Dovahhatty’s Unbiased History of Rome: Crisis of the Third Century

(7) HOSTILIAN & HERENNIUS ETRUSCUS –

NON-DYNASTIC / CRISIS OF THE THIRD CENTURY

(EACH – 251 AD: 1 MONTH OR LESS)

Somewhat similar to my previous dishonorable mentions for child co-emperors (but apparently older in age), these two emperors were also co-emperors as sons of the emperor Decius but actually did something of note in their brief reigns. .

Well, at least Herennius did something. Hostilian was the surviving son of Decius, whom Decius’ successor Trebonianus Gallus proclaimed as his co-emperor to lend some legitimacy and continuity to his reign, only for Hostilian to die of disease shortly afterwards. Gallus then proclaimed his own son Volusianus as co-emperor – and we’ve already seen how both of them were equally useless, embodying the Crisis of the Third Century.

In fairness, the thing of note Herennius did in his short reign was similarly to die, but at least to die in battle – the same Battle of Arbritus against the Goths in which his father Decius was killed, except that he was killed first, which would technically make him rather than his father the first Roman emperor to be killed in battle by a foreign enemy.

It was his death for which Decius exhorted the troops in battle – “Let no one mourn, the death of one soldier is no great loss to the Republic”.

DID DOVAHHATTY DO RIGHT?

Hostilian a wojak dying pathetically from disease and Herennius a chad dying in battle – I’d say Dovahhatty got it right. Also, I love the humor in Trebonianus Gallus’ double take when Hostilian up and dies on him.

RATING: 2 STARS**

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