Vettius Agorius Praetextatus (ca. 315 – 384) was a wealthy
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. ...
aristocrat in the 4th-century
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 ...
, and a high priest in the cults of numerous gods. He served as the
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 ...
at the court of Emperor
Valentinian II
Valentinian II ( la, Valentinianus; 37115 May 392) was a Roman emperor in the western part of the Roman empire between AD 375 and 392. He was at first junior co-ruler of his brother, was then sidelined by a usurper, and only after 388 sole rule ...
in 384 until his death that same year.
Sources
His life is primarily known through the works of
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus signo Eusebius (, ; c. 345 – 402) was a Roman statesman, orator, and man of letters. He held the offices of governor of proconsular Africa in 373, urban prefect of Rome in 384 and 385, and consul in 391. Symmachus s ...
and
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus (occasionally Anglicisation, anglicised as Ammian) (born , died 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Ancient history, antiquity (preceding Procopius). His w ...
, supplemented by some epigraphical records.
Symmachus (345 c. – 402 c.) was a leading member of the senatorial aristocracy of his time and the best orator of his age. Symmachus' letters, speeches and relations have been preserved and testify a sincere friendship between Symmachus and Praetextatus: according to Symmachus, Praetextatus was a good magistrate and a virtuous man.
[Kahlos (2002), Introduction.]
Ammianus Marcellinus, writing in the early 390s, tells about Praetextatus in three passages of his ''Res Gestae'': in all of them Ammianus shows appreciation of Praetextatus' actions, while the same author is usually critical about the members of the Senate; for this reason some historians think Ammianus and Praetextatus knew each other.
Several inscriptions referring to Praetextatus have been preserved, and among them the most important is the one on the funerary monument to Praetextatus and his wife
Aconia Fabia Paulina;
other information is provided in some laws addressed to Praetextatus as ''
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 ...
'' and
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 ...
, and preserved in the ''
Theodosian Code
The ''Codex Theodosianus'' (Eng. Theodosian Code) was a compilation of the laws of the Roman Empire under the Christian emperors since 312. A commission was established by Emperor Theodosius II and his co-emperor Valentinian III on 26 March 429 a ...
''; in addition, there are some letters addressed to him by Emperor
Valentinian III
Valentinian III ( la, Placidus Valentinianus; 2 July 41916 March 455) was Roman emperor in the West from 425 to 455. Made emperor in childhood, his reign over the Roman Empire was one of the longest, but was dominated by powerful generals vying ...
about a religious dispute and preserved in the ''
Collectio Avellana
''Collectio Avellana'' (the "Avellana Compilation") is a collection of 244 documents, dating from AD 367 to 553. It includes many imperial letters written to Catholic popes and others, imperial acts, papal letters and other documents that were gath ...
''.
Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...
(347–420), a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
writer and
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, knew the Roman aristocracy through his acquaintances among the Roman matrons. He wrote about Praetextatus in two letters and in his polemic ''Contra Ioannem Hierosolymitanum'' (397); the sorrow caused by the death of Praetextatus was so diffused among his acquaintances that Jerome wrote a letter to a matron in which he wrote that Praetextatus was in hell.
A different kind of source is represented by the philosopher and writer
Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius
Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was ...
, who made Praetextatus the main character of his ''
Saturnalia
Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple ...
'', a book describing the pagan renaissance of the late 4th century. However the ''Saturnalia'' was written half a century after Praetextatus' death, so his description is highly idealised.
[Kahlos (2002), Chapter 5.1.]
Finally, two later historians wrote about Praetextatus. The first is
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 ...
, a pagan historian who lived in the first half of the 6th century and author of the ''Historia Nova'', who described Praetextatus as a defender of the Hellenic cults in Greece; the second historian is
Joannes Laurentius Lydus
John the Lydian or John Lydus ( el, ; la, Ioannes Laurentius Lydus) (ca. AD 490 – ca. 565) was a Byzantine administrator and writer on antiquarian subjects.
Life and career
He was born in 490 AD at Philadelphia in Lydia, whence his cognome ...
, who lived in the second half of the 6th century, and who talks about a
hierophant
A hierophant ( grc, ἱεροφάντης) is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed ''holy''. As such, a hierophant is an interpreter of sacred mysteries and wikt:arcane, arcane principles.
