Probus

Probus (276-282 CE) was a Roman Emperor during the Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE).
He started the Policy of settling Germanic Tribes within the Roman Empire to revitalise wasted Provinces.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

NAME:
- Marcus Aurelius Probus
PROBUS’ DATES OF REIGN AS EMPEROR:
- 276 CE to September-October 282 CE.
PROBUS’ DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
- Born: August 232 CE. Died September-October 282 CE.
PLACE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
- Born in Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior. Died in Sirmium.
PROBUS’ PREDECESSOR:
- Marcus Claudius Tacitus
PROBUS’ SUCCESSOR:
- Carus
HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
- His Legions in the East proclaimed him Emperor.
DIED PEACEFULLY OR ASSASSINATED:
- Assassinated by his own soldiers.
WHERE BURIED:
- Unknown.
PROBUS WAS FAMOUS BECAUSE:
- He was one of the Illyrian Emperors.
- He kept the Legions busy by making them plant vineyards and draining marshes in Gaul and the Danube to restart the local economies.
- He began the policy of settling the Germanic Tribes within the Roman Empire to revitalise wasted Provinces.

277 CE Probus defeats the Goths on the Danube.
278 CE In Gaul, Probus defeats the Longiones and the Alemanni whilst his Generals defeat the Franks and Burgundians.
As a result the Senate awarded him the titles of ‘Gothicus Maximus’ and ‘Germanicus Maximus’.
279-280 CE. Probus defeats the Vandals in Raetia, Illyricum and Lycia.
279-280 CE. Probus’ Generals defeat an Invasion of Egypt by the Blemmyes. He then rebuilt the Nile canals and bridges to restart the Grain supplies.

282 CE Probus went east to defeat Carus, the Praefectus Praetorio who had been proclaimed Emperor by his legions.

Unfortunately for Probus, his legions defected to Carus, and he was assassinated in Sirmium, possibly by soldiers, angry at being made to plant vineyards and drain marshes.