Quintus Flavius Maesius Egnatius Lollianus Mavortius ( 330–356) was a politician of the
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 ...
.
In the 18th century an
acephalous statue of Mavortius was discovered in Puteoli, then
Pozzuoli
Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula.
History
Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia'' ( el, Δικα ...
(near
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
); after a restoration, this statue entered in the local folklore as "Saint Mamozio".
Life
It is speculated by his name that he was son of an Egnatius Lollianus and wife a Flavia, daughter of a Quintus Flavius and wife a Maesia, and brother of Egnatia Lolliana, wife of
Rufius Caecina Postumianus, both paternal grandchildren of
Egnatius Lucillus
Egnatius Lucillus (died 268) was a Roman senator.
Biography
Lucillus was a relative of the Roman emperor, Gallienus, who was appointed '' consul posterior'' in 265 alongside Valerianus Minor. Nothing else is recorded about his career. It is ass ...
, speculated son of
Egnatius Lucillianus Egnatius Lucillianus (c. 210 – aft. 244) was a Roman senator.
Life
It has been speculated that he was son of Lucius Egnatius Victor Lollianus and the father of Egnatius Lucillus; however, a relationship between the imperial ''gens Egnatia'' and ...
and paternal grandson of
Lucius Egnatius Victor Lollianus Lucius Egnatius Victor Lollianus (fl. 3rd century) was a Roman Empire, Roman military officer and Senate of the Roman Empire, senator, who served as governor of a number of provinces of the Roman East, including Galatia, Achaea, Bithynia and Pontus ...
. However, a familial relationship between the imperial members of the ''gens Egnatii'' and Egnatius Lucillianus has been described as "extremely doubtful". But his and his sister ''nomina'' Egnatius / Egnatia and their ''cognomina'' Lollianus / Lolliana point to a direct descent connection to their given great-great-grandfather.
A
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
,
[His ]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 ...
is an invocation to Mavors, the Old Latin and poetic name of Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
. he was
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
Campania
Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...
from 328 to 335, ''
comes Orientis
The Diocese of the East ( la, Dioecesis Orientis; el, ) was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of the western Middle East, between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia. During late Antiquity, it was one of the majo ...
'' from 330 to 336,
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority.
In the Roman Republic, military command, or ' ...
of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
from 334 to 337, ''
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 Rome in 342,
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 355 and
praetorian prefect 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 f ...
for
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 ...
between 355 and 356.
He encouraged the senatorial writer
Julius Firmicus Maternus
__NOTOC__
Julius Firmicus Maternus was a Roman Latin writer and astrologer, who received a pagan classical education that made him conversant with Greek; he lived in the reign of Constantine I (306 to 337 AD) and his successors. His triple career m ...
to write an
astrological
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...
essay, the ''Matheseos libri VIII'', that the author dedicated to Lollianus.
He married Cornelia Severa, possibly a great-great-granddaughter of
Gnaeus Cornelius Paternus
Gnaeus, also spelled Cnaeus, was a Roman praenomen derived from the Latin ''naevus'', a birthmark. It was a common name borne by many individuals throughout Roman history, including:
Individuals
*Gnaeus Acerronius Proculus, a consul of the Roman ...
, by whom he had a son,
Quintus Flavius Egnatius Placidus Severus
Quintus is a male given name derived from '' Quintus'', a common Latin forename ('' praenomen'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Quintus derives from Latin word ''quintus'', meaning "fifth".
Quintus is an English masculine given name and ...
.
Notes
Sources
* Martindale, J. R.; Jones, A. H. M, ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'', Vol. I 260–395 AD, Cambridge University Press (1971)
* Mennen, Inge, ''Power and Status in the Roman Empire, 193–284 AD'' (2011)
Bibliography
* Kenney, Edward John, ''The Cambridge History of Classical Literature'', Cambridge University Press, 1983, , p. 88.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lollianus Mavortius, Quintus Flavius Maesius Egnatius
4th-century Romans
Late-Roman-era pagans
Comites Orientis
Flavii
Imperial Roman consuls
Praetorian prefects of the Illyricum
Roman governors of Africa
Roman governors of Campania
Urban prefects of Rome
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death unknown