other · France and the Low Countries

Gallic Empire

260 CE – 274 CE · capital Augusta Treverorum

Breakaway Roman state in Gaul, Britain and for a time Hispania, set up by Postumus in 260 when the empire seemed unable to defend its frontiers.

Origins

In 260, after the emperor Valerian was captured by the Persians and Germanic invaders broke across the Rhine, the governor Postumus was proclaimed emperor by his troops. He besieged Cologne and killed Gallienus' son Saloninus there and won the loyalty of Gaul, Germania, Britain and Hispania.

Rule and society

The Gallic emperors kept Roman institutions, with their own consuls, praetorian guard and mints at Cologne and Trier. They did not march on Rome but concentrated on defending the Rhine. Postumus was murdered by his troops in 269, followed by Marius, Victorinus and Tetricus I.

Decline and legacy

Hispania returned to the central empire early, and Victorinus was murdered in 271. In 274 Aurelian defeated Tetricus near Châlons, where Tetricus seems to have abandoned his army. He was paraded in Aurelian's triumph and then given an office in Italy, and the provinces rejoined the Roman Empire.

Lineage

Roman Empire 27 BCE – 476 CEGallic EmpireRoman Empire 27 BCE – 476 CE

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gallic Empire. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gallic-empire
MLA
“Gallic Empire.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gallic-empire. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gallic Empire.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gallic-empire.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gallic Empire’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gallic-empire (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