__NOTOC__ Marcellinus (died 31 September 351) was a

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 ...

officer under Roman Emperor

Constans Flavius Julius Constans ( 323 – 350), sometimes called Constans I, was Roman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank of ''caesar'' from 333, and was the youngest son of Constantine the Great. After his father's death, he was made ...

and

usurper A usurper is an illegitimate or controversial claimant to power, often but not always in a monarchy. In other words, one who takes the power of a country, city, or established region for oneself, without any formal or legal right to claim it as ...

Magnentius Magnus Magnentius ( 303 – 11 August 353) was a Roman general and usurper against Constantius II from 350 to 353. Of Germanic descent, Magnentius served with distinction in Gaul under the Western emperor Constans. On 18 January 350 Magnentius ...

. Marcellinus was ''

comes ''Comes'' ( ), plural ''comites'' ( ), was a Roman title or office, and the origin Latin form of the medieval and modern title "count". Before becoming a word for various types of title or office, the word originally meant "companion", either i ...

rerum privatarum'' of Emperor Constans. He played a major role in the election of Magnentius to the rank of ''

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

'' at

Augustodunum Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...

, on January 18, 350. Marcellinus organized a party for the birthday of his sons, and invited many of the superior officers: Magnentius, acting like interpreting a drama, vested the imperial robes, and was hailed ''Augustus'' by the officers; when the troops heard the cries, they supported Magnentius' election. Magnentius raised Marcellinus to the rank of ''

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 ...

''; after the usurpation of

Nepotianus Flavius Julius Nepotianus (died 30 June 350), sometimes known in English as Nepotian, was a member of the Constantinian dynasty who reigned as a short-lived usurper of the Roman Empire. He ruled the city of Rome for twenty-eight days, before bei ...

(3 June 350), Marcellinus was sent to

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 ...

to deal with the matter, and he succeeded in suppressing the revolt (30 June), killing Nepotianus and his mother

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 ...

, half-sister of Emperor

Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

. Marcellinus also met Emperor

Constantius II Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germani ...

's messenger,

Flavius Philippus Flavius Philippus (also spelled Filippus; 340s–350s) was an official under the Roman emperor Constantius II. Biography Son of a sausage-maker, Philippus rose in social standing, becoming a ''notarius''. In 346, he became Praetorian prefect ...

, and escorted him to Magnentius, in a failed embassy to avoid a battle between Constantius and Magnentius.Zosimus, II.46.3. Marcellinus disappeared in the following Battle of Mursa Major (28 September 351), in which Magnentius was defeated. Most likely, he was killed, and his body lost.

Notes

References

Primary sources

Aurelius Victor Sextus Aurelius Victor (c. 320 – c. 390) was a historian and politician of the Roman Empire. Victor was the author of a short history of imperial Rome, entitled ''De Caesaribus'' and covering the period from Augustus to Constantius II. The work w ...

, ''Epitome de Caesaribus''. *

Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to: People * * Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints * Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy * Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alchem ...

, ''Historia Nova''.

Secondary sources

* 4th-century Romans 351 deaths Magistri officiorum Year of birth unknown {{AncientRome-bio-stub