Dates
British Emperors
286?-297? 286/7-293 Carausius...............................
Carausius
Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius (d. 293) was a Roman emperor and usurper in Britain and northern Gaul (286 - 293).
Carausius was a Menapian who had proven his ability during Maximian's campaign against the Bagaudae rebels in Gaul in 286. As a result, he was appointed to command a navy based in the English Channel with the responsiblity of eliminating Frankish and Saxon pirates who had been raiding the coast. Apparently, however, Carausius adopted the practice of keeping captured treasure for himself and using it to recruit former pirates into his own fleet. Due to this practice, Maximian came to regard Carausius as a threat and ordered his execution. Carausius learned of this and responded by declaring himself Emperor, and he won the alliegance of the three legionss based in Britain, as well as one in northern Gaul.
With the loyalty of these legions and control of his fleet, as well as the support of the Franks and Britons, Carausius was in a strong position. In 289, an invasion of Britain intended to dislodge him failed badly due to storms. Carausius attempted to come to terms with Maximian and his co-emperor Diocletian, but the general Constantius Chlorus was sent to put down the rebellion. It has been speculated (namely, by the historian S.S. Frere) that the rebellion of Carausius endangered Diocletian's vision of a strong, centralized government based on his tetrarchy. In any case, by 293 Constantius had gained control of northern Gaul, including the rebel stronghold and port of Boulogne, on which Carausius was heavily dependent. Constantius also regained the allegiance of the rebellious Gallic legion. Weakened by these setbacks, Carausius was assassinated by his treasurer, Allectus. Monmouth states that Allectus was sent with three legions to kill Carausius and restore Britain to Roman control. Allectus, however, took over as king of the Britons in that same year.
In legend
Geoffrey of Monmouth claims that Carausius was given the kingship of the Britons over that of Caracalla, who died many years earlier. At some point in time, Carausius was able to sway the Picts to join him and they turned on the Romans. Caracalla was forced to flee Britain and it remained in Carausius's control for some time. He gave the Picts large tracts of land in Albany where they settled and married Britons.
293-296/7 Allectus.............................
ALLECTUS
293-296/7
BORN ?, DIED 296 OR 297
Little is known of the career of Allectus before his assassination of Carausius. He seems to have held a position of great authority, title and responsibility. Nothing else is known of his ancestry or even his full name. After Carausius’s defeat by Constnatius, Allectus had him assassinated and assumed the throne of Britain. While Constnatius eliminated the last of Carausius’s allies and built up his fleet, Allectus oppressed the Britons and prepared for invasion. Constantius attacked along the coast of Kent and Constantius’s praetorian prefect, Asclepiodotus, attacked in Hampshire. Asclepiodotus arrived first and marched toward London, meeting Allectus en route in Hampshire. Allectus was killed and his army retreated to London. They were met by Constantius’s fleet which had travelled up the Thames. The Romano-British Empire was at an end.
Allectus
Allectus (d. 296) was a Roman emperor in Britain (293 - 296).
Allectus was the treasurer of Carausius. When Carausius lost control of northern Gaul and its crucial port of Boulogne, Allectus assassinated him and took control. (Geoffrey of Monmouth adds in his semi-legendary medieval history that as soon as Allectus assumed the kingship of Britain, he massacred hundreds of supporters of Carausius for breaking their allegiance to Rome.) However, Allectus proved unable to prevent the invasion of Constantius I, who launched a two-pronged attack on Britain in 296. Although at least part of the first invasion force under Constantius seems to have been turned back by storms, the second force under the praetorian prefect Asclepiodotus successfully landed and marched toward London. Allectus confronted him at Farnham (in Surrey), but was defeated and killed in battle.
