ROMAN BRITAIN'S PIRATE KING : carausius, constantius chlorus and the fourth roman... invasion of britain

In the mid-3rd century AD Roman Britain’s regional fleet, the Classis Britannica, disappeared. It was never to return. Soon the North Sea and English Channel were over-run by Germanic pirates preying upon the east and south coast of Britain, and the continental coast up to the Rhine Delta. The western augustus (senior emperor) Maximian turned to a seasoned naval leader called Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Valerius Carausius to restore order. He was so successful that Maximian accused him of pocketing the plunder he’d recaptured, ordering his execution. The canny Carausius moved first and in 286 usurped imperial authority, creating a North Sea empire in northern Gaul and Britain which lasted until 296. Dubbed the pirate king, he initially thrived, seeing off early attempts by Maximian to defeat him. However, in the early 290s Maximian appointed his new caesar (junior emperor), Constantius Chlorus (the father of Constantine the Great), to defeat Carausius. A seasoned commander, Constantius Chlorus soon brought northern Gaul back into the imperial fold, leaving Carausius controlling only Britain. Carausius was then assassinated and replaced by Allectus, his treasurer. Allectus was in turn defeated by Constantius Chlorus in AD 296 in the fourth Roman invasion of Britain, the caesar arriving just in time to prevent London being sacked by Allectus’ Frankish mercenaries. Once more Britain was part of the Roman Empire. A “fascinating and engaging” study of the naval commander who defied an emperor and ruled in Britain and northern Gaul for a decade (Midwest Book Review).In the middle of the third century AD, Roman Britain's regional fleet, the Classis Britannica, disappeared. It was never to return. Soon the North Sea and English Channel were overrun by Germanic pirates preying upon the east and south coasts of Britain, and the continental coast up to the Rhine Delta. The western augustus (senior emperor) Maximian turned to a seasoned naval leader called Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Valerius Carausius to restore order. He was so successful that Maximian accused him of pocketing the plunder he'd recaptured—and ordered his execution. The canny Carausius moved first, and in 286 usurped imperial authority, creating a North Sea empire in northern Gaul and Britain that lasted until 296. Dubbed the pirate king, he initially thrived, seeing off early attempts by Maximian to defeat him. However, in the early 290s Maximian appointed his new caesar (junior emperor), Constantius Chlorus—the father of Constantine the Great—to defeat Carausius. A seasoned commander, Constantius Chlorus soon brought northern Gaul back into the imperial fold, leaving Carausius controlling only Britain. But that control would soon come to an end in dramatic fashion, as recounted in this lively, compelling history. Cover Book Title Copyright Contents Introduction Chapter One Principate to Dominate: Empire in Transition Chapter Two The Roman Military in Transition Chapter Three Roman Britain and the ‘Crisis of the 3rd Century’ Plate section Chapter Four Enter Carausius Chapter Five The North Sea Empire Chapter Six Constantius Chlorus: Nemesis Conclusion List of References and Bibliography Index The remarkable story of Carausius, who was sent to clear the North Sea and Channel of Germanic pirates but, when accused of pocketing their loot, revolted against Rome in 286.