Afranius Hannibalianus (fl. 3rd century) was the

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

of 292 AD, a

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...

, a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

and a military officer and commander.

Biography

Believed to belong to a family who originated from the eastern provinces of the

Roman empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

, Hannibalianus was a military commander who served under the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Probus Probus may refer to: People * Marcus Valerius Probus (c. 20/30–105 AD), Roman grammarian * Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus, consul in 228 * Probus (emperor), Roman Emperor (276–282) * Probus of Byzantium (–306), Bishop of Byzantium from 293 t ...

(r. 276–282). A member of the Equestrian order (as noted by the official reference to him as a ''vir eminentissimus'', which was reserved for the equestrian order), he probably was only adlected to the senatorial order after the death of Probus in AD 282. He was elevated to the rank of

Praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...

of the west in AD 286 under

Maximian Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...

, and had led the imperial armies to victory over the Germanic tribes along the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

in that year. Hannibalianus held this rank until probably AD 292, when he was appointed '' consul prior'' alongside Julius Asclepiodotus. Then from AD 297–298, he served as the ''

Praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and ...

'' of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Hannibalianus was possibly married to

Eutropia Eutropia (died after 325), a woman of Syrian origin, was the wife of Emperor Maximian. Marriage to Maximian and their children In the late 3rd century, she married Maximian, though the exact date of this marriage is uncertain. By Maximian, sh ...

, who divorced him to marry the emperor Maximian in around AD 280, but this has been contested. If so, they had one daughter, Flavia Maximiana Theodora, who married the future emperor

Constantius Chlorus Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 t ...

. It has been speculated that Hannibalianus’ acceptance of his wife's new marriage as well as his position as step-father to the

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...

Constantius accounted for his rapid rise through the administrative offices of the empire. These theories have been disputed by several historians such as

Timothy Barnes Timothy or Tim Barnes may refer to: * Timothy Barnes (classicist) (born 1942), British classicist * Timothy Barnes, 4th Baron Gorell (1927–2007), British businessman * Tim Barnes (politician) Timothy Kent Barnes (born December 28, 1958) is a ...

, Julia Hillner and John Vanderspoel, with Hillner and Vanderspoel believing that Afranius was Eutropia's brother instead.

References

Sources

* Chastagnol, André, ''Les Fastes de la Prefecture de Rome au Bas-Empire'' (1962) * Martindale, J. R.; Jones, A. H. M, ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'', Vol. I AD 260–395, Cambridge University Press (1971) {{end 3rd-century praetorian prefects Hannibalianus Imperial Roman consuls Late Roman Empire political office-holders Urban prefects of Rome Generals of Maximian Generals of Probus Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

Biography

See also

References

Sources