The word ...
named Praetextatus,
[Joannes Laurentius Lydus, ''De mensibus'', 4.2.] but this identification is uncertain.
Biography
Early life
Praetextatus' birthday is unknown, but the sources show he was born before Quintus Aurelius Symmachus and
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 ( ...
. They also state that in 384, the year of his death, Praetextatus had been married to his wife
Aconia Fabia Paulina for forty years;
if Paulina was his first wife and if they married when he was twenty/twenty-five years old, as was customary among the senatorial aristocracy, his birth can be assumed between 314 and 319.
[Kahlos (2002), Chapter 1.2.] According to
Joannes Lydus, however, a "Praetextatus the hierophant" and the Neo-platonic philosopher
Sopater of Apamea Sopater of Apamea ( grc-gre, Σώπατρος ὁ Ἀπαμεύς; died before 337 AD), was a distinguished sophist and Neoplatonist philosopher.
Biography
Sopater was a disciple of Iamblichus, after whose death (c. 325 AD), he went to Constantin ...
participated to the ''polismós'' ceremony during the foundation of
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 (" ...
, around 330.
As aristocrats took sacerdotal roles very young, it is possible that this Praetextatus was Vettius Agorius, who actually was ''Pontifex Vestae'';
in this case, he would have been born between 310 and 324.
As regards Praetextatus' family, sources are silent and only hypotheses can be drawn.
Gaius Vettius Cossinus Rufinus
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 ...
(''
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 315–316) could have been his father, both because of their names and because they followed a similar career (''corrector Tusciae et Umbriae'', ''proconsul Achaiae'', ''pontifex Solis'' and ''augur''):
in the senatorial aristocracy, the sons often held the same political, administrative and religious positions as their fathers. However, many years separated their careers (Praetextatus was ''praefectus urbi'' in 367), so it has been proposed that Cossinus Rufinus was the father of
Vettius Rufinus Gaius Vettius Cossinius Rufinus ( fl. 306316) was a politician and senator of the late Roman Empire.
In 306 he was made proconsul of Achaea, but Maxentius' revolt in Rome prevented Rufinus from taking up the post, since Maxentius did not have jur ...
(consul in 323) and the latter was Praetextatus' father.
Nonetheless, we know that Praetextatus' family was ancient and noble, and therefore he possessed a network of relationships with other members of the senatorial aristocracy, a network that was used also to gain advantages. His acquaintances included
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus signo Eusebius (, ; c. 345 – 402) was a Roman statesman, orator, and man of letters. He held the offices of governor of proconsular Africa in 373, urban prefect of Rome in 384 and 385, and consul in 391. Symmachus s ...
, his father
Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus Phosphorius (died 376) was an aristocrat of the Roman Empire, and father of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus.
Biography
A member of the aristocratic family of the Symmachi, he was the son of Aurelius Valerius Tullianu ...
, Virius Nicomachus Flavianus and probably the senators
Volusius Venustus
Volusius Venustus (''floruit'' 4th century) was an aristocrat of the Roman Empire.
Biography
Volusius Venustus set up a monument in the forum of Canosa in honour of Constantine I and his two sons (the fact that only two sons are honoured means ...
and
Minervius.
An example of this network of relationships is the very wedding between Praetextatus and his wife
Aconia Fabia Paulina, celebrated around 344 (they had been married for 40 years in 384);
Paulina, in fact, was the daughter of
Aconius Catullinus Philomatius, ''Praefectus urbi'' in 342–344 and Consul in 349. They had at least one son, recalled in the funeral eulogy and the author of an inscription in honour of his father, dated to shortly after his death and found in their home on the
Aventine. Even if most historians identify the commissioner of the inscription with a son, this could be also a daughter, maybe the Praetextata cited by
Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...
. Finally,
Vettius Agorius Basilius Mavortius
Vettius Agorius Basilius Mavortius ( 527–534) was a Roman aristocrat who lived during Ostrogothic rule. He was appointed consul for 527.
Biography
Mavortius was probably the son of Caecina Mavortius Basilius Decius, consul in 486, and related ...
, consul in 527 and with a similar interest in literature, could have been his great-grandson.
