Psamtik II vs Trebonianus Gallus

Psamtik II became pharaoh of the 26th Dynasty, succeeding his father Necho II. He inherited a kingdom that had regained independence from Assyrian control and was experiencing a cultural renaissance.

Psamtik II launched a military expedition into Nubia, reaching as far as the Third Cataract. The campaign aimed to deter Kushite threats and assert Egyptian dominance, but did not result in permanent conquest.

Following the Nubian campaign, Psamtik II ordered the systematic erasure of the names and images of the 25th Dynasty Kushite pharaohs from monuments throughout Egypt. This damnatio memoriae aimed to legitimize his own dynasty.

Psamtik II died after a reign of about 6 years, succeeded by his son Apries. His short reign was marked by military action in Nubia and cultural consolidation of Saite rule.

Facing a devastating Gothic invasion and the outbreak of the Plague of Cyprian, Trebonianus Gallus negotiated a humiliating peace with the Goths. He agreed to pay an annual tribute and allowed them to keep their plunder and prisoners, a decision criticized by contemporaries.

After the death of Emperor Decius at the Battle of Abritus, Trebonianus Gallus was proclaimed emperor by the Roman army. He was governor of Moesia at the time and quickly secured recognition from the Senate.

During Gallus's reign, a severe plague, known as the Plague of Cyprian, swept through the Roman Empire. It caused massive mortality, weakened the military, and contributed to economic and social instability, exacerbating the Crisis of the Third Century.

Rebel general Aemilianus, proclaimed emperor by the Moesian legions, marched into Italy. Trebonianus Gallus and his son Volusianus met him at Interamna Nahars (modern Terni) but were defeated and killed by their own troops, who defected to Aemilianus.