View source for Ingenuus

{{Short description|Usurper of throne of Roman Empire (died 260)}}
{{about|the Roman commander|the Roman legal term for a freeborn man|Ingenui}}
{{Infobox Roman emperor||name=Ingenuus|full name=Ingenuus|title=[[Roman usurper|Usurper]] of the [[Roman Empire]]|image=Ingenuus.jpg|caption=Ingenuus from ''[[Promptuarium Iconum Insigniorum|Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum]]''|reign=260 AD<ref name="Jones, p. 457">Jones, pg. 457</ref>|predecessor=[[Valerian (emperor)|Valerian]]|successor=[[Gallienus]]|spouse 1=|spouse 2=|issue=|dynasty=|father=|mother=|birth_date=|birth_place=|death_date=260 AD|death_place=[[Osijek|Mursa Major]], [[Pannonia Inferior]]|place of burial=|regnal name=Imperator Caesar Ingenuus Augustus}}
{{Campaignbox Crisis of the Third Century}}
'''Ingenuus''' was a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] military commander, the imperial [[legatus|legate]] in [[Pannonia]],{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}} who became a [[Gallienus usurpers|usurper]] to the throne of the [[Emperor of Rome|emperor]] [[Gallienus]] when he led a brief and unsuccessful revolt in the year 260.<ref>Peachin, p. 40; p. 83</ref> Appointed by Gallienus himself,<ref name="Lead">{{Cite web |last=Leadbetter |first=William |date=1998-09-24 |title=Roman Emperors - DIR Ingenuus |url=https://www.roman-emperors.org/ingen.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121094612/https://www.roman-emperors.org/ingen.htm |archive-date=2012-01-21 |website=roman-emporers.org}}</ref> Ingenuus served him well by repulsing a [[Sarmatian]] invasion and securing the Pannonian border, at least temporarily. Ingenuus had also been charged with the military education of [[caesar (title)|''Caesar'']] [[Valerian II|Cornelius Licinius Valerianus]], the young son of Emperor [[Gallienus]], but after the boy's death in 258, his position became perilous.<ref name=Lead/>

A well-liked and admired commander,<ref>''[[Historia Augusta]]'', Tyranni Triginta 9.2</ref> Ingenuus found an opportunity to become the Roman Emperor when Valerian was captured and killed by [[Shapur I]] of the [[Sassanid Empire]].<ref name="Jones, p. 457"/> Throwing off their allegiance to Valerian's son, the legions of [[Moesia]] proclaimed Ingenuus [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[Emperor]] at [[Sirmium]] in 260.<ref name="Jones, p. 457"/>  Gallienus was in [[Germania]] on the [[Rhine]] frontier,{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}} so he acted quickly by recalling troops from [[Gaul]] and after a rapid march he met Ingenuus on the [[battle of Mursa (260)|battlefield]] at [[Mursa]].<ref name="Jones, p. 457"/>  The troops of Ingenuus were defeated, as Gallienus' general, [[Aureolus]], used to great effect the advantage given by the mobility of an improved cavalry component of the army, which was the remarkable military innovation wanted by the Emperor.<ref name=Lead/>

Ingenuus died after the battle by drowning himself in a nearby river to avoid capture. <ref>''[[Historia Augusta]]'', Tyranni Triginta 9.4</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jotapian]]
* [[Pacatian]]
* [[Regalian]]
* [[Silbannacus]]
* [[Sponsianus]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/ingen.htm |title=Ingenuus (260 A.D.) |author=Leadbetter, William |year=1998 |publisher=De Imperatoribus Romanis |access-date=2010-12-25 }}
* {{Cite book |title=The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I: AD260-395 |last=Jones |first=A.H.M. |author2=Martindale, J.R. |year=1987 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |oclc=490356338 }}
* {{Cite book |title=Roman imperial titulature and chronology, A.D. 235-284 |last=Peachin |first=Michael |year=1990 |publisher=Gieben |location=Amsterdam |isbn=9789050630344 |oclc=21388903 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rM4iAQAAIAAJ&q=ingenuus|access-date=2010-12-25 }}
{{refend}}

{{Roman Emperors}}

[[Category:Gallienus usurpers]]
[[Category:Thirty Tyrants (Roman)]]
[[Category:260 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Ancient Romans from unknown gentes]]
[[Category:People from Sirmium]]
[[Category:Suicides in Ancient Rome]]
[[Category:Suicides by drowning]]