:''Jovinus is a Roman
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...
, most often used for a 5th-century Roman usurper emperor. This article is about the Roman usurper. For the saint, see
Saint Jovinus. For the Frankish duke, see
Jovinus of Provence.'' For the 4th century Roman general and consul of Gaul whose sarcophage is in
Reims see
Jovinus (consul).
Jovinus was a
Gallo-Roman
senator and claimed to be
Roman Emperor (411–413 AD).
Following the defeat of the
usurper known as
Constantine III, Jovinus was proclaimed emperor at
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
in 411, a puppet supported by
Gundahar, king of the
Burgundians, and
Goar
Goar (born before 390, died between 446 and 450) was a leader of the Alans in 5th-century Gaul. Around the time that the Vandals and other Alans under Respendial crossed the Rhine in 405 or 406, Goar's band of Alans quickly joined the Romans, an ...
, king of the
Alans
The Alans (Latin: ''Alani'') were an ancient and medieval Iranian nomadic pastoral people of the North Caucasus – generally regarded as part of the Sarmatians, and possibly related to the Massagetae. Modern historians have connected the A ...
. Jovinus kept his position in Gaul for two years, long enough to issue coinage that showed him wearing the imperial
diadem
A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty.
Overview
The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', " ...
. He was supported by a number of local Gallo-Roman nobles who had survived Constantine's defeat.
Under the pretext of Jovinus' imperial authority, Gundahar and his Burgundians established themselves on the left bank of the Rhine (the Roman side) between the river
Lauter and the
Nahe. Here they founded a kingdom with the old Romanized Gaulish settlement of Borbetomagus (
Worms) as its capital.
Jovinus' end came after the
Visigoths
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...
under
Ataulf left Italy (at
Priscus Attalus' advice), ostensibly to join him, carrying with them as hostages the ex-emperor Attalus and
Galla Placidia, Honorius' half-sister. Then Ataulf attacked and killed
Sarus, who had also come to support Jovinus. Jovinus, offended at this act, then failed to consult Ataulf when he elevated his brother
Sebastianus as co-emperor. Insulted, Ataulf allied his Visigoths with
Honorius, and they defeated Jovinus' troops. Sebastianus was executed. Jovinus fled for his life, but was besieged and captured in Valentia (
Valence, Drôme
Valence (, ; oc, Valença ) is a commune in southeastern France, the prefecture of the Drôme department and within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhône, about south of Lyon, along the railway line ...
) and taken to Narbo (
Narbonne
Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the ...
), where
Caius Posthumus Dardanus, the
praetorian prefect (governor) in Gaul, who had remained loyal to Honorius, had him executed. Jovinus' and Sebastianus' heads were afterwards sent to Honorius and mounted on the walls of
Ravenna (before being passed on to
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...
, where they were put on permanent display with the heads of four other usurpers).
References
* Ralf Scharf:
Iovinus – Kaiser in Gallien', in: ''Francia'' 20 (1993), pp. 1–13.
* Drinkwater, J. F., "The Usurpers Constantine III (407-411) and Jovinus (411-413)", ''Britannia'', 29 (1998), p. 269-298
External links
*
{{Authority control
5th-century Roman emperors
413 deaths
5th-century Roman usurpers
5th-century murdered monarchs
Year of birth unknown
Executed Roman emperors
People executed by the Roman Empire
Senators of the Roman Empire