In AD 286, a highly capable Roman general named Carausius rebelled against the imperial regime and set up his own empire in Britannia. The so-called “arch-pirate” ruled over Britain, parts of Northern France and Belgium, repelled a major invasion force led by the Emperor Maximian, and survived far longer than most legitimate emperors of the period before his assassination in 293. The “Britannic Empire” was soon subdued and reconquered by the future emperor Constantius ‘Chlorus’ and was soon erased from history. However, thanks partly to the huge array of coins struck by Carausius and his successor, Allectus, historians and numismatists have managed to piece together their thrilling story. Axel Kendrick, Head of Ancient Coins, speaks to Graham Barker, author and honorary research fellow at the University of Warwick, about this fascinating tale of the first independent rulers of a unified Britain.

Graham Barker is an independent researcher and honorary research fellow at the University of Warwick. He is the author of Imperial Legitimation, and co-author of The Rebel Emperors of Britannia.