Maeonius

Maeonius
Emperor of Palmyra
Maeonius from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum
Emperor of Palmyra
Reign	267
Predecessor	Odaenathus as King of kings
Successor	Vaballathus and Herodianus both holding the title king of kings

Maeonius (d. 266/267), or Maconius, was a short-lived Roman usurper. He is also known with the names of Odaenathus (Syncellus I p717) and Rufinus (Continuator of Cassius Dio frg. 166).

Zenobia sentences to death Maeonius, the murderer of her husband Odaenathus, end of 16th century, Bruxelles manufacture

Life

He was the nephew (according to Zonaras xii.24) or the cousin (according to Historia Augusta, which lists him among the Thirty Tyrants) of Odaenathus of Palmyra, who had taken control of the Eastern provinces after the defeat and capture of Emperor Valerian by Shapur I of the Sassanid Empire.

According to Historia Augusta, Maeonius killed Odaenathus and his son Hairan during a celebration, because of a conspiracy organized by Zenobia, wife of Odaenathus, who wanted her sons to succeed her husband instead of Hairan (who was the son of Odaenathus by another woman); According to Gibbon, the murder was revenge for a short confinement imposed by Odaenathus to Maeonius for being unrespectful.

Zonaras tells that Maeonius was killed immediately after the murder of Odaenathus, while Historia has Maeonius proclaiming himself emperor, with Zenobia having had him soon killed, in order to take the power for herself.

References

• Gibbon, Edward, The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire, "Chapter XI: Reign Of Claudius, Defeat Of The Goths. -- Part III."
• The Lives of the Thirty Pretenders, at LacusCurtius