Vetranion

It is known that Vetranion was of noble origin and was a native of Moesia . He began his service under Constantine I , and under his son Constant he became a master of infantry ( Latin magister peditum ) in the Illyric prefecture .

After the usurper Magnetsius overthrew and killed the emperor Constant in 350 , Vetranion was proclaimed soldier as emperor on March 1 in Sirmia (modern Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia ). This was greatly facilitated by Constantine , sister of Constant and Constance II.

“... their older sister, Constantine, the widow of Annibalian , fearing that tyrant Magnenius usurp power over the whole empire, proclaimed Caesar of one of the military leaders, a certain Vetranion. It seems that she did so rightfully, for their common father crowned her with a diadem during his lifetime and called it Augustus ” ^[1] .

Constantine sent her brother a letter informing him of the events that Constantius II received in Edessa , participating in the war against the Persians . Constantius, in contrast to Magnetia Vetranion, recognized the latter as emperor and sent him a diadem. He also sent Vetranion cash assistance.

Vetranion, however, continued to ask for money and military assistance and, when negotiations with Constantius came to a standstill, entered into an alliance with Magnesium. They sent a joint embassy to Constantius (negotiations took place in Hercules of Thrace ), trying to convince him of the futility of the struggle with two experienced military men and offering him to share power, recognizing Constantius as the senior Augustus ^[2] . He, however, refused this deal and, having appointed his cousin Gallus in the East to fight the Persians Caesar , made a statement to the West.

The meeting of Constance with Vetranion took place near Serdika (modern Sofia in Bulgaria ) ^[3] December 25, 350 . The emperors arrived at the meeting, accompanied by their legions. Vetranion was superior in strength (he had about 40,000 soldiers). The troops lined up on the plain, and between them, in the middle, a platform was built where two thrones were placed. Both Augustus climbed him and began negotiations. The first to take the word was Constantius, before that, obviously, he had already bribed the officers of Vetranion ^[4] . With the help of his skillfully composed speech, he managed to do so

“That the troops deposed themselves from him [Vetranion] and proclaimed Augustus, king and autocrat of Constantius alone, but did not even mention Vetranion. The latter, seeing that he was cheated, immediately fell at the feet of the king. Constantine ordered to remove the royal crown and scarlet from him and, treating him philanthropically, advised him to calmly lead the life of a private person, because in old years it is more decent for him to live idle than to bear a name full of anxieties ” ^[5] .

After Constantius stripped Vetranion of power, he treated him surprisingly mildly - Vetranion was assigned a pension, and he settled in Pruz (in Bithynia ), where he lived for six more years in peace and prosperity. He was so pleased with his life that he often wrote Constance,

“Saying in letters that he [Constantius] became for him the cause of the greatest blessings, since he freed him from the worries associated with the reign, and that he does wrong, not enjoying the blessings delivered to him” ^[5] .

Vetranion, according to ancient authors, although it was an old experienced soldier, was rustic and uncouth. Despite his advanced age, he could not read and write, and began to learn to read and write, only becoming emperor ^[6] . Describing Vetranion, Pseudo-Aurelius Victor writes: “he was simple to stupidity” ^[7] .

• DiMaio Jr. M. Vetranio (350 AD) // De Imperatoribus Romanis (1996).

• Coins of Vetranion