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The title ''vir illustris'' ('illustrious man') is used as a formal indication of standing 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 ...
to describe the highest ranks within the senates of
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 ...
and
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 ( ...
. All senators had the title ''vir clarissimus'' ('very famous man'); but from the mid fourth century onwards, ''vir illustris'' and ''vir spectabilis'' ('admirable man', a lower rank than ''illustris'') were used to distinguish holders of high office.


History


Origins

The custom of Roman senators of late antiquity appending the title of ''vir clarissimus'' to their names developed gradually over the first two centuries. During the fourth century, the senatorial order greatly increased in number, so that the title became more common and new titles were devised to distinguish senators of a higher dignity, namely ''vir spectabilis'' and ''vir illustris''. The first instance of ''vir illustris'' occurred in AD 354 with its use by the '' Praefectus praetorio''. For some decades it was used inconsistently, but then more regularly, perhaps in connection with a formal codification of honours by Emperor Valentinian I in AD 372.


Offices

The offices that had a right to the title varied with time. The '' Notitia Dignitatum'' of the early AD fifth century attached it to the offices of the: *'' Praefectus praetorio'' ('Praetorian Prefect'), *''
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, an ...
'' ('Urban Prefect'), *''
Magister militum (Latin for "master of soldiers", plural ) was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine the Great. The term referred to the senior military officer (equivalent to a war theatre commander, ...
'' ('Master of the Soldiers'), *''
Praepositus sacri cubiculi The ''praepositus sacri cubiculi'' (Latin: "provost of the sacred bedchamber", in gr, πραιπόσιτος τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου κοιτῶνος, praipositos tou eusebestatou koitōnos) was one of the senior palace offices in the L ...
'' ('Officer of the Sacred Chamber'), *''
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 cent ...
'' ('Master of Offices'), *''
Quaestor sacri palatii The ''quaestor sacri palatii'' ( gr, κοιαίστωρ/κυαίστωρ τοῦ ἱεροῦ παλατίου, usually simply ), in English: Quaestor of the Sacred Palace, was the senior legal authority in the late Roman Empire and early Byzanti ...
'' ('Quaestor of the Sacred Palace'), *''
Comes sacrarum largitionum The ''comes sacrarum largitionum'' ("Count of the Sacred Largesses"; in el, , ''kómes tōn theíon thesaurōn'') was one of the senior fiscal officials of the late Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire. Although it is first attested in ...
'' ('Count of the Sacred Largess'), *''
Comes rerum privatarum In the Roman Empire during late antiquity, the ''comes rerum privatarum'' ( gr, κόμης τῆς ἰδικῆς παρουσίας, ''kómēs tēs idikēs parousías''), literally "count of the private fortune", was the official charged with admin ...
'' ('Count of the mperialPrivate Property') *''Comes domesticorum equitum sive peditum'' ('Count of the Household Cavalry or Infantry'). Beyond these, the title is also frequently given to
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 throu ...
s, occasionally to lower offices. In these cases the title may show a broadening of the criteria or may be simply an honorary grant to an individual.


Later developments

The ''Illustres'' soon were regarded as the active membership of the Senate; and by the middle of the AD fifth century, ''Spectabiles'' and ''Clarissimi'' were no longer expected to participate in the Senate. By the reign of Emperor Justinian I, all senators were considered ''Illustres''. At the same time the title of "''illustris''" had been similarly devalued below that of "''clarissimus''" in the AD fourth century, and high officials were indicated with the titles of "''
vir gloriosus ''Vir gloriosus'' (Latin for "glorious man", gr, ἔνδοξος, ''endoxos'') or ''gloriosissimus'' ("most glorious", gr, ἐνδοξότατος, ''endoxotatos'') was the highest rank available to the senatorial aristocracy of the East Roman or ...
''" or "''
gloriosissimus ''Vir gloriosus'' (Latin for "glorious man", gr, ἔνδοξος, ''endoxos'') or ''gloriosissimus'' ("most glorious", gr, ἐνδοξότατος, ''endoxotatos'') was the highest rank available to the senatorial aristocracy of the East Roman or ...
''" and "''vir magnificus''".


Written forms

In ancient inscriptions and manuscripts, the spelling "''inlustris''" is more frequent. Because the ''illustres'' were a subset of the ''clarissimi'', the title is often written as "''vir clarissimus et illustris''", especially in official documents. The shorter title was commonly abbreviated "''v. i.''" (plural "''vv. ii.''"), "''v. inl.''", or "''vir inl.''" and the longer title as "''v. c. et inl.''" In
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
and Carolingian times, the spellings ''vir inluster'' and ''viri inlustres'' were common.Henry d'Arbois de Jubainville, ww.persee.fr/doc/crai_0065-0536_1887_num_31_2_69305 "L'emploi du titre de ''vir inluster'' ou ''vir inlustris'' dans les documents officiels de l'époque mérovingienne" ''Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres'', 31, 2 (1887), pp. 167–68.


Notes


References

*Berger, A., 'Illustris', '' R.E.'' IX (1915), 1070–1085. *Hirschfeld, O., 'Die Rangtitel der römischen Kaiserzeit', ''Sitzungsberichte der Berliner Akademie'' (1901), 579–610, reprinted in ''
Kleine Schriften ' is a German phrase ("short writings" or "minor works"; la, Opuscula) often used as a title for a collection of articles and essays written by a single scholar over the course of a career. "Collected Papers" is an English equivalent. These short ...
'' (Berlin: Weidemann, 1913), 657–71. *Jones, A.H.M., ''The Later Roman Empire 284-602, A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey'' (Oxford: Blackwell, 1964, repr. Johns Hopkins UP, 1986) *Löhken, H., ''Ordines Dignitatum'' (Köln: Böhlau, 1982) *Näf, B., ''Senatorisches Standesbewusstsein in spätrömischer Zeit'' (Freiburg: Universitätsverlag, Freiburg, 1995) {{Italic title Ancient Roman titles Roman Empire in late antiquity Byzantine titles and offices Roman Senate