Flavius Patricius ( el, Πατρίκιος, died after 519) was a prominent East Roman (
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
) general and statesman during the reign of
Byzantine emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as ...
Phrygia
In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empir ...
, but otherwise nothing is known of his early life. Raised to the
consulate
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth co ...
in 500 along with Anastasius's nephew Hypatius, he was already considered elderly at the time. In the same year, he was placed as ''
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, ...
praesentalis'' (one of