Aurelius Valerius Symmachus Tullianus ( 330–337) was a Roman senator and aristocrat. He was appointed

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 ...

in 330 by the emperor

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

. Writing between 334 and 337 (probably 337), the author Firmicus Maternus noted Tullianus for his austerity, severity, integrity, and Stoicism, though Cameron says this description represents an idealized image of a Roman senator and need not be an accurate depiction of the subject himself. Symmachus probably earned the name Tullianus, referencing

Marcus Tullius Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

, because he was famed a orator, as were several senatorial descendants of his, including Avianius Symmachus,

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 ...

(consul in 391), and Memmius Symmachus (consul 485). Tullianus may be identical with one Phosphorius who served as proconsul of

Achaia Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaïa'' ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. T ...

in 319. 'Phosphorius' occurs as an informal name () elsewhere in his family and is otherwise rare, but confirmation of the identity is lacking.T.D. Barnes, "P.Oxy. 889 Again", ''ZPE'' 53 (1983), p. 276 note 4, Tullianus' son was probably the senator

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 Tullia ...

Footnotes

References

* * Lizzi Testa, Rita, ''Senatori, popolo, papi: il governo di Roma al tempo dei Valentiniani'', EDIPUGLIA, 2004, , p. 382, 384. * McWilliam, Joanne, ''Augustine: From Rhetor to Theologian'', Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1992, , p. 9. {{DEFAULTSORT:Symmachus Tullianus, Aurelius Valerius Tullianus, Aurelius Valerius 4th-century Roman consuls Late-Roman-era pagans Senators of the Roman Empire Valerii Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown