The praetorian prefecture of Italy ( la, Praefectura praetorio Italiae, in its full form (until 356) ) was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late

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 ...

was divided. It comprised the Italian peninsula, the Western

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, the Danubian provinces and parts of

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. The Prefecture's seat moved from

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 ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

and finally,

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

Structure and history

The prefecture was established in the division of the Empire after the death of

Constantine the Great 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 ...

in 337, and was made up of

dioceses In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

. Initially these were the

Diocese of Africa The Diocese of Africa ( la, Dioecesis Africae) was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of North Africa, except Mauretania Tingitana. Its seat was at Carthage, and it was subordinate to the Praetorian prefecture of It ...

, the Diocese of Italy, the

Diocese of Pannonia The Diocese of Pannonia ( la, Dioecesis Pannoniarum, lit. "Diocese of the Pannonias"), from 395 known as the Diocese of Illyricum, was a diocese of the Late Roman Empire. The seat of the ''vicarius'' (governor of the diocese) was Sirmium. Hist ...

, the Diocese of Dacia and the Diocese of Macedonia (the last two were until c. 327 united in the

Diocese of Moesia The Diocese of Moesia ( la, Dioecesis Moesiarum, el, Διοίκησις Μοισίας) was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, in the area of modern western Bulgaria, central Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece. History ...

). Eventually the Diocese of Italy was split in two, the

Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy Roman Italy (called in both the Latin and Italian languages referring to the Italian Peninsula) was the homeland of the ancient Romans and of the Roman empire. According to Roman mythology, Italy was the ancestral home promised by Jupiter to ...

(''Italia suburbicaria'': "Italy under the City", also referred to as "Diocese of the City of Rome") and the

Diocese of Annonarian Italy Roman Italy (called in both the Latin and Italian languages referring to the Italian Peninsula) was the homeland of the ancient Romans and of the Roman empire. According to Roman mythology, Italy was the ancestral home promised by Jupiter to ...

(''Italia annonaria'': "provisioning Italy"). In 347, the

praetorian prefecture of Illyricum The praetorian prefecture of Illyricum ( la, praefectura praetorio per Illyricum; el, ἐπαρχότης/ὑπαρχία �ῶν πραιτωρίωντοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ, also termed simply the Prefecture of Illyricum) was one of four ...

was established, comprising the dioceses of Pannonia, Dacia and Macedonia. Vulcaius Rufinus was the prefect, 347–352. The new prefecture was abolished in 361 by Julian and reestablished in 375 by

Gratian Gratian (; la, Gratianus; 18 April 359 – 25 August 383) was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers and wa ...

. Its territory was contested between the two halves of the Empire, until the final partition in 395, when the

was split off from the Illyricum and joined to the Western Empire and the prefecture of Italy as the

Diocese of Illyricum In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

. Despite the end of the Western Empire in 476, the Germanic successor states under

Odoacer Odoacer ( ; – 15 March 493 AD), also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a soldier and statesman of barbarian background, who deposed the child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became Rex/Dux (476–493). Odoacer's overthrow of Romulus Augustul ...

and

Theodoric the Great Theodoric (or Theoderic) the Great (454 – 30 August 526), also called Theodoric the Amal ( got, , *Þiudareiks; Greek: , romanized: ; Latin: ), was king of the Ostrogoths (471–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy b ...

continued to use the Roman administrative machinery, as well as being nominal subjects of the

Eastern emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...

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 (" ...

. The Prefecture thus survived, and came again into Roman hands after

Justinian Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...

's Gothic War. However, with the Lombard invasion in 568, Roman rule became reduced to fragmented and isolated territories, and the Prefecture gave its place to the

Exarchate of Ravenna The Exarchate of Ravenna ( la, Exarchatus Ravennatis; el, Εξαρχάτο της Ραβέννας) or of Italy was a lordship of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) in Italy, from 584 to 751, when the last exarch was put to death by the ...

, established by the emperor

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

. Prefects continue however to be attested until well into the 7th century. The last attested holder occurs in 639, and a couple of seals bearing the title ''eparchos'' ("prefect" in Greek) survive from the late 7th century, although it has been suggested that they are a misprint for ''exarchos'' ("

exarch An exarch (; from Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος ''exarchos'', meaning “leader”) was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical. In the late Roman Empire and ea ...

