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{{Short description|Usurper of the Roman Empire (died c. 248)}}
{{About|the 3rd-century [[Roman usurper]]|the 4th-century Roman governor of Britain|Pacatian (Roman governor of Britain)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name            = Pacatian
| full name       = Tiberius Claudius Mar[...] Pacatianus
| title           = [[Roman usurper|Usurper]] of the [[Roman Empire]]
| image= Antoninianus-Pacatianus-1001-RIC 0006cf.jpg
| caption         = Obv.: Radiate head, IMP TI CL MAR PACATIANVS P[ΙVS] F[ELIX] IN[VICTVS] (undefeated). Rev.: Rome seated holding Victory and sceptre, ROMAE AETER[ΝΑ] AN[NOS] MIL[LESIMO] ET PRIMO, i.e. year 1001-753 = 248.
| reign           = ''c.'' 248 (against [[Philip the Arab]])
| predecessor     = [[Philip the Arab]]
| successor       = [[Philip the Arab]]
| death_date      = ''c.'' 248
| regnal name     = Imperator Caesar Tiberius Claudius Mar[...] Pacatianus Augustus
}}
{{Campaignbox Crisis of the Third Century}}
'''Pacatianus''', known in English as '''Pacatian''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ə|k|eɪ|ʃ|(|i|)|ə|n}}; {{langx|la|Tiberius Claudius Mar[...] Pacatianus}}; died ''c.'' 248) was a [[Roman usurper|usurper]] in the [[Danube]] area of the [[Roman Empire]] during the time of [[Philip the Arab]]. His ''[[praenomen]]'' and ''[[nomen gentilicium|nomen]]'' suggest his ancestors obtained [[Roman citizenship]] either during the time of [[Tiberius]] or of [[Claudius]].

His life is known from mentions in the histories of [[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]] and [[Joannes Zonaras|Zonaras]]. However, the chronology of these accounts is obscure, and modern scholars use [[numismatics|coinage]] to establish the timeline of his life and revolt.<ref>Potter 1990, p. 257</ref> Zonaras names him as a 'unit commander' of one of the Danube [[Roman legion|legion]]s, possibly [[Legio VII Claudia]].<ref>Pearson 2022, p. 21</ref> He was likely a leader in the effort to drive Gothic invaders out of Roman territory in 248, one of the first actions of the [[Gothic War (248–253)|Gothic War]].<ref>Pearson 2022, p. 22</ref> Either during this action or soon after he was acclaimed emperor by the Danube legions. Eventually his control extended to the city of [[Viminacium]]. According to Zosimus, the news of Pacatian's revolt in [[Moesia]] and of [[Jotapian]]'s near-simultaneous revolt in [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]] prompted [[Philip the Arab|Philip]] to make an offer to the [[Roman Senate]] to step down. Both Zosimus and Zonoras relate that Philip was advised by the senator [[Decius]], who predicted that Pacatian would soon be killed by his troops. This soon came to pass, and Philip (over Decius' objections) sent Decius to the [[Danube]] to find out the causes of the revolt. Decius was promptly acclaimed as emperor by the legions on the Danube, and (though Zonaras records that Decius offered to resign) eventually overcame Philip by the end of 249.<ref>Potter 1990, pp. 254–258</ref> 

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{Refbegin|30em}}

===Ancient Sources===
* [[Zonaras]], ''Extracts of History'', XXII.19
** {{cite book|title=The ''History'' of Zonaras: From Alexander Severus to the Death of Theodosius the Great|translator=Thomas M. Banchiech|translator2=Eugene N. Lane|editor=Thomas M. Banchich|year=2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415299091|pages=46–48}}
* [[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]], ''Historia Nova'', 1.19 ff.
** {{cite book|title=Zosimus: New History|translator=Ronald T. Ridley|year=1982|isbn=0959362606|publisher=Australian Association for Byzantine Studies|page=7}}

===Modern Sources===
* {{cite book|title=Philippus Arabs: Ein Soldatenkaiser in der Tradition des Antoninisch-Severischen Prinzipats|author-last=Körner|author-first=Christian|publisher=De Gruyter|year=2002|series=Untersuchungen zur Antiken Literatur und Geschichte|number=61|isbn=9783110172058|chapter=13.2: Pacatianus|pages=282–288}}
* {{cite book|author-last=Pearson|author-first=Paul N|title=The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248–260: When the Gods Abandoned Rome|publisher=Pen & Sword: Military|year=2022|isbn=9781399090971|chapter=Chapter 2: Rebels}}
* {{cite book|pages=254–258|author-last=Potter|author-first=David S.|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford|year=1990|title=Prophecy and History in the Crisis of the Roman Empire: A Historical Commentary on the Thirteenth Sibylline Oracle}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Pacatianus}}
{{refbegin}}
* [http://www.roman-emperors.org/philarab.htm Körner essay on usurpers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625152214/http://www.roman-emperors.org/philarab.htm |date=2007-06-25 }}
* [http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/pacatian/i.html Pacatianus coinage]
{{refend}}

{{Roman Emperors}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:248 deaths]]
[[Category:3rd-century Roman usurpers]]
[[Category:Crisis of the Third Century]]
[[Category:Moesia]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Claudii]]

{{AncientRome-bio-stub}}