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Name of an old patrician family, which was said to have immigrated to Rome under King T. Tatius with V. [I 10] (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 2,46). The name, derived from the old personal name Valesus/ Valerus, was originally Valesios (cf. V. [I 7]; CIL XII p. 298g: Valesies; Fest. 22; Varro, Rerum divinarum fr. 66 Cardauns [4; 5]); the censor App. Claudius [I 2] introduced the new spelling in 312 BC (cf. Dig. 1,2, 2,36). Because in Antiquity the name was derived (etymologically correctly) from valere, 'to be strong', it was considered to be a good omen ( boni ominis nomen, Cic. Div. 1,102; Cic. Sca…

[German version] [1] C. I, Flavius Valerius C., C. Chlorus, Roman Emperor (Augustus) AD 305-306 or M., Caesar (293-305) and Augustus (305-306), in later times nicknamed Chlorus; born c. 250 in what would become Dacia Ripensis. On the staff of the Illyrian soldier emperors, first protector, then tribunus. Under the rule of  Carinus attained equestrian rank as praeses Dalmatiarum (Anon. Vales. 1; SHA Car. 17,6). It seems likely that even before 293 (thus Aur. Vict. Caes. 39,24; Eutr. 9,22,1), and in fact before 289, when he was praefectus praetorio to  Maximianus, he had to divorce h…

[German version] From 28 October 306 to 28 October 312, Valerius Maxentius ruled over Italy and Africa as emperor but was not recognised by his co-rulers of the 3rd tetrarchy. As the son of the western Augustus, Maximianus [1], and Eutropia [1] he could be seen as successor (Pan. Lat. 10,14,1), especially since - through his marriage (certainly later than 293) to Valeria Maximilla [1], the daughter of Galerius [5] and (through Valeria) granddaughter of Diocletianus - he was also connected to the I…

[German version] ('House-bread') was a special bread ration granted - within the general framework of the system of grain and bread distribution ( annona civica) to the civilian populations of the two capitals, Rome and Constantinople  - to individuals who had built a house at Constantinople. The privilege, established by Constantine (Constantinus [1]) and confirmed by Constantius [2] II, served to ensure the rapid growth of Constantinople. Legislation (Cod. Theod. 14,17,1 and 12) regulating whether the privilege could be passed on to heirs or purchasers is contradictory. Bleckm…

[German version] [1] Fl. D. Half-brother of the Emperor Constantine I Son of  Constantius [1] and Theodora, half-brother of Constantine I. Nothing is known of his role in the initial period of Constantine's rule, although presumably he was given Toulouse as his abode during the tensions with Licinius in c. AD 320-324 (Auson. Prof. 16,11-12). Consul in 333, he was sent to Antioch at around the same time with the archaizing title of censor (Athan. c. Ar. 65,1ff.). There he was concerned with murder accusations against Athanasius. In Tarsus he had  Calocaerus burnt to d…

[German version] [1] Valeria Maximilla Daughter of Galerius and wife of Maxentius Daughter of Galerius [5] and wife of Maxentius. The marriage produced two sons, Valerius Romulus (died 309?) and another son who is mentioned along with her as late as 312 (Pan. Lat. 12,16,5). Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg) Bibliography PLRE 1, 576 [German version] [2] Cofounder of Montanism in the 2nd cent. AD In the middle of the 2nd. cent. AD she founded, together with Montanus and Priscilla, the Christian revivalist movement of Montanism. She was also a writer (Hippolytus, Refutatio omnium haeresium 8,…

[German version] [1] Legendary founder of Rome The legendary founder of Rome. Perhaps literally 'the Roman'. A possible correspondence between the Etruscan nomen gentile Rumelna (Volsinii, 6th cent. BC: ET Vs 1,35) and the alleged Roman nomen gentile Romilius - the name is securely attested only in an old tribus Romilia/-ulia (Paul Fest. 331 L.) - and between R. and an Etruscan praenomen * Rumele [1. 31 f.] proves nothing about the historicity of the figure of R. Also problematic is the attempt [2. 491-520; 3. 95-150] to connect the finds from the Roman Mon…

(Ἱεροκλῆς; Hieroklês). [German version] [1] Carian mercenary leader of the 3rd cent. BC Carian mercenary leader of the 3rd cent. BC. In 287/6 together with Heraclides he foiled the attempt of Athenian democrats to take the Piraeus and the Munychia (Polyaenus, Strat. 5,17). Under  Antigonus [2] Gonatas, H. held the position of a Macedonian phroúrarchos (‘commandant of a garrison’) in Piraeus and repeatedly was host to the king. He was a friend of the leader of the Academy, Arcesilaus [5] (Diog. Laert. 4,39f.) and acquainted with Menedemus (Diog. Laert. 2,127).  Demetrius [2] Engels, Joh…

[German version] Magister officiorum of Licinius [II 4]; after the fall of Hadrianopolis [3] (3 July AD 324), Licinius made him Augustus (incorrectly Caesar in the literary sources). After Licinius's capitulation, Martianus was banished to Cappadocia, where he was executed in 325. Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg) Bibliography PLRE 1, 563 M. Clauss, Der magister officiorum in der Spätantike (4.-6. Jh.), 1980, 171.

