View source for Proculus

{{Short description|Usurper of the Roman Empire (died c. 281)}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox Roman emperor
| name            =Proculus
|title=[[Roman usurper|Usurper]] of the [[Roman Empire]]
| image           = Proculus Antoninian (obverse).jpg
| caption         = ''[[Antoninianus]]'' of Proculus 
| reign           =280, against [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]]
| predecessor     =
| successor       =
| spouse 1         =
| spouse 2        =
| issue           =
| dynasty         =
| father          =
| mother          =
| birth_date   =
| birth_place  =[[Albingaunum]], [[Roman Italy|Italia]]<br/><small>(modern-day [[Albenga]], [[Italy]])</small>
| death_date   =c. 281
| death_place  =
| place of burial =	
| full name=Proculus
| regnal name=Imperator Caesar Proculus Augustus}}
'''Proculus''' (died c. 281) was a [[Roman usurper]], one of the "minor pretenders" according to ''[[Historia Augusta]]'',<ref>''Historia Augusta'', ''Probus'', XVIII ; ''Quadrigae Tyrannorum'', XII-XIII</ref> who would have taken the purple against [[Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]] in 280. This is now disputed.<ref>[http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/numismatics/entry/the_proculus_enigma/ Edmund (2016) 'The Proculus Enigma: Have the history books been telling it wrong?', ''University of Warwick''] {{broken link|date=November 2025}}</ref>

Probably Proculus had family connection with the [[Franks]], to whom he turned in vain when his bid for imperial power was failing. He was a native of [[Albingaunum]] (modern [[Albenga]] in [[Liguria]] in north-west Italy). Though he was accounted a noble, his ancestors had been brigands and were the source of his vast wealth. Proculus was able to arm 2000 slaves of his own [[latifundia]] after seizing imperial office in the West. He was married to a woman named Vituriga, who was given the nickname "Samso" for her capabilities (considered "unwomanly" by the fourth century author of ''Historia Augusta''),<ref>''huic uxor [[virago]], quae illum in hanc praecipitavit dementiam, nomine Samso, quod ei postea inditum est, nam antea Vituriga nominata est.''</ref> and at the time of his usurpation,  he had one son, Herennianus, aged four.

Proculus was an ambitious soldier, who had commanded more than one [[Roman legion|legion]] as [[tribune]]; when in 280 he was asked by the people of [[Lugdunum]] (Lyon) who had started a rebellion against [[Emperor]] [[Marcus Aurelius Probus|Probus]] to take the purple, he accepted, proclaiming himself joint emperor with [[Bonosus (emperor)|Bonosus]]. "He was, nevertheless, of some benefit to the [[Gauls]], for he crushed the [[Alamanni]] — who then were still called Germans — and not without illustrious glory, though he never fought save in brigand-fashion" (''Historia Augusta'')

On his return from fighting the [[Sassanids]] in [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]], Probus forced Proculus to retreat north. After failing to find support among the [[Franks]], he was betrayed by them and handed over to Probus. Probus had Proculus killed (ca. 281), but spared his family " with his accustomed moderation, and spared the fortunes as well as the lives of their innocent families," (Gibbon, I.12) who remained at Albingaunum, declaring, according to ''Historia Augusta'', that they wished neither to be princes nor brigands.

There exists a letter by Proculus that was cited by [[Edward Gibbon|Gibbon]] and that is perhaps fictitious, but notable regardless. It begins with an apparent boast about his sexual prowess: "From Proculus to his kinsman Maecianus, greeting. I have taken one hundred maidens from [[Sarmatia]]. Of these I mated with ten in a single night..." and with all one hundred within a fortnight.<ref name = "gib">[http://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/volume1/chap12.htm  Edward Gibbon, ''Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' vol. I. chapter 12. Gibbon, Vol. 1, Chapter 12] Latin: ''Proculus Maeciano adfini salutum dicit. centum ex Sarmatia virgines cepi, ex his una nocte decem inivi; omnes tamen, quod in me erat, mulieres intra dies quindecim reddidi.''</ref> Gibbon comments of Proculus and his co-usurper Bonosus, a heavy drinker, that the "distinguished merit of those two officers was their respective prowess, of the one in the combats of [[Dionysus|Bacchus]], of the other in those of [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]]".<ref name = "gib"/>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*[http://www.roman-emperors.org/probus.htm Roman Emperors: Probus and rival claimants]: drawing on ''Historia Augusta'' (bibliography) {{broken link|date=November 2025}}
*[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Firmus_et_al*.html ''Historia Augusta'': Lives of Firmus, Saturninus, Proculus and Bonosus]
*[http://www.roman-emperors.org/probus.htm Smith, ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythography'':] "Proculus" gives numerous others with this cognomen. {{broken link|date=November 2025}}
*[http://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/volume1/chap12.htm  Edward Gibbon, ''Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' vol. I. chapter 12]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:3rd-century births]]
[[Category:281 deaths]]
[[Category:3rd-century Roman usurpers]]
[[Category:Crisis of the Third Century]]
[[Category:Executed ancient Roman people]]
[[Category:People executed by the Roman Empire]]
[[Category:3rd-century executions]]
[[Category:People from Albenga]]
[[Category:Executed Italian people]]
[[Category:Ancient Romans from unknown gentes]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman generals]]
[[Category:Generals of Probus]]