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[German version] [1] Late-Roman senator, c. AD 527, praefectus urbis Romae Late-Roman senator, brother of Pope Vigilius, c. AD 527 praefectus urbis Romae under the Gothic king Athalaric. In 536, he was interned by the Goths in Ravenna. He fled to Liguria, and in 538, Belisarius appointed him praefectus praetorio (Italiae) in Mediolan(i)um [1] (Milan), where he was assassinated in 539 by the victorious Goths (Cassiod. Var. 9,7; Procop. Goth 1,26,1 f.; 2,12,34 f.; 21,40). Ostrogoths Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin) Bibliography PLRE 2, 939 f., 1323  Rubin 2, 109, 126 f.  Ch. Schäfer, Der wes…

[German version] Western Roman usurper in the year AD 413. He murdered  Stilicho in Ravenna in 408 and was rewarded for this by being named comes Africae (Zos. 5,37,6). In spite of the despotism he practiced there he was made consul in 413 (Oros. 7,42,10), but he revolted against  Honorius [3] and landed near Rome with a large fleet. He was defeated and condemned to death on the 3rd of August 413 (Cod. Theod. 15,14,13). He fled to Carthage, where he was killed (Oros. 7,42,14; Zos. 6,7ff.; Chron. min. 1,467, 654; 2,18,71 Mommsen). Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin) Bibliography PLRE 2, 539f. A. Deman…

Common Roman cognomen ('venerable') . Elvers, Karl-Ludwig (Bochum) [German version] [1] Greek grammarian (Πρεῖσκος/ Preîskos). The 3rd cent. AD PTurner 39 (PIenensis inv. 267), a book catalogue from a private library, presents at line 4 'a commentary on epic verses by P.' [2], who is identified as one of the two Prisci mentioned in Ov. Pont. 4,16,10 ( Priscus uter); he may be identical to Clutorius Priscus, the Roman equestrian and poet mentioned in Tac. Ann. 3,49 and Cass. Dio 57,20,3-4. Fornaro, Sotera (Sassari) Bibliography 1 SH 710 A 2 R. Otranto, Antiche liste di libri su papi…

(Ἰσίδωρος; Isídōros). [German version] [1] Pirate captain, defeated by Lucullus at Tenedus in 72 BC Pirate captain who organized the Cilician pirates in the area around Crete, was besieged in 78 BC by P. Servilius Isauricus (Flor. 1,41,3), later entered the service of Mithridates and in 72 was defeated by Lucullus in the naval battle of Tenedos at the entrance to the Dardanelles (App. Mithr. 77, Memnon 42,2 = FHG 3,548) and killed (Plut. Lucullus 12.2). Strothmann, Meret (Bochum) [German version] [2] I. of Charax Geographer, end of 1st cent. BC Geographer, certainly of the Augustan p…

[German version] [1] Flavius I. 361 AD magister equitum of Iulianus [11] In AD 361 Magister Equitum of  Iulianus [11] (Amm. Marc. 21,8,3; 22,3,1), in 363 Mag. Mil. per Gallias (Amm. Marc. 25,8,11; 10,6-17; 26,5,1-3). I. continued to hold these offices under Valentinianus and Valens. In 366 victory over the Alamanni on the upper Mosel (Amm. Marc. 27,2). He was consul in 367, and remained active in Gaul and Britain until 369. He was a Christian and built the church of Saint Agricola in Reims (CIL XIII 3256). PLRE 1, 462f. (F.I. 6). Groß-Albenhausen, Kirsten (Frankfurt/Main) …

[German version] [1] Writer of a paean, c. 300 BC? Author of a paean to Apollo and Asclepius passed down to us in inscriptions (1st cent. BC) in Delphi, created perhaps already around 300 BC [1; 2], in dactylic metre [3]. Probably not identical with M. [2] (thus still [4]). The content and structure of the paean closely follow the Erythraean paean and Isyllus; cf. Ariphron. Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) Bibliography 1 W. Peek, Att. Versinschr. (Abhandlungen der Sächsischen Akademie der Wiss. Leipzig, Philol.-histor. Klasse 69/2), 1980, 45f. (Text) 2 L. Käppel, Paian, 1992, 200-206, 383f. (text…