[German version] [1] C. Commodus, L. Cos. ord. 78 AD A native of Etruria; senator from the time of Nero; cos. ord. 78; governor of Syria from AD 78/79; married to Appia Severa (PIR2 C 603) [1. I 308; 2. 45 A. 22]. Eck, Werner (Cologne) [German version] [2] C. Commodus, L. Cos. ord. 106 AD Son of [1]. Cos. ord. AD 106 (PIR2 C 604). Married to one Plautia, their son being C. [3]. Eck, Werner (Cologne) [German version] [3] C. Commodus, L. = Aelius Caesar, L. Cos. ord. 136 AD Son of [2]. His maternal half-brother was M. Vettulenus Civica Barbarus [3. 845]. Born on 13 January in about AD 1…

[German version] ( temonarius equus, literally 'leading horse of a team'). One responsible for payment of taxes. From the time of Diocletianus (AD 284-305) onwards the conscription of recruits was to some extent integrated into the capitatio- iugatio taxation system: Land owners, usually several, belonging to a taxation unit had to supply one recruit annually or advance the sum needed to raise recruits ( adaeratio ). In yearly rotation one from among the land owners was designated temonarius or capitularius (payer of poll tax), who provided the recruit or the corresponding…

[German version] List - named after a badly corrupted MS from Verona of the 7th cent. AD - of the Roman provinces classified according to dioceses directly in accordance with the new order of Diocletianus (with map; c. AD 313) as well as (§ 13) of the ‘barbarian’ peoples on the northern border of the Roman empire. Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg) Bibliography T. D. Barnes, The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine, 1982, 202f. (ed.).

[German version] Fl. Strategius M., of humble origin, served as an interpreter at the court of Constantinus [1] I and received from him the cognomen M. because of his learnedness (Amm. 15,13,1-2). He continued his career under Constantius [2] II: as a comes he supported the emperor in ecclesiastical policy. In AD 349 he was praeses (governor) of Thebes, in 350 proconsul of Constantinople, in 353 proconsul of Achaia, finally in 354-358  praefectus praetorio Orientis, with seat of office in Antioch. From there he conducted secret negotiations with the satrap Tamsapor o…

[German version] Brother of Bassianus [3], allegedly incited him to rebel against Constantinus [1] (Anon. Vales. 15). Whether he can be identified with the dux S. recorded by ILS 664 as in Noricum in 310 AD is the subject of discussion. PLRE 1, 820 (S. 1). Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg)

(Θεοδώρα; Theodṓra). [German version] [1] Roman empress, about AD 300 Roman empress; stepdaughter (Aur. Vict. Caes. 39,25; Eutr. 9,22,1) or daughter (Anon. Vales. 1,1; Philostorgius 2,16) of Maximianus [1]. Contrary to the assertions of later sources, she was already married to Constantius [1] even before he was elevated to the rank of Caesar in AD 293  ( tetrárchēs IV.), and probably when he was praefectus praetorio to Maximianus (unclear Paneg. 2,11,4). The six children of their marriage represent the younger branch of the Constantinian imperial fam…

[German version] Magister camelorum (Aur. Vict. Caes. 41,11: perhaps in the sense of ‘leading shepherd slave’) on Cyprus. The revolt of AD 334 (?), which he led, was of only local significance and quickly suppressed, C. himself sentenced in Tarsus by  Dalmatius (PLRE 1, 177). Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg) Bibliography Kienast, 21996, 308f.

[German version] [1] First priestess of Fortuna Muliebris, 5th cent. BC Sister of P. Valerius [I 45] Poplicola, said to have saved Rome in 488 BC from Coriolanus (Plut. Coriolanus 33; Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 8,39; 8,43,1 f.); first priestess of Fortuna Muliebris (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 8,55,3-5; Fortuna B.). Strothmann, Meret (Bochum) Bibliography Latte, 181. [German version] [2] Daughter of P. Valerius [I44], ca. 500 BC Daughter of P. Valerius [I 44] (elected belatedly cos. for the year 509 BC), sent to Porsenna with 19 other hostages (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 5,32,3). They …

[German version] [1] Afranius H. Cos. ord. AD 292 Officer in Probus' staff (HA Probus 22,3), in AD 285, praefectus praetorio alongside Asclepiodotus, in 292 consul ordinarius again with Asclepiodotus, in 297-8 praefectus urbi. Perhaps the father of Maximian's stepdaughter  Theodora. Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg) [German version] [2] Half-brother of Constantinus [1] beginning 4th cent. AD Half-brother of  Constantinus [1] († AD 337) from the marriage between Constantius [1] and Theodora. Unlike his brothers Dalmatius [1] and Iulius Constantius [4], H…

[German version] [1] Roman god of the forest Male deity. Mihály-Lorand, Dészpa I. Cult and places of worship Roman god of the forest [German version] A. Etymology and origin Based on the etymology of the name, four hypotheses have so far been put forward regarding the origins of this god: S. is identical with the Etruscan god Selvan [4. 54-59; 12. 200]; S. is an adjectival derivation of the word silva ('forest') and was originally an epithet of either Faunus [14. 213] or Mars [6. 132]; S. is a direct derivative of the Latin silva ('forest'), with the suffix -no- adding the meaning of 'mas…

[German version] [1] Son of Flavius N. (cos. AD 336) Son of the half-sister of Constantinus [1], Eutropia [2], and Flavius N. ( cos. AD 336). As a member of the Constaninian dynasty, he rose up in Rome against Magnentius. He defeated the army of the latter's praef. praet., Anicius (or Anicetus), in Italy and claimed to be the ruler for a while (June 350), until Magnentius's magister officiorum, Marcellinus [5], defeated him. Magnentius's retribution against N.'s supporters was bloody. PLRE 1,624, No. 5. Bleckmann, Bruno (Strasbourg) [German version] [2] Father of the Emperor Nepos,…