Flavius Caesarius (''floruit'' 386–403) was a politician of the
Eastern Roman Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
, who served under the
emperors
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), ...
Theodosius I
Theodosius I ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also called Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. During his reign, he succeeded in a crucial war against the Goths, as well as in two ...
and
Arcadius
Arcadius ( grc-gre, Ἀρκάδιος ; 377 – 1 May 408) was Roman emperor from 383 to 408. He was the eldest son of the ''Augustus'' Theodosius I () and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and the brother of Honorius (). Arcadius ruled the ea ...
. Caesarius was ''
magister officiorum
The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early centu ...
'' (386-387),
praetorian prefect of the East
The praetorian prefecture of the East, or of the Orient ( la, praefectura praetorio Orientis, el, ἐπαρχότης/ὑπαρχία τῶν πραιτωρίων τῆς ἀνατολῆς) was one of four large praetorian prefectures into whic ...
(395-397 and 400–403), and
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 ...
in 397.
Biography
Caesarius was the son of the Consul of 361,
Taurus
Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to:
* Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign
* Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
* Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological characters named Taurus
* ''Bos taurus ...
, and the elder brother of
Aurelianus, with whom he contended for power. His devotion to his wife is noted by Sozomen.
In 386 he is attested as ''
magister officiorum
The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early centu ...
''. As such, he was sent by Emperor
Theodosius I
Theodosius I ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also called Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. During his reign, he succeeded in a crucial war against the Goths, as well as in two ...
to
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
in 387, where the population had revolted against taxation. Caesarius, together with Ellobicus, then ''magister militum per Orientem'', held an inquiry. Caesarius paid particular attention for the situation of the citizens of Antioch and in his report to the Emperor pleaded for clemency for them. The Antiochian orator
Libanius
Libanius ( grc-gre, Λιβάνιος, Libanios; ) was a teacher of rhetoric of the Sophist school in the Eastern Roman Empire. His prolific writings make him one of the best documented teachers of higher education in the ancient world and a criti ...
thanked him in an oration for this.
Despite his merits, Caesarius was not appointed to higher offices in the following years, when
Rufinus was in power as ''magister officiorum'' and
praetorian prefect of the East
The praetorian prefecture of the East, or of the Orient ( la, praefectura praetorio Orientis, el, ἐπαρχότης/ὑπαρχία τῶν πραιτωρίων τῆς ἀνατολῆς) was one of four large praetorian prefectures into whic ...
. It is possible that Caesarius, despite being Orthodox, was not strict enough against heretics. Meanwhile, his younger brother
Aurelianus made career, succeeding Rufinus as ''magister officiorum'' in 392 and then holding the office of ''
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
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
between 393 and 394.
After Rufinus had been killed in November 395, Caesarius succeeded him as
praetorian prefect of the East
The praetorian prefecture of the East, or of the Orient ( la, praefectura praetorio Orientis, el, ἐπαρχότης/ὑπαρχία τῶν πραιτωρίων τῆς ἀνατολῆς) was one of four large praetorian prefectures into whic ...
. As such, he nullified several laws Rufinus had passed, including a ban of
Lycia
Lycia (Lycian language, Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean ...
ns from Constantinople - Rufinus's enemies,
Eutolmius Tatianus
Flavius Eutolmius Tatianus ( grc-gre, Φλαούιος Εὐτόλμιος Τατιανὸς; 357–392) was a Senator of the Late Roman Empire.
Biography
Initial career
The family of Eutolmii originated in Syria; Tatian was born in Sidyma ...
and
Proculus
Proculus (died c. 281) was a Roman usurper, one of the "minor pretenders" according to ''Historia Augusta'', who would have taken the purple against Roman Emperor, Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus, Probus in 280. This is now disputed.
Probably Proc ...
had been Lycians - and the prohibition against Arian
Eunomians
In 4th-century Christianity, the Anomoeans , and known also as Heterousians , Aetians , or Eunomians , were a sect that upheld an extreme form of Arianism, that Jesus Christ was not of the same nature (consubstantial) as God the Father nor was ...
from making wills. However, Caesarius did not act out of opposition to Rufinus, as is shown by the fact that he also issued a law that prevented the widows of proscribed men from losing their properties (the widow of Rufinus probably benefited by this law).
In April 400,
Gainas
Gainas (Greek: Γαϊνάς) was a Gothic leader who served the Eastern Roman Empire as ''magister militum'' during the reigns of Theodosius I and Arcadius.