Political and religious career
The tomb of Praetextatus and of his wife Aconia Fabia Paulina, conserved at the
Musei Capitolini
The Capitoline Museums (Italian: ''Musei Capitolini'') are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazz ...
, records his ''
cursus honorum
The ''cursus honorum'' (; , or more colloquially 'ladder of offices') was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. It was designed for men of senatorial rank. The '' ...
''.
Praetextatus held several religious positions: ''pontifex'' of
Vesta and
Sol,
augur
An augur was a priest and official in the classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds. Determinations were based upon whether they were flying i ...
, ''
tauroboliatus'',
curialis of
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
,
neocorus
Johann Adolf Köster (also Johannes Adolph Köster) (c. 1550 – 1630) was a pastor, teacher and historian in Büsum, Germany. He is better known by his Latin name Neocorus, under which he chronicled the medieval history of Dithmarschen. The Neoco ...
,
hierophant
A hierophant ( grc, ἱεροφάντης) is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed ''holy''. As such, a hierophant is an interpreter of sacred mysteries and wikt:arcane, arcane principles.
The word ...
, priest of
Liber
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...
and of the
Eleusinian mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries ( el, Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια, Eleusínia Mystḗria) were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Elefsina in ancient Greece. They are the " ...
. He also held several political and administrative positions: he was ''quaestor'', ''
corrector
A corrector (English plural ''correctors'', Latin plural ''correctores'') is a person or object practicing correction, usually by removing or rectifying errors.
The word is originally a Roman title, ''corrector'', derived from the Latin verb '' ...
Tusciae et Umbriae'', Governor of
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and
a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...
, Proconsul of
Achaea, ''praefectus urbi'' in 384 and was
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 ...
of Italy and Illyricum, as well as
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 ...
designated for the year 385, an honour he did not achieve because he died in late 384.
In 370, several senators were tried for alleged magic practices by prefect
Maximinus; Praetextatus led a senatorial legation to emperor
Valentinian I
Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Vale ...
, including
Volusius Venustus
Volusius Venustus (''floruit'' 4th century) was an aristocrat of the Roman Empire.
Biography
Volusius Venustus set up a monument in the forum of Canosa in honour of Constantine I and his two sons (the fact that only two sons are honoured means ...
and
Minervius, charged with asking Valentinian to forgo torture for those senators involved in trials; the three of them were allowed in the presence of the Emperor, who denied having given such a disposition, but, thanks to the influence of the ''quaestor''
Eupraxius, the rights of the senators were restored.
While holding the office of ''praefectus urbi'', he gave back to the Bishop of Rome,
Damasus, the basilica of Sicininus and had the other bishop,
Ursicinus, expelled from Rome, thus restoring peace in the city, even if he granted an amnesty to the followers of the defeated bishop. His justice was celebrated; he had removed those private structures that were built against pagan temples (the so-called ''maeniana'') and distributed within the whole city uniform and verified weights and measures. He also restored the
Porticus Deorum Consentium
The Porticus Deorum Consentium ( it, Portico degli Dei Consenti; en, Portico of the Harmonious Gods), sometimes known as the Area of the Dii Consentes, is an ancient structure located at the bottom of the ancient Roman road that leads up to the C ...
in the
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...
.
[The inscription on the monument() reads: " eorum cnsentium sacrosancta simulacra cum omni lo i totius adornatioe cultu in ormam antiquam restituto/ ttius Praetextatus, v(ir) c(larissimus), pra fectus ubi eposuit/ curante Longeio v(ir) (clarissimus, cnsul ri.]
After his death, the Emperor asked the
Roman Senate
The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
for a copy of all his speeches, while the
Vestal Virgins
In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals ( la, Vestālēs, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame.
The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty ...
proposed to the Emperor that they be allowed to erect statues in his honour.
Support of traditional Roman religion
![Porticus Deorum Consentium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Porticus_Deorum_Consentium.JPG)
Praetextatus was one of the last political supporters of the ''
res divina In ancient Rome, ''res divinae'', singular ''res divina'' (Latin for "divine matters," that is, the service of the gods), were the laws that pertained to the religious duties of the state and its officials. Roman law was divided into the ''res divi ...
