In the middle of the century, the province was loyal for a few years to the usurper Magnentius, who succeeded Constans following the latter's death. After the defeat and death of Magnentius in the Battle of Mons Seleucus in 353, Constantius II dispatched his chief imperial notary Paulus Catena to Britain to hunt down Magnentius's supporters. The investigation deteriorated into a witch-hunt, which forced the Flavius Martinus to intervene. When Paulus retaliated by accusing Martinus of treason, the attacked Paulus with a sword, with the aim of assassinating him, but in the end he committed suicide.