Gainas began his military career as a common foot-soldier, but later commanded the barb ...
returned to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
with his army, and asked Emperor
Arcadius
Arcadius ( grc-gre, Ἀρκάδιος ; 377 – 1 May 408) was Roman emperor from 383 to 408. He was the eldest son of the ''Augustus'' Theodosius I () and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and the brother of Honorius (). Arcadius ruled the ea ...
to depose and hand him Aurelianus and
Saturninus Saturninus may refer to:
* Lucius Appuleius Saturninus (died 100 BC), tribune, legislator
* Gaius Sentius Saturninus, consul 19 BC, military officer, governor
* Marcus Aponius Saturninus (1st century AD), governor of Moesia, and partisan of first ...
. Gainas chose Caesarius as successor to Aurelianus to the office of Praetorian prefect of the East, but, after a short time, he left Constantinople and was defeated by the ''magister militum per Orientem''
Fravitta
Flavius Fravitta (Greek: ; died 404/405) was a leader of the Goths and a top-ranking officer in the army of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Fravitta was a member of the Visigoth aristocracy. He was also a pagan, and for this reason he was praised by Eun ...
. However, Caesarius kept his office until 403. To this period is to be dated an inscription in
Tralles, in which Caesarius is attested ''
Patricius'', a title that, combined with Praetorian prefecture of the East and his status as a former consul, put Caesarius at the top of the dignities.
Caesarius bought a monastery from the followers of
Macedonius. The property had been left as legacy to the monks by Eusebia, a close friend of Caesarius' wife, who had asked them to bury the relics of the
Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste or the Holy Forty (Ancient/Katharevousa Greek ''Ἅγιοι Τεσσεράκοντα''; Demotic: ''Άγιοι Σαράντα'') were a group of Roman soldiers in the Legio XII ''Fulminata'' (Armed with Lightning) w ...
she kept in her house. Caesarius demolished the monastery and buried his wife and her friend, then built a shrine to
Saint Thyrsus
Saint Thyrsus or Thyrse ( grc-gre, Θύρσος, Thúrsos, literally " thyrsus"; Spanish and pt, Tirso; french: link=no, Thyrse; died 251) is venerated as a Christian martyr. He was killed for his faith in Sozopolis (Apollonia), Phrygia, duri ...
, and a tomb for himself close by.
In literature
Caesarius has been identified by some scholars with the character of
Typhon
Typhon (; grc, Τυφῶν, Typhôn, ), also Typhoeus (; grc, Τυφωεύς, Typhōeús, label=none), Typhaon ( grc, Τυφάων, Typháōn, label=none) or Typhos ( grc, Τυφώς, Typhṓs, label=none), was a monstrous serpentine giant an ...
[Specifically ]John Bagnell Bury
John Bagnell Bury (; 16 October 1861 – 1 June 1927) was an Anglo-Irish historian, classical scholar, Medieval Roman historian and philologist. He objected to the label "Byzantinist" explicitly in the preface to the 1889 edition of his ''Lat ...
in Chapter 6 of his ''History of the Later Roman Empire'' though others think that Typhon is to be identified with the other Praetorian prefect and consul of the period, Flavius Eutychianus Flavius Eutychianus or Eutychian (''fl''. 388–405) was a politician of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Biography
Eutychian was the son of the Consul of 361, Taurus; it is known that he had a wife. He should be identified with the character of Typhon ...
. of the ''Aegyptus, sive De providentia'' by
Synesius
Synesius (; el, Συνέσιος; c. 373 – c. 414), was a Greek bishop of Ptolemais in ancient Libya, a part of the Western Pentapolis of Cyrenaica after 410. He was born of wealthy parents at Balagrae (now Bayda, Libya) near Cyrene between ...
, where the story of the struggle between the Egyptian god
Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
and Typhon is used to retell the story of the struggle between
Aurelianus (Osiris) and Caesarius in the period of the revolt of
Gainas
Gainas (Greek: Γαϊνάς) was a Gothic leader who served the Eastern Roman Empire as ''magister militum'' during the reigns of Theodosius I and Arcadius.
Gainas began his military career as a common foot-soldier, but later commanded the barb ...
. In the novel, Typhon-Caesarius plays the role of the villain, Osiris-Aurelius the main character.
Apart from its literary merits, the ''De providentia'' has been useful in reconstructing the events of that period, even if historians need to recast the allegories to real people and historical events and to remove Synesius' bias in favour of Aurelianus.
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
{{end
4th-century Romans
5th-century Byzantine people
4th-century Roman consuls
Imperial Roman consuls
Magistri officiorum
Patricii
Praetorian prefects of the East