Faustinus was a 3rd-century CE political figure who launched a rebellion against the Gallic Emperor Tetricus I.[1] His full name and his year of birth are unknown.[1] According to a small number of literary sources (Aurelius Victor,[2] Eutropius,[3] and Polemius Silvius[4]), Faustinus sparked a mutiny among Tetricus' troops.[4] At the time of his rebellion, Faustinus was a provincial governor (praeses),[2] presumably of Gallia Belgica since the capital of that province—Augusta Treverorum—was where the rebellion began.[1] Faustinus' revolt was formidable enough, according to the literary sources, to lead Tetricus to appeal to the central Roman emperor Aurelian for aid against the usurper.[2][3][4][5]
The exact date of his rebellion is uncertain, but scholars generally agree on some time between late 273 CE and the summer of 274 CE.[1] Some ancient sources suggest that Faustinus continued his revolt after Tetricus surrendered to Aurelian, who in this scenario would have defeated Faustinus in 274 CE.[6]
Faustinus may have owned property in Britain that was confiscated after the failure of his rebellion.[7]
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link), cited in Polfer (1999), who objects that by this timeline, Faustinus should have had time to strike his own coins, but none have been found.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link), cited in Polfer (1999).