").

List of known ''praefecti praetorio Italiae et Africae''

* Aemilianus (328) * Lucius Papius Pacatianus (334-335) *

Aconius Catullinus Philomathius Aconius Catullinus Philomatius ( 338–349 AD) was a Roman senator who held high state offices under the emperor Constans. Biography Aconius (or Aco) Catullinus was probably a son of the identically-named senator who served as governor of Afri ...

(341) *

Marcus Maecius Memmius Furius Baburius Caecilianus Placidus Marcus Maecius Memmius Furius Baburius Caecilianus Placidus was a Roman statesman who served as Consul in 343 AD and as ''Praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of t ...

(342-344) *

Vulcacius Rufinus Vulcacius Rufinus (died 368) was a Roman politician, related to the Constantinian dynasty. Biography A pagan, Rufinus was the brother of Neratius Cerealis, Galla (the mother of Constantius Gallus), and the mother of Maximus. He was '' pontifex ...

(first time, 344–347) *

Gaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus Lampadius Gaius, sometimes spelled ''Gajus'', Kaius, Cajus, Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist *Gaius Acilius *Gaius Antonius *Gaius Antonius Hybrida *Gaius Asinius Gallus *Gaius Asinius P ...

(355) *

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 tauru ...

(356-361) *

Claudius Mamertinus Claudius Mamertinus (fl. mid-late 4th century AD) was an official in the Roman Empire. In late 361 he took part in the Chalcedon tribunal to condemn the ministers of Constantius II, and in 362, he was made consul as a reward by the new Emperor Juli ...

(361-365) *

(second time, 365–368) *

Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus ( 358–390) was a leading Roman aristocrat of the later 4th century AD, renowned for his wealth, power and social connections. The son of the consul Petronius Probinus, he married Anicia Faltonia Proba and h ...

(first time, c. 368–375) * Decimius Hilarianus Hesperius (378-380) *

Afranius Syagrius Afranius Syagrius ( 345–382) was a Roman politician and administrator. Life Afranius was a member of the Roman aristocratic family of the Syagrii, which originated in Lyon.Flavius Hypatius (382-383) *

(second time, 383) * Nonius Atticus (383-384) *

Vettius Agorius Praetextatus Vettius Agorius Praetextatus (ca. 315 – 384) was a wealthy pagan aristocrat in the 4th-century Roman Empire, and a high priest in the cults of numerous gods. He served as the praetorian prefect at the court of Emperor Valentinian II in 384 until ...

(384) *

Neoterius Flavius Neoterius (''fl''. 365–393) was a politician of the Roman Empire. He served as Praetorian prefect of the East, of Italy, and of Gaul. In 390 he was co-consul with Valentinian II. Life Probably born in Rome, he was ''notarius'' unde ...

(385) *

(third time, 387) *

Virius Nicomachus Flavianus Virius Nicomachus Flavianus (334–394 AD) was a grammarian, a historian and a politician of the Roman Empire. A pagan and close friend of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, he was Praetorian prefect of Italy in 390–392. Under the usurper Eugenius ( ...

(390-392)

Western Empire

Nummius Aemilianus Dexter Nummius Aemilianus DexterLössl, Josef (2016). �Dexter, Nummius Aemilianus��. ''Encyclopedia of the Medieval Chronicle''. Brill Online. ( 380–395), often erroneously called Flavius Lucius Dexter,Garrido Valls, David (2016), �Omnimoda Historia��. ' ...

(395) *Eusebius (395-396) *

Mallius Theodorus Flavius Mallius Theodorus ( c. 376–409) was a Roman politician and author of an extant treatise on metres, ''De metris'', one of the best of its kind (H. Keil, ''Grammatici Latini'', vi.). He also studied philosophy, astronomy and geometry, and w ...

