Nanninus

Nanninus was a late Roman officer in the 4th century AD.

Nanninus, who was evidently an experienced officer, served as a comes in northern Gaul in 370 . He also operated in this room in the following years. For 378 it is reported that Nanninus was general of the Roman troops on the Upper Rhine and was quite successful in fighting Germanic raids. He is mentioned several times by Ammianus Marcellinus . At this point in time, Nanninus may have held the rank of comes rei militaris or comes utriusque Germaniae . In any case, in 387 he acted as magister militum and secured the Rhine border on behalf of Magnus Maximus together with the otherwise unknown Quintinus (who may also acted as magister militum , but this is unclear).

In 388 a large number of Franks broke through the Roman border defense and advanced to the left bank of the Rhine. The leaders of the Franks were Marcomer , Sunno and Gennobaudes . Sulpicius Alexander , who wrote around 400, reported on this raid and the following events in his Historia , of which only a longer excerpt has survived in the history of Gregory of Tours, who lived in the 6th century ( Decem libri historiarum 2.9). The Franks plundered the region around Cologne and withdrew with rich booty. In the meantime, however, Nanninus and Quintinus had gathered their troops in Trier . They managed to surprise part of the Franks, Gennobaudes was probably killed in the fighting at the coal forest .

The situation on the Rhine seemed secure, but Quintinus planned to persecute the Franks. Nanninus, however, advised caution and moved to Mogontiacum , where he probably had his headquarters. The following events should prove Nanninus right, because Quintinus and his troops, who crossed the Rhine at Neuss , were lured into a trap and suffered a heavy defeat. Nanninus also disappears from the sources, presumably he was replaced, especially since In 388 Magnus Maximus was also defeated by Theodosius I and he possibly replaced some officers.

literature

• Arnold HM Jones John R. Martindale, John Morris : The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire . Volume 1: AD 260 - 395. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1971, ISBN 0-521-07233-6 , pp. 615 f.