'', the Roman religion, in
Late Antiquity
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
; he was particularly devoted to
Vesta, as was his wife.
[Lanciani.] Praetextatus was friend with another major figure of the pagan aristocracy, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, with whom he exchanged letters partially conserved. According to Jerome, in reference to Bishop
Damasus' luxurious lifestyle, he joked to him "Make me bishop of Rome and I will become a Christian".
During his office as Proconsul of
Achaea he appealed against an edict by Emperor
Valentinian I
Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Vale ...
(issued in 364) that forbade night sacrifices during the Mysteries: Praetextatus maintained that this edict made it impossible for pagans to keep their faith, and Valentinian nullified his own edict.
In 367, during his tenure as ''
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 ...
'', he oversaw the restoration of the
Porticus Deorum Consentium
The Porticus Deorum Consentium ( it, Portico degli Dei Consenti; en, Portico of the Harmonious Gods), sometimes known as the Area of the Dii Consentes, is an ancient structure located at the bottom of the ancient Roman road that leads up to the C ...
in the
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...
(), the last great monument devoted to a pagan cult in Rome.
Even if this was a simple restoration of the damaged statues and a renovation of the worship, it was a symbolic choice, as the
Di Consentes
The ''Dii Consentes'', also known as ''Di'' or ''Dei Consentes'' (once ''Dii Complices''), is an ancient list of twelve major deities, six gods and six goddesses, in the pantheon of Ancient Rome. Their gilt statues stood in the Roman Forum, an ...
were the protectors of the Senate, and therefore used to balance the power of the Emperor (it is significant that the inscription does not mention the Emperor).
[Kahlos (1995).] It has been also proposed that the restoration of the cult of the Di Consentes appealed to Praetextatus as a propagation of "his ideology of the ''numen multiplex''" cited in his funerary poem.
A few years before his death, while his friend Symmachus was ''praefectus urbi'', Praetextatus held an important ceremony, a pagan ascent to the
Capitolium
A ''Capitolium'' (Latin) was an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad of gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. A capitolium was built on a prominent area in many cities in Italy and the Roman provinces, particularly during the Augu ...
, an event that is recorded by Jerome: Praetextatus ascended, preceded by the highest magistrates, in a ceremony that was not a
triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
, but which was really close to a pagan triumphal ceremony.
In 384, during his tenure as
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 ...
, he obtained from
Valentinian II
Valentinian II ( la, Valentinianus; 37115 May 392) was a Roman emperor in the western part of the Roman empire between AD 375 and 392. He was at first junior co-ruler of his brother, was then sidelined by a usurper, and only after 388 sole rule ...
an edict about the persecution of the crimes of demolition of pagan temples and the attribution of the related investigations to the ''praefectus urbi'' of Rome (who, at that time, was his friend Symmachus).
[Symmachus, ''Relationes'' 21,3–5.] Praetextatus' policy of restoration of the ancient Roman religion hit the Christian members of the imperial court (at Milan) and possibly it was for this reason that Symmachus, as friend and ally of Praetextatus, was falsely accused of torturing Christian priests: Symmachus responded that he was authorised by Praetextatus on the basis of the imperial edict and even Damasus supported him.
Praetextatus and Paulina had a palace located at the corner of
via Merulana
Via or VIA may refer to the following:
Science and technology
* MOS Technology 6522, Versatile Interface Adapter
* ''Via'' (moth), a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae
* Via (electronics), a through-connection
* VIA Technologies, a Taiwa ...
and viale del Monte Oppio () in
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 ...
, on the place of the modern
Palazzo Brancaccio. The garden around the palace, the so-called ''Horti Vettiani'', extended to the modern
Roma Termini railway station
Roma Termini (in Italian, ''Stazione Termini'') is the main railway station of Rome, Italy. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian (in Latin, ''thermae''), which ...
. Archaeological investigations in this area brought out several discoveries related to Praetextatus' family. Among them there is the base of a statue dedicated to
Coelia Concordia
The gens Coelia, occasionally written Coilia, was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. The Coelii are frequently confounded with the Caelii, with some individuals called ''Caelius'' in manuscripts, while they appear as ''Coelius'' or ''Coilius'' ...
