Florian had hardly assumed office when the armies and provinces of Phoenicia, Palestine, Syria and Egypt declared for Probus . Florian turned from pursuing the the Eruli north to return to Cilicia and confront Probus and his army. Florian appears to have had the larger army, but Probus , an experienced general, held back. After a few weeks of sporadic fighting, Florian was assassinated by his own troops near Tarsus. He had reigned about 88 days.
Some historians doubt, however, whether any blood connexion existed at all.
Little can be said about Florian's reign. One inscription assigns him a consulate. Histoire Auguste . Inscriptiones Latinae Selectae . Grenfell, Bernard and Arthur Hunt.