[German version] Oldest historian of the Britons with the epithet Sapiens. G. was a Romanized Celt from western Britain, was born before AD 504 and wrote before 547, as a Christian who was fully committed to Roman culture, the work De excidio et conquestu Britanniae that was important for the history of the island during and after the decline of Roman rule. A description of the topography is followed by the history in Roman times, emphasizing the events of Church history. The invasion of the Anglo-Saxons is interpreted as a punishment fro…

[German version] Gallic aristocrat, named comes et magister utriusque militiae per Gallias by emperor  Maiorianus in AD 456 or 457, lost Cologne to the Franks, wrested Lyon from the Burgundians in 458 and defended Arles against the West Goths, whom he defeated in 463 in league with the Salic king Childerich at Orléans. In 461 he refused to recognize Maiorianus' successor and created for himself in North Gallia an independent power base centred in Soisson, which he, until his death in 464/65, asserted above…

[German version] Attested in the general sense of ‘list’ from Tertullianus (Ad nat. 1,13), common as a technical term for the list of all civil and military office bearers from the 4th cent. AD. In the notitia dignitatum , among the insignia of the primicerius notariorum a codex-like object (probably a container for loose sheets) with the supplement laterculum maius (Not. Dign. Or. 18,2; Not. Dign. Occ. 16,3) is to be found. It was the list of the high imperial offices, presumably kept by the most senior notary from the time of Constantinus [1] I, as it…

[German version] [1] Praefectus praetorio Orientis 405-414 AD Probably sent to Persia as an envoy in AD 383, comes sacrarum larg. (eastern region) in AD 400; magister officiorum (eastern region) at the latest in AD 404, cos. 405; at the latest from AD 406 patricius. A. gained considerable political influence in his role as praefectus praetorio Orientis from AD 405-414, initially under Arcadius, later under the underage Theodosius II. He was a Christian, but looked upon pagan culture with an open mind [1. 82 f.]. Through the building of walls, he took…

(Ἡράκλειος; Hērákleios). Two prominent Sicilians known from the trial of  Verres in 70 BC: [German version] [1] Citizen of Syracuse, 1st cent. BC The son of a certain Hieron, a wealthy citizen of Syracuse. In 73 BC he inherited from a homonymous relative a magnificent house including furnishings and 3 million sesterces (Cic. Verr. 2,14,35). Because of the machinations of Verres, who contested the will, H. lost his wealth and the inheritance. The real estate was returned to him by L. Caecilius [I 13] Metellus, the successor of Verres (Cic. Verr. 2,19,47-50; 25,62). Meister, Klaus (Berlin) …

[German version] The NUC is a description of the 14 regions of Constantinopolis with their churches, palaces, baths, etc., as well as a listing of municipal officials. This compilation, written in Latin, was drawn up under the Emperor Theodosius II around AD 425. Notitia dignitatum; Theodosius II Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin) Bibliography Edition: O. Seeck, Notitia dignitatum, 1876, 227-243. Literature: P. Speck, Zur Datierung der N.u.C., in: H.-G. Beck (ed.), Studien zur Frühgeschichte Konstantinopels, 1973, 144ff.

