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 which the

Late Late may refer to: * LATE, an acronym which could stand for: ** Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, a proposed form of dementia ** Local-authority trading enterprise, a New Zealand business law ** Local average treatment effect, ...

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. As it comprised the larger part 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 ...

, and its seat was at

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 praetorian prefect was the second most powerful man in the East, after the Emperor, in essence serving as his first minister.

Structure

The Prefecture was established 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, when the empire was split up among his sons and

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 ...

received the rule of the East, with a

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders be ...

as his chief aide. The part allotted to Constantius encompassed four (later five)

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 ...

, each in turn comprising several

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

. The authority of the prefecture stretched from the Eastern

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 ...

, grouped into the

Diocese of Thrace The Diocese of Thrace ( la, Dioecesis Thraciae, el, Διοίκησις Θρᾴκης) was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of the eastern Balkan Peninsula (comprising territories in modern south-eastern Romania, c ...

, to

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

, divided into the dioceses of Asiana and

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

, and the Middle East, with the dioceses of

Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

List of known ''praefecti praetorio Orientis''

Pompeius Probus Pompeius Probus ( 307–314) was a politician of the Roman Empire during the Tetrarchy, active at the Eastern court under Emperors Galerius and Licinius. Life Probus was a member of the Petronii Probi, a family of the senatorial aristocracy. Hi ...

* Ablabius (329-337/338) *

Septimius Acindynus Septimius Acindynus was a Roman consul with Valerius Proculus in 340 AD. He was governor of Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian ...

(338–340) * Philippus (344–351) * Thalassius (? - 354) * Domitianus (354) *

Strategius Musonianus Strategius Musonianus (died c. 370) was a Roman senator who served in various civilian offices from the reign of Constantine I through to Constantius II. Originally called Strategius, he received the nickname Musonianus from the emperor Constantine ...

(354–358) *

Flavius Hermogenes (Flavius) Hermogenes (c. 300 – 361) was a Roman senator who served in various civilian offices from the reign of Licinius through to Constantius II. Biography Born in the region of Pontus, according to Himerius, the career of Hermogenes (possib ...

(358-360) * Helpidius (360) * Saturninius Secundus Salutius (361 until some years into the reign of Valentinian) * Nebridius *

Domitius Modestus Domitius Modestus (''floruit'' 358–377) was a politician of the Roman Empire. He held appointments under the emperors Constantius II, Julian, and Valens, and was consul in 372. Previously a pagan, he converted to Arianism under Valens, and was ...

(369–377) *

Quintus Clodius Hermogenianus Olybrius Quintus Clodius Hermogenianus Olybrius (''floruit'' 361384) was a Roman politician, ''praefectus urbi'' of Rome from 368 to 370 and Roman consul in 379. Olybrius has been characterized as belonging to "the breed of flexible politicians who did well ...

(379) *

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 ...

(380-381) *

Maternus Cynegius Maternus Cynegius (died 388) was a Roman bureaucrat and close confidant of the emperor Theodosius I. He held the offices of praetorian prefect of the East (384–388) and consul (388), and has been widely blamed by historians for instigating the w ...

(384–388) *

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 ...

(388–392) *

Flavius Rufinus Flavius Rufinus ( el, Φλάβιος Ῥουφῖνος; – 27 November 395) was a 4th-century East Roman statesman of Aquitanian extraction who served as Praetorian prefect of the East for the emperor Theodosius I, as well as for his son Arcad ...

(392, September 10 – 395, November 27) * Caesarius (1st time, 395, November 30 – 397, July 13) * Eutychianus (1st time, 397, September 4 – 399, July 25) * Aurelianus (1st time, 399, August 17 – October 2) * possibly Eutychianus (2nd time, 399, December 11 – 400, July 12)Cameron's dates for Aurelianus overlap those of Eutychianus in 400 * Caesarius (2nd time, 400–403) * Eutychianus (3rd time, 404–405) * Flavius Anthemius (405–414) *

Monaxius Flavius Monaxius (''floruit'' 408–420) was a politician of the Eastern Roman Empire, ''praefectus urbi'' of Constantinople, Consul and twice praetorian prefect of the East. Biography From 17 January 408 to 26 April 409 he was ''praefectus urbi' ...