(397-399) *Valerius Messala Avienus (399-400) *Rufus Synesius Hadrianus (400-405) *Flavius Macrobius Longinianus (1st time, 406) *Curtius (407-408) *Flavius Macrobius Longinianus (2nd time, 408) *

(408-409) *Caecilianus (409) *Jovius (409) *Melitius (410-412) * Seleucus (prefect for Africa, 412) *Ioannes (412-413) *Rufus Synesius Hadrianus (413-414) * Seleucus (414-415) * Junius Quartus Palladius (416-421) * Anicius Auchenius Bassus (possibly, 426) * Anicius Auchenius Bassus (435) * Anicius Acilius Glabrio Faustus (c. 438) *

Petronius Maximus Petronius Maximus ( 39731 May 455) was Roman emperor of the West for two and a half months in 455. A wealthy senator and a prominent aristocrat, he was instrumental in the murders of the Western Roman ''magister militum'', Aëtius, and the W ...

(439) *

Caecina Decius Aginatius Albinus Caecina Decius Aginatius (or Acinatius) Albinus (''floruit'' 414) was an aristocrat of the Roman Empire. He was ''praefectus urbi'' in 414, succeeding his friend Rutilius Namatianus, and possibly again in 426. Biography His father was probably C ...

(443-448) *

Caecina Decius Basilius Caecina Decius Basilius ( 458–468) was a politician of the Western Roman Empire, Consul and twice Praetorian prefect of Italy. Biography Basilius belonged to the Italian nobility, and was member of the influential ''gens'' Caecinia. He was Pr ...

(458) *

Caelius Aconius Probianus Caelius Aconius Probianus (''fl.'' 461–471) was a politician of the Western Roman Empire. He was Praetorian prefect of Italy under Emperors Leo I and Libius Severus; considering that his successor Caecina Decius Basilius was in office in 463, P ...

(461-463) *

(463-465) * Felix Himelco (473)

Germanic rule

Under

: * Nar. Manlius Boethius (between 480 and 486) (he served as consul in 487) *

Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius ( 480–483), was a Roman politician. He was the first consul appointed under Odoacer's rule (480), and afterwards was Praetorian prefect of Italy.John Moorhead"The Decii under Theoderic" '' Historia: Zeitschrift ...

(483) (he had served as consul in 480) *

Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius ( 486–510) was a Roman politician under Odoacer's rule. He was consul and ''Praefectus urbi'' of Rome in 486 and Praetorian prefect of Italy from 486 to 493. Life Decius was the son of Caecina Decius Basiliu ...

(486-493) (he served as consul in 486) Under the

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the larg ...

: * Liberius (494-500) * Flavius Albinus (?500-503) (he had served as consul in 493) *Cassiodorus the Elder (500-?) * Anicius Probus Faustus iunior (509-512) (he had served as consul in 490) *

Rufius Magnus Faustus Avienus Rufius Magnus Faustus Avienus was a politician of the Western Roman Empire. He was appointed consul for 502 with Flavius Probus as his colleague. His father was Anicius Probus Faustus, who was the leading supporter of Pope Symmachus in the Lauren ...

(527-528) (he had served as consul in 502) *Faustus (521/522) or 529

Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ''Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'' (abbreviated as ''PLRE'') is a work of Roman prosopography published in a set of three volumes collectively describing many of the people attested to have lived in the Roman Empire from AD 260, the date ...

, II, P452 * Cassiodorus the Younger (533-537) (he had served as consul in 514) *Fidelis (537-538) *

Reparatus Reparatus (died 539) was a Roman aristocrat, and politician under Ostrogothic rule. He held the offices of Urban prefect (527) and Praetorian prefect of Italy. Reparatus was the brother of Pope Vigilius; according to the ''Liber pontificalis'', th ...

(538-539)

East Roman rule

Athanasius Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...

(539-542) *Maximinus (c. 542) *

Narses , image=Narses.jpg , image_size=250 , caption=Man traditionally identified as Narses, from the mosaic depicting Justinian and his entourage in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna , birth_date=478 or 480 , death_date=566 or 573 (aged 86/95) , allegi ...

(554-568) *Longinus (568-575)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Italy Praetorian prefecture 4th century in the Byzantine Empire 5th century in the Byzantine Empire 6th century in the Byzantine Empire Ancient Italian history Byzantine North Africa History of the Mediterranean 4th century in Italy 5th century in Italy 6th century in Italy 337 establishments