MARCUS AURELIUS PROBUS AUGUSTUS: ROAD TO EGYPT

The friends are meeting at Barcelona Airport

On a day like today in 232 was born Marcus Aurelius Probus, who became Roman emperor. Probus is very famous for his campaign in Egypt.

The Grandma wants to talk about him because she's going to travel to Nubia, the area between Aswan in southern Egypt and Khartoum in central Sudan, with Claire Fontaine, Tina Picotes and Joseph de Ca'th Lon. In fact, they're preparing their last items and going to Barcelona-El Prat Airport to take a flight to Cairo. Tonight, they're going to arrive to the Egyptian capital where they're going to take another flight to Khartoum. They're going to spend five days enjoying a trip across the Nile to emulate Agatha Christie's novel Death on the Nile.

While The Grandma is waiting the departure of her flight, she's studying a new lesson of her Intermediate Language Practice manual (Vocabulary 3)

More information: Word Formation 2

Probus (c. 19 August 232 – September/October 282) was Roman Emperor from 276 to 282. Probus was an active and successful general as well as a conscientious administrator, and in his reign of six years he secured prosperity for the inner provinces while withstanding repeated inundations of hostile barbarian tribes on almost every sector of the frontier.

Aside from repelling the foreign enemies of the empire Probus was forced to handle several internal revolts, but demonstrated leniency and moderation to the vanquished wherever possible. In his reign the facade of the constitutional authority of the Roman Senate was fastidiously maintained, and the conqueror who had carried his arms to victory over the Rhine professed himself dependent on the sanction of the Senate.

More information: Ancient Egypt Online

After defeating the Germans Probus re-erected the ancient fortifications of emperor Hadrian between the Rhine and Danube rivers, protecting the Agri Decumates, and exacted from the vanquished a tribute of manpower to resettle depopulated provinces within the empire and provide for adequate defence of the frontiers.

Marcus Aurelius Probus

Probus was killed in a mutiny of the soldiers while in the middle of preparations for the Persian war, which would be carried out under his successor Carus.

Probus was born between 230 and 235, exact date of birth unknown, in Sirmium, modern day Sremska Mitrovica, Pannonia Inferior, the son of Dalmatius. According to the Alexandrian Chronicle, he was born sometime in the year 232.

Probus entered the army around 250 upon reaching adulthood. He rose rapidly through the ranks, repeatedly earning high military decorations. Appointed as a military tribune by the emperor Valerian, at a very young age, in recognition of his latent ability,  he justified the choice by a distinguished victory over the Sarmatians on the Illyrian frontier.

More information: Ancient History

During the chaotic years of the reign of Valerian, Illyria was the only province, generaled by such officers as Claudius, Aurelian and Probus, where the barbarians were kept at bay, while Gaul was overrun by the Franks, Rhaetia by the Alemans, Thrace and the Mediterranean by the Goths, and the east by Shapur I. 

Probus became amongst the highest placed liuetenants of Aurelian, reconquering Egypt from Zenobia in 273 A.D. Emperor Tacitus, upon his accession in 275, appointed Probus supreme chief of the east, granting him extraordinary powers in order to secure a dangerous frontier. Though the details are not specified, he is said to have fought with success on almost every frontier of the empire, before his election as emperor by the troops upon Tacitus' death of old age in 276, in his camp in Asia Minor.

Marcus Aurelius Probus coin

In 279–280, Probus was, according to Zosimus, in Raetia, Illyricum and Lycia, where he fought the Vandals. 

In the same years, Probus' generals defeated the Blemmyes in Egypt. Either then, or during his previous command in Egypt, he ordered the reconstruction of bridges and canals along the Nile, where the production of grain for the Empire was centered.

Probus was eager to start his eastern campaign, delayed by the revolts in the west. He left Rome in 282, travelling first towards Sirmium, his birth city.

Different accounts of Probus's death exist. According to Joannes Zonaras, the commander of the Praetorian Guard Marcus Aurelius Carus had been proclaimed, more or less unwillingly, emperor by his troops.

More information: Ancient Egypt Online

Probus sent some troops against the new usurper, but when those troops changed sides and supported Carus, Probus' remaining soldiers assassinated him at Sirmium (September/October 282). According to other sources, however, Probus was killed by disgruntled soldiers, who rebelled against his orders to be employed for civic purposes, like draining marshes. Allegedly, the soldiers were provoked when they overheard him lamenting the necessity of a standing army. Carus was proclaimed emperor after Probus' death and avenged the murder of his predecessor.

According to the favorable treatment of Gibbon, Probus was the last of the benevolent constitutional emperors of Rome. While his successor Carus simply disdained to seek the senate's confirmation of his title, Diocletian took active measures to undermine its authority, and established the autocratic nature and divine deriviation of the Imperial power. Never again, after Diocletian's reforms, would the Roman senate play an active role in the management of the empire. Besides, Probus' victories continued the succession of martial Illyrian emperors begun by Claudius Gothicus, which restored the military supremacy of Rome after her defeats during the crisis of the third century.

More information: BBC

The Roman Empire was very, very much like us. 

They lost their moral core, their sense of values 

in terms of who they were.

And after all of those things converged together, 

they just went right down the tubes very quickly. 

Ben Carson