[ J 3° ] 
Poflhumius , not fufficient to fupport it. He rather 
thinks therefore, that the fon died fome years before 
his father, and probably during the war, in which 
they were jointly ingaged againft Gallienus. For it 
was immediately after this war, that his father took 
Vittorinus (i) as a partner with himfelf in the em- 
pire ; which, had his fon been living, could neither 
have been for his intereft, nor fuitable to natural 
affedtion. Belides, tho Vitforinus had then diftin- 
gui£hed himfelf for his valour, he muft have been 
younger than the fon of Pojlumus ; fince his mother 
Viftorina , or Victoria, was yet in the vigour of her 
age, and one of thofe who oppofed Gallienus. And 
tho fhe could not poffefs the empire herfelf, fuch 
was her ambition, that fhe affumed the titles of 
Augujla and Mater caflrorum (2). 
Her fon ViPtorinus , who expedted to fucceed to 
the government of Pojlumus , finding his army joined 
to the fadtion of Aelianus , and that he was pro- 
claimed emperor, had no fmall difficulty to fupport 
himfelf among the other part of the Gauls , who by 
this means were divided. But this did not remain 
long ; for Aelianus having undertaken to repair the 
forts, which Pojlumus built along the Rhine to pre- 
vent the paffage of the barbarians over it ; and they 
had 
(1) M. Avrelivs Piavvonivs Victorinvs. 
(2) I he title Augujla was ufually given to the mothers and 
wives of the emperors ; and Trajan confered it likewife on Marci • 
ana his lifter, and his neice Matidia. The other title, Mater ca- 
/i rorum , took its rife from the repeated acclamations of the armies; 
and had been given to Fauflina the wife of M. Aurelius , and Julia 
Domna the wife of Septimius Severus, with fome others* 
