Uranius
 |
Uranius Antoninus coin, with Greek inscriptions and dated according to the Seleucid era. On the reverse, the Emesa temple to the sun god El Gabal, with the holy stone. |
Uranius is the name of a
Roman usurper cited by
Zosimus, and active during the reigns of
Elagabalus or
Alexander Severus.
However, it is possible that Zosimus confused this usurper with
L. Julius Aurelius Sulpicius Severus Uranius Antoninus, who, according to numismatical evidence, reigned much later: in
Syria, in
254, coins were struck bearing his name.
It's not clear whether the coins that were struck in Syria belong to the same man (or men) spoken about in the texts. If the later date is correct Uranius might have helped defend the
Roman Empire against
Shapur I, the
Sassanid king of
Persia.
What happened to him after his claim on the throne is not known.
