Laelia'nus, U'lpius Corne'lius
Trebellius Pollio assigns the fourth place in his list of the thirty tyrants [AUREOLUS] to a certain Lollianus, who, according to the narrative of the Augustan historian, was the leader of the insurrection by which Postumus [POSTUMUS] was overthrown ; and after gallantly defending Gaul from the incursions of the Germans, was himself slain by his own soldiers, who mutinied on account of the severe toils which he imposed, and proclaimed Victorinus [VICTORINUS] in his stead.
These events took place, it would appear, in the course of A. D. 267. Victor, in his Caesars (100.33), calls the same individual Laelianus; Victor, in his Epitome (100.32), Aelianus; and Eutropius (
9.7) L. Aelianus.
But coins are extant in all the three metals, executed apparently by the same workmen as those of Postumus, bearing on the obverse the legend IMP. C. LAELIANUS. P. F. AUG., or IMP. C. ULP. COR. LAELIANUS, which would lead us at once to conclude that the name placed at the head of this article was the real designation of this pretender to the purple.
A solitary medal, however, believed to be genuine, was once contained in the collection of the prince of Waldeck, from whence it was stolen, which exhibited IMP. C. LOLLIANUS P. F. AUG.; and to complete the confusion, many numismatologists refer to this epoch a small brass, with IMP. C. Q. VALENS. AELIANUS. P. AUG. on the obverse, and on the reverse JOVI. CONSER. AUGG., words which indicate a divided sovereignty.
This last medal, may, however, be assigned, with more probability, to that Aelianus who, along with Amandus, headed the rebellion of the Bagaudae in the reign of Diocletian. [AELIANUS; MAXIMIANUS I.] (Eckhel, vol. vii. pp. 448-450.)
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W.R]
