Body of Vigintiviri

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The Latin name Vigintiviri means "20 men" and describes a senate commission that was convened in 238 during the so-called six - emperor year to protect the Roman Empire from the advancing Maximinus Thrax . Of these 20, only seven are passed down to us today, including the Senate Emperors Pupienus and Balbinus , who were elected from this committee . Other documented members of this body were:

Prehistory and origin

The beginning of the imperial crisis in 238 represented a great challenge for the Roman empire: The elevation of several (soldier) emperors and the resulting tensions ensured increasingly chaotic conditions inside the empire. Maximinus Thrax, the first soldier emperor (although this is also controversial in recent research), was proclaimed emperor by a legion. The relationship between the new emperor and the Senate could not be stabilized in this six- emperor year: Thrax refrained from moving to Rome and showing the Senate the necessary respect, while the Senate, although disempowered, but still with symbolic importance, gave him because of him Did not want to accept origin and his lack of senatorial status as a full emperor. Although he was slowly able to secure his power through donations to the soldiers and the townspeople, it was only a matter of time before a revolt broke out against him. This happened in the province of Africa in the same year when Gordian I was proclaimed emperor and shortly afterwards his son Gordian II was appointed co-emperor.

Due to good relations with the Gordians, the Senate now had an opposition to Maximinus in its hands, but was unable to maintain it for long: Gordian II fell in battle and then his father Gordian I took his own life out of grief. The anger of Maximinus Thrax over the events and relations between the Senate and the Gordians led him to march against Rome. Finally the Senate tried desperately to elect a new opposition from the body of the vigintiviri to protect Rome . There were Marcus Clodius Pupienus maximus for coping with outer and Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus chosen for the management of internal stresses.

Structure of the committee

structure

The internal structure of the body was by no means homogeneous, although all members belonged to the senatorial class. They were men from different positions, social backgrounds and senatorial careers. Among the members we know, we find for example:

These different currents and interests were brought to a common denominator due to an imminent threat, namely the defense of the Maximinus Thrax. One cannot speak of a party with a common slogan, but rather of a cross-section of the most important and powerful men in the Senate who oppose a common enemy in the form of an advisory body.

Four of them were very close to the Emperor Alexander Severus through their respective areas of responsibility. These included, for example, functions such as comes Augusti or comes Augustorum , which generally represented a kind of “travel companion” and consultant. We find such offices, for example, in Priscilianus. Senatorial offices such as praefectus urbi ( city ​​prefect ), who among other things acted as a kind of deputy of the emperor, showed that the emperor saw the respective candidate as capable and worthy to exercise this high office. Mutual trust between the emperor and the city prefect was necessary. This “proximity to the emperor” was certainly another decisive criterion for membership in the committee of the Vigintiviri, in addition to social status and experience in various areas of the military and civilian sector. Of the seven registered members, only Priscilianus and Rufinianus exercised the office of praefectus urbi .

The age varied greatly between the 20 men. While the elected Senate Emperors Pupienus and Balbinus must have been old men, Crispinus and Rufinianus were around 50 and Priscilianus around 40.

hierarchy

The hierarchy within this 20-man body was based on social origin. The offices held in each case were strongly tied to this parentage. Together, these two factors regulated the hierarchical status within the body.

Military and civilian experience

Experience in the military sector was not found in all members. Only Crispinus, Menophilus and Pupienus had some military experience. Balbinus , Priscilianus, Rufinus and Rufinianus went through a civil senatorial career. Her skills were shown in the administrative and judicial areas.

Other functions of the body

In addition to the defense against Maximinus Thrax, the second function of the 20-man committee was to provide the two Gordians with an active Senate commission to help. This happened before Maximinus went against Rome. One intention of this Senate Commission was to revive the Senate as a co-ruling body alongside the imperial power. This would have helped both the Gordians in their rise and fight against Thrax and at the same time strengthened the power relationship between the Emperor and the Senate.

swell

The 20-man body is only mentioned very superficially in the Historia Augusta . Here is the only evidence for the vigintiviri in the Historia Augusta:

  • "Missi sunt denique ad eum legati senatores viginti, quorum nomina sunt apud Cordum (in his consulares quattuor, praetorii octo, octo quaestorii) cum coronis et senatus consulto, in quo ei statuae auratae equestres decernebantur" (Historia Balbaini: Maximi , 4.)
  • Translation: "A Senate deputation of twenty members, whose names are with Cordus - including four former consuls, eight former praetors, eight former quaestors - was then delegated to him with wreaths and a senate resolution according to which they were awarded gilded equestrian statues."

A reconstruction of the structure of the vigintiviri is not possible on the basis of the Historia Augusta alone. Evidence for the senatorial careers of the individual members as well as their social status can be found in the respective inscriptions and gravestones. The sources in the articles of the individual members provide more detailed information on this.

See also

literature

swell
  • Ernst Hohl (translation and introduction), Johannes Straub (foreword), Elke Merten and Alfons Rösger (commentary): Historia Augusta. Roman rulers . Volume 2 (of 2). Artemis-Verlag, Zurich 1985, ISBN 3-7608-3637-2 .
Secondary literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Alexander Demandt: Geschichte der Spätantike. Munich 1998, pp. 10-14.
  2. ↑ See Ulrich Huttner: From Maximinus Thrax to Aemilianus. In: Klaus-Peter Johne (Ed.): The time of the soldiers' emperors. Crisis and transformation of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century AD (235–284) . Volume 1. Berlin 2008, pp. 159-166.
  3. ↑ Huttner: From Maximinus Thrax to Aemilianus. P. 167f.
  4. ↑ Huttner: From Maximinus Thrax to Aemilianus. P. 173f.
  5. ^ Karlheinz Dietz: Senatus contra principem. Investigations into the senatorial opposition to Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Beck, Munich 1980, pp. 326-327.
  6. ^ Karlheinz Dietz: Senatus contra principem. Investigations into the senatorial opposition to Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Beck, Munich 1980, pp. 327-329.
  7. ^ Karlheinz Dietz: Senatus contra principem. Investigations into the senatorial opposition to Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Beck, Munich 1980, p. 327.
  8. ^ Karlheinz Dietz: Senatus contra principem. Investigations into the senatorial opposition to Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Beck, Munich 1980, p. 328.
  9. ^ Karlheinz Dietz: Senatus contra principem. Investigations into the senatorial opposition to Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Beck, Munich 1980, p. 330.
  10. ^ Karlheinz Dietz: Senatus contra principem. Investigations into the senatorial opposition to Emperor Maximinus Thrax. Beck, Munich 1980, pp. 330-331.