Nevitta ( 357–363) was a

Roman military The military of ancient Rome, according to Titus Livius, one of the more illustrious historians of Rome over the centuries, was a key element in the rise of Rome over "above seven hundred years" from a small settlement in Latium to the capital o ...

leader and official in the Roman Empire. His career is closely linked to that of the emperor Julian. He was master of the cavalry and in 362 served as consul.

Life

Nevitta is first mentioned regarding a battle against the Alamanni who had been pillaging the region of

Raetia Raetia ( ; ; also spelled Rhaetia) was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It bordered on the west with the country of the Helvetii, on the east with Noricum, on the north with Vindelicia, on the south-west ...

in 357. The Romans were led by

Barbatio Barbatio (died AD 359) was a Roman general of the infantry (Magister Peditum = Master of Foot) under the command of Constantius II. Previously he was a commander of the household troops (''protectores domestici'') under Gallus Caesar, but he arres ...

, and

Ammianus Marcellinus Ammianus Marcellinus (occasionally anglicised as Ammian) (born , died 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquity (preceding Procopius). His work, known as the ''Res Gestae ...

writes that "Nevitta, commander of a troop of cavalry and afterwards consul, was present and conducted himself manfully." In 361 Julian promoted Nevitta to the rank of '' magister equitum''. When Julian decided to move against Constantius in a bid for power, Nevitta was one of his two generals, the other being Jovinus. The bulk of Julian's force was divided between these two. It was Nevitta's task to lead his army through Raetia and then guard the pass of Succi, thus protecting Julian's rear as the Caesar moved on to

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 ( ...

. Ammianus took the opportunity to describe Nevitta at this point in his career: "a man neither in high birth, experience nor renown comparable with those on whom Constantius conferred the highest magistracy, but on the contrary somewhat boorish, and (what was more intolerable) cruel in his high office." When the emperor Julian set up a tribunal at Chalcedon to try those involved in the excesses of the previous government, Nevitta was appointed as one of the judges. In January 362 he was appointed as consul along with

Claudius Mamertinus Claudius Mamertinus (fl. mid-late 4th century AD) was an official in the Roman Empire. In late 361 he took part in the Chalcedon tribunal to condemn the ministers of Constantius II, and in 362, he was made consul as a reward by the new Emperor Juli ...

.Ammianus Marcellinus, XXII.7.1 The following year Nevitta accompanied Julian on his Sassanid expedition. With the death of his emperor no further mention is found of Nevitta.

Notes

Sources

* Jones A.H.M., Martindale J.R., Morris J. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume I A.D. 260–395. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1971. ''Flavius Nevitta''. {{s-end 4th-century Romans 4th-century Roman consuls Ancient Roman generals Imperial Roman consuls Magistri equitum (Roman Empire) Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown