Eugenius
as Augustus (Usurper in the Western Roman Empire)  AD 392 - 394

Flavius Eugenius (AD ? - 394).

Paralel rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire:
Theodosius I (AD 379 - 395)
Arcadius (AD 383 - 408)

Eugenius was proclaimed emperor by magister militum Arbogast on 22 August 392, months after the death of Valentinian II. Arbogastes has been for a while the de facto ruler of the West, and there are reasons to think that his position was sanctioned by Theodosius. Theodosius' decision to wait till Eugenius was proclaimed as emperor three months later indicates that he tacitly let Arbogast run the affairs in the West. Arbogast might have nurtured hopes that he would be promoted to Augustus in the west upon the death of Valentinian II. The hopes turned vain and Arbogast decided to revolt, putting Eugenius on the throne. Eugenius was a former teacher of grammar and rhetoric, had been magister scrinorum, and had become Arbogast confidant. Once in power, Eugenius apparently purged the administration of Theodosian supporters and installed in key positions men who led a movement to restore paganism and the Altar of Victory restored to the Curia. This did not endear Eugenius to Theodosius, and provoked a strong reaction from Ambrose. Eugenius also accompanied Arbogastes on expeditions to the Rhine frontier and renewed the old alliances with the Alamanni and Franks, a feat that might have been due to Arbogast being a Frank. In response, Theodosius feigned friendship but began preparations for war and promoted his son Honorius to Augustus. He assembled an army and marched west, engaging the forces of Eugenius and Arbogast on the border of modern Italy and Slovenia in September 394. Theodosian won a crushing victory. Eugenius was captured and killed in his camp on 6 September 394, and his head was paraded around the camp. Arbogastes fled into the mountains and committed suicide. The reign of Eugenius marked the last serious organized attempt at organized resistance among the pagan Roman intellectuals and politicians to the Christianization of the Empire.

Mints: Arelate, Aquileia, Lugdunum, Mediolanum, Rome, Treveri.

List all Eugenius coins in the Catalog.

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