, one of the last
Vestal Virgins
In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals ( la, Vestālēs, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame.
The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty ...
, who had erected a statue in honour of Praetextatus after his death; the latter statue was criticised by Symmachus, who wrote a letter to Flavianus saying he opposed this erection because that was the first time that the Virgins had erected a statue to a man, even if ''pontifex''.
Literature
Praetextatus published the Latin version of the ''Analytics'' written by
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
, in the Greek version composed by the philosopher
Themistius
Themistius ( grc-gre, Θεμίστιος ; 317 – c. 388 AD), nicknamed Euphrades, (eloquent), was a statesman, rhetorician, and philosopher. He flourished in the reigns of Constantius II, Julian, Jovian, Valens, Gratian, and Theodosius I; ...
. It is possible that Praetextatus knew Themistius, either meeting him in Constantinople or when the philosopher visited Rome (in 357, when Themistius followed 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 ...
as leader of the Senate of Constantinople, or in 376, when Themistius honoured Emperor
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 ...
with a speech in the Roman Senate),
[Kahlos (2002), Chapter 3.2.] and it is known he could read Greek, as he had been one of the ''quindecimvir sacri faciundi'', who had to know Greek in order to read the Sybilline books.
Praetextatus also collaborated with acquaintances of Symmachus and Nicomachus Flavianus in the emendation and transmission of texts of the traditional Roman culture. He was also the main character of the ''
Saturnalia
Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple ...
'' by
Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius
Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was ...
,
and might be the target of the anonymous ''
Carmen contra paganos''.
[L. Cracco-Rugini, "Il paganesimo romano tra religione e politica (384-394 d.C.): per una reinterpretazione del 'Carmen contra paganos'", Rome, 1979 = ''Memorie dell'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Classe di Scienze morali, storiche e filologiche, Ser. VIII, 23/1, pp. 1-144''; see also Cameron 2011, 273-319.]
Notes
Bibliography
Primary sources
* ; ; ;
* ''
Collectio Avellana
''Collectio Avellana'' (the "Avellana Compilation") is a collection of 244 documents, dating from AD 367 to 553. It includes many imperial letters written to Catholic popes and others, imperial acts, papal letters and other documents that were gath ...
''
*
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus (occasionally Anglicisation, anglicised as Ammian) (born , died 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Ancient history, antiquity (preceding Procopius). His w ...
, ''Res Gestae Libri XXXI''
*
Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...
, letters
*
Joannes Laurentius Lydus
John the Lydian or John Lydus ( el, ; la, Ioannes Laurentius Lydus) (ca. AD 490 – ca. 565) was a Byzantine administrator and writer on antiquarian subjects.
Life and career
He was born in 490 AD at Philadelphia in Lydia, whence his cognome ...
, ''De mensibus''
*
Sozomen
Salamanes Hermias Sozomenos ( grc-gre, Σαλαμάνης Ἑρμείας Σωζομενός; la, Sozomenus; c. 400 – c. 450 AD), also known as Sozomen, was a Roman lawyer and historian of the Christian Church.
Family and home
He was born arou ...
, ''Historia Ecclesiastica''
*
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
* Cameron, Alan. ''The Last Pagans of Rome.'' Oxford University Press, 2011, .
* Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin, John Robert Martindale, John Morris, ''
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 ...
: A.D. 260–395'', volume 1 (PLRE I), Cambridge University Press, 1971, .
* Kahlos, Maijastina
"The Restoration Policy of Praetextatus" ''Arctos'' 29 (1995), pp. 39–47.
* Kahlos, Maijastina, ''Vettius Agorius Praetextatus. A senatorial life in between'', Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, Roma, 2002, (Acta Instituti Romani Finlandiae, 26).
* Lanciani, Rodolfo, ''Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent Discoveries'', Houghton & Mifflin, Boston and New York, 1898, pp. 169–170. On-line a
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Praetextatus, Agorius, Vettius
Senators of the Roman Empire
4th-century clergy
4th-century Romans
310s births
384 deaths
4th-century Christianity
Late-Roman-era pagans
Correspondents of Symmachus
Praetorian prefects of the Illyricum
Praetorian prefects of Italy
Roman governors of Achaia
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Agorius Praetextatus
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