emperor by the troops in
Sirmium
in april 270, after
Claudius II's death,
being approved by the Senate in the summer.
He was the one who reacted to the crisis regaining to the empire the Palmyra realm
defeating and capturing
Zenobia and
Vabalathus,
then he re esablish the imperial authority on the Gallic Empire after
Tetricus
surrender. He had also military successes against the barbarians on the Pannonia
borders and pushed back the Goths from the Balcans.
He built the first defensive walls around Rome and was able also to made several
social and economic reforms.
His religious reforms tended to establish a sort of monotheistic cult of the Sun
God.
In the monetary aspect he reformed the Antoninianus in size and weight as well
as with the introduction of a better way of silver plating them. Some of his Antoninianus
have a mark "XXI" or "KA" which although some specialists
believe it means that 20 of those equaled one Aureus, others disagree. He reintroduces
Denarius, Sestercius and Ases at the same time that he reised the weight of the
Aureus from 5.54 to 6.50 grams. In the numismatic field it must also be mentioned
that he opened new mints in the provinces.
Aurelianus was killed by a military plot near
Byzantium in November 275 while
he was preparing another campaign agaist the Persians.
The Monetary Reform
of Aurelianus