Trebonianus Gallus AD 251-253. Rome
Antoninianus AR

21 mm, 3,09 g

IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / ANNONA AVGG, Annona standing facing, head to right, with foot on prow, holding rudder and grain ears.

Extremely Fine

RIC IV 31; RSC 17.

Trebonianus Gallus, born around AD 206 in Perusia, Italy, was a Roman emperor from AD 251 to 253. His rise to power occurred after the deaths of Emperor Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus in the Battle of Abritus against the Goths. Following this defeat, Gallus, then the governor of Moesia, was proclaimed emperor by the legions. To secure his position, he adopted Decius's surviving son, Hostilian, as co-emperor, though Hostilian soon died of plague. Gallus faced significant challenges during his brief reign, including ongoing invasions by the Goths and other Germanic tribes. Rather than continuing Decius's aggressive policies, Gallus chose to negotiate peace, allowing the Goths to retreat with their spoils and agreeing to pay them an annual tribute. This decision was widely seen as a sign of weakness and failed to bring lasting stability. His reign was further plagued by a devastating outbreak, likely the Cyprian Plague, which caused widespread death and economic disruption across the empire. In AD 253, Gallus's rule came to an end when Aemilian, a rival general, rebelled. Gallus was betrayed and murdered by his own troops, highlighting the deep instability and the precarious nature of leadership during the Crisis of the Third Century.