[German version] (Ζήμαρχος/ Zḗmarchos). Magister militum per Orientem under the emperor Iustinus [4] II, a Cilician by origin who led a legation to the khan Sizabulus of the Turks (AD 552-576) to the central Asiatic region of Sogdiana in the years 569-571/2, rather than 568/9. He took part in Sizabulus' campaign against the Persians, concluded a treaty with the Turks and returned after an adventuresome voyage over the Volga. The account of this legation is very important for its information about the T…

Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin) I. To 1600 (CT) [German version] A. History and Social Development under Carolingian Rule to 918 (CT) The coronation of Charlemagne as emperor (800) laid the foundation for the medieval German empire. In a lengthy process, the German people evolved from those Germanic tribes that had remained settled during the great migration of the peoples, together with some foederati, Rome's former allies. Larger communities developed around many villae, still evident in some place names, particularly in the Rhineland, but settlements also develope…

[German version] Spanish relative, probably cousin, of the emperor Honorius [3]; after the collapse of the resistance put up by his brothers Didymus and Verenianus against the usurper Constantinus [3] III in Spain in AD 408/9, he fled to the eastern part of the Empire (Zos. 6,4,4; Sozom. Hist. eccl. 9,12,1; cf. Oros. 7,40,5-8). PLRE 2,654; cf. 358, 1099, 1155. Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin)

[German version] A. Work Historia Augusta (HA) is the modern title of the Scriptores historiae Augustae (SHA), as Casaubonus in 1603, following the Vita Taciti (10,3), named the six otherwise unknown authors Aelius Spartianus, Iulius Capitolinus, Vulcacius Gallicanus, Aelius Lampridius, Trebellius Pollio and Flavius Vopiscus from Syracuse. They feature as the compilers of a collection of  biographies of Roman emperors, heirs apparent and usurpers from the time of Hadrian (AD 117-138) to Numerianus and Carinus (283-284/…

[German version] [1] AD 350 possibly magister militum of the usurper Magnentius In AD 350, possibly as magister militum of the usurper Magnentius, he pursued the fleeing emperor Constans, and killed him during his arrest in the Pyrenean town of Helena ([Aur. Vict.] Epit. Caes. 41,23; Zos. 2,42,5). In 351, he was consul together with Magnentius (Chron. min. 1, 69 Mommsen). PLRE 1, 380. Portmann, Werner (Berlin) [German version] [2] Official under Honorius AD 409 Comes sacrarum largitionum under Honorius probably in AD 409, and comes et magister officiorum in 410 (Cod. lust. 4,61,12…

[German version] [1] Flavius Eparchius A. West Roman emperor 9.7.455-17.10.456 West Roman emperor 9.7.455-17.10.456, born c. 400 in Clermont. He came from a family of senators from the Auvergne, came to have some influence over the king of the West Goths,  Theoderic I and, as praef. praetorio Galliarum in 439, he negotiated a peace treaty with the king and persuaded him to join sides in the war against the Huns in 451 (Sid. Apoll. Carm. 7,295-355). In 455, A. was appointed mag. militum praesentalis by the emperor Petronius  Maximus and after the latter's overthrow was himself…

[German version] Sister of the emperor Iustinianus [1] I, married to Dulcidius, mother of Praeiecta, of the magister militum and patricius Marcellus [7] and of the emperor Iustinus [4] II, who was born c. AD 510-515; she was still alive for his ascension to the throne in 565 and she had influence over him (Procop. Vand. 2,24,3; Victor Tonnunensis, Chron. Min. ed. Mommsen: MGH AA 2,206; Corippus, In laudem Iustini, praef. 21 f.; 1,8 f.; 2,283). Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin) Bibliography A. Cameron (ed.), Corippus, In laudem Iustini (with an English translation and commentary…

[German version] Comes and alongside Aetius [2], influential magister militum in Gaul, fought from AD 435 with Hunnic troops primarily against the Visigoths. L. subjugated Aremorica, laid waste to the land of the Arvernians, liberated Narbo from the Gothic siege and in 439 was captured near Tolosa and killed by the Goths (Chron. min. 1,475f.; 2,23 Mommsen; Sid. Apoll. Carm. 7,246-50, 300-303; Salv. Gub. 7,10). Johne, Klaus-Peter (Berlin) Bibliography PLRE 2, 684f. A. Demandt, s.v. magister militum, RE Suppl. 12, 553-790, esp. 666f.