Equitius, or Aequitius, was ''

magister militum (Latin for "master of soldiers", plural ) was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine the Great. The term referred to the senior military officer (equivalent to a war theatre commander, ...

'' (or master of soldiers) in Illyricum in the Roman Empire.

Career

Born in Pannonia, he served together with the future Emperor

Valentinian I Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Val ...

as ''

scutarius A scutarius in Ancient Rome was any of the various types of gladiator who used a large shield called a samnite shield, which is named after another type of gladiator—a samnite. In Latin, the shield was called a ''scutum''—where the name ''s ...

'' (or guardsman). Being one of Valentinian's principal supporters, the new Emperor made Equitius ''magister militum'' in Illyricum in 364. When

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea ( grc-gre, Προκόπιος ὁ Καισαρεύς ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; la, Procopius Caesariensis; – after 565) was a prominent late antique Greek scholar from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman gen ...

rose up against Valentinian, Equitius remained loyal to the Emperor. Procopius sent envoys to the Illyrian troops to secure their support, but Equitius had them captured and killed. Valentinian appointed Equitius consul in 374.''PLRE'' I p. 282 He was last seen in the region of Illyria in 384.

References

Sources

* * 4th-century Roman consuls Comites rei militaris Imperial Roman consuls Magistri militum {{AncientRome-mil-stub