(1st time, 10 May – 30 November 414) * Aurelianus (2nd time, 414–416) *

(2nd time, 26 August 416 – 27 May 420) * Eustathius (420–422) * Asclepiodotus (423–425) * Aetius (425) *

Hierius Hierius ( el, Ἱέριος) was a Neoplatonist philosopher, a son of Plutarch of Athens, and brother of Asclepigenia Asclepigenia ( grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιγένεια; fl. 430 – 485 AD) was an Athenian philosopher and mystic. Biography Asc ...

(1st time, 425–428) * Flavius Florentius (1st time, 428–430) *

Antiochus Chuzon Antiochus Chuzon (''floruit'' 429–438), called "the Elder" to distinguish him from his nephew, was a high official of the Eastern Roman Empire, praetorian prefect of the East and consul, who was a key figure in the compilation of the ''Codex Theo ...

(430–431) * Rufinus (431–432) *

(2nd time, 432) * Flavius Taurus (1st time, 433–434) * Anthemius Isidorus (435–436) * Darius (436–437) * Flavius Florentius (2nd time, c. 438–439) * Flavius Taurus Seleucus Cyrus (439–441) * Thomas (442) * Apollonius (442–443) * Zoilus (444) *

Hermocrates Hermocrates (; grc-gre, Ἑρμοκράτης, c. 5th century – 407 BC) was an ancient Syracusan general during the Athenians' Sicilian Expedition in the midst of the Peloponnesian War. He is also remembered as a character in the '' Timaeus'' ...

(444) * Flavius Taurus (2nd time, 445) * Flavius Constantinus (first term, c. 447) * Antiochus (448) * Flavius Florentius Romanus Protogenes (448–449) * Hormisdas (449–450) * Palladius (450–455) * Flavius Constantinus (second term, 456) * Flavius Constantinus (third term, 459) * Flavius Antoninus Messala Vivianus (459–460) * Pusaeus (465) * Amasius (c. 469) * Matronianus (491) * Hierius (494–496) * Euphemius (496) * Polycarpus (498) * Constantine (1st time, 502) * Appion (503) * Leontius (503–504) * Constantine (2nd time, 505) * Eustathius (505–506) * Zoticus (511–512) * Marinus (1st time, c. 512–515) * Sergius (517) * Marinus (2nd time, 519) * Demosthenes (520–524) * Archelaus (524–527) *

Basilides Basilides (Greek: Βασιλείδης) was an early Christian Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt who taught from 117 to 138 AD, notes that to prove that the heretical sects were "later than the catholic Church," Clement of Alexandri ...

(c. 527) * Atarbius (c. 528) * Iulianus (530–531) *

John the Cappadocian John the Cappadocian ( el, Ἰωάννης ὁ Καππαδόκης) ('' fl.'' 530s, living 548) was a praetorian prefect of the East (532–541) in the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565). He was also a patrician and the ''c ...

(1st time, 531–532) * Phokas (533) *

(2nd time, 533–541) * Flavius Comitas Theodorus Bassus (c. 541) as John's deputy *

Peter Barsymes Peter Barsymes ( la, Petrus Barsumes, el, Πέτρος Βαρσύμης, fl. ca. 540 – ca. 565) was a senior Byzantine official, associated chiefly with public finances and administration, under Byzantine emperor Justinian I (). Aside from conte ...

(1st time, 543–546) * Flavius Comitas Theodorus Bassus (c. 548) * Addaeus (c. 551) *

Hephaestus Hephaestus (; eight spellings; grc-gre, Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) is the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire (compare, however, with Hestia), and volcanoes.Walter Burk ...

(551–552) * Areobindus (c. 553) *

(2nd time, 555–562) * Diomedes (c. 572) * Georgius (c. 598) *

Constantine Lardys Constantine, surnamed Lardys, ( gr, Κωνσταντίνος ὁ Λαρδῦς, Kōnstantinos ho Lardys) was one of the senior-most officials of the late reign of the Byzantine emperor Maurice (r. 582–602). Constantine Lardys was one of the lead ...

(c. 602)

References

Sources

* The

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 ...

(PLRE), Vols. I-III: (Vol. II, pp. 1250–1252;) * {{DEFAULTSORT:East Praetorian Prefecture 7th-century disestablishments 337 establishments 4th century in the Byzantine Empire 5th century in the Byzantine Empire 6th century in the Byzantine Empire 7th century in the Byzantine Empire