List of Roman army masters
The list of Roman military masters contains all known military masters ( magistri militum ) of late antiquity .
The office was introduced by Constantine the Great (306–337) and existed until Emperor Herakleios (610–641). It was one of the most important Roman offices, the holders of which, especially since the end of the 4th century, had an influence on imperial politics that could hardly be overestimated, as they had a powerful means of pressure in their hands with the army under their command.
No army masters are known by name from the time of Constantine the Great. The first magistri militum met under his sons Constans (337–350) and Constantius II (337–361). At first there seemed to have been only two army masters: the magister equitum , the commander of the cavalry, and the magister peditum , the army master of the infantry. Constantius II gradually expanded the college to include new magistri militum , who were assigned certain districts. The first of these "Sprengelgenerals" was probably from around 350/51 Ursicinus , who as magister equitum per Orientem commanded the associations in the east of the empire. Marcellus was then the first magister equitum per Gallias and Lucillianus seems to have been the first army master for Illyria ( magister equitum per Illyricum ). At the end of Constantius' reign there were five army master positions that could be filled at the same time.
List of Roman army masters
Army master | Exact rank | Term of office | Remarks | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Constans (337-350) | ||||
Flavius Salia | magister equitum | Consul 348 | Peter 562 | |
Vetranio | magister peditum | up to 350 | Demandt 562f. | |
Magnentius (350–353) | ||||
Gaiso | magister equitum | 350-351 | probably fallen at Mursa | 563 |
Romulus | magister peditum | 350–353? | Demandt 563f. | |
Constantius II (337-361) | ||||
Hermogenes | magister equitum | ? -342 | 342 killed in a riot | 564 |
Sallustius Bonosus | magister peditum, magister equitum | Consul 344 | Demandt 564f. | |
Eusebius | magister equitum et peditum | - before 353 | Consul 347 | Demandt 365; PLRE I 307f .; RE VI, 1, 1366 (Seeck) |
Arbitio | magister equitum | 351 / 54-362 | Consul 355 | Demandt 567; 581f .; PLRE I 94f .; RE II, 1 412 (Seeck) |
Silvanus | magister peditum | ? -355 | killed after a usurpation in Cologne | Demandt 567f .; RE III A, 1 125f. (Seeck) |
Barbatio | magister peditum | ? -359 | 359 executed | Demandt 568f .; PLRE I 146f .; RE III, 1 1f. (Seeck) |
Agilo | magister peditum | 359-362 | taken over by Julian | Demandt 581; PLRE I 28f .; RE I, 1 809 (Seeck) |
Ursicinus | Magister equitum per Orientem | approx. 350-360 | Demandt 569ff .; RE IX A, 1 1058ff. (Lippold) | |
Lucillianus | magister equitum per Illyricum | 359-361 | deposed by Julian | Demandt 570f .; 575f. |
Sabinianus | Magister equitum per Orientem | 359–? | Demandt 572f. | |
Marcellus | magister equitum per Gallias | 355 – winter 356/357 | Demandt 573f .; RE XIV, 2 1491 (Enßlin) | |
Severus | magister equitum per Gallias | 356/357 – after 358 | Dean 574 | |
Lupicinus | magister equitum per Gallias | 358 / 9-360 / 1 | deposed by Julian | Demandt 574f. |
Gomoarius | magister equitum per Gallias | 360 / 1-361 | deposed by Julian | Dean 575 |
Julian (360–363) | ||||
initially took over Arbitio and Agilo | ||||
Nevitta | magister equitum per Gallias (nominal) | 361-363 | Consul 362 | Demandt 580; PLRE I 626f. |
Iovinus | magister equitum per Illyricum et per Gallias | 361 – late 369 | Consul 367 | Demandt 580ff .; 588-90 |
Hormisdas | magister equitum | 362-363 | Demandt 581 | |
Victor | magister peditum | 362-364 | Demandt 582 | |
Arintheus | magister equitum | 362-364 | 583 | |
Jovian (363-364) | ||||
Iovinus, Victor and Arintheus took over | ||||
Lucillianus | magister equitum (?) | 363 | already likes. mil. under Constantius (see above), now used again | 585 |
Lupicinus | Magister equitum per Orientem | 363-364 | already likes. mil. under Constantius (see above), now used again | Demandt 585f. |
Dagalaifus | magister equitum (?) | 363-366 | possibly Successor of Lucillianus; Consul 366 | Demandt 585f .; PLRE I 239 |
Valentinian I (364-375) | ||||
took over Iovinus (until 369); Dagalaifus (up to 366) | ||||
Equitius | magister militum per Illyricum | 365– | Consul 374 | Demandt 588f. |
Theodosius | magister equitum per Gallias | Late 369– | Demandt 590f. | |
Sebastianus | magister peditum | -378 | fallen at Adrianople | |
Gratian (375-383) | ||||
Build | magister equitum | 380 – before 388 | Consul 385 | Demandt 600f .; RE III, 1, 176 (Seeck); PLRE I 159f .; Enßlin 132f. |
Theodosius I (379-395) | ||||
Abundantius | magister utriusque militae | 392-393 | Consul 393 | RE 1,126 (Seeck); PLRE I 4f. |
Majorian (457-461) | ||||
Aegidius | magister utriusque per Gallias | ??? | ||
Army master | Exact rank | Term of office | Remarks | References |
literature
- Alexander Demandt : Magister militum. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Supplementary volume XII, Stuttgart 1970, Sp. 553-790. (Fundamental to army masters until the end of the 5th century.)
- Wilhelm Enßlin : On the post of army master in the late Roman Empire . Part II: The magistri militum of the 4th century . In: Klio 24, 1931, pp. 102-147; Part III: The magister utriusque militiae et patricius of the 5th century . In: Klio 24, 1931, pp. 467-502.
- Arnold Hugh Martin Jones , John R. Martindale, John Morris : The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE). Three parts in four volumes, Cambridge 1971–92.
- Paulys Realencyclopedia of Classical Antiquity (RE). Metzler, Stuttgart 1894–1978. (In it the Heermeister articles mostly by Otto Seeck , Wilhelm Enßlin or Adolf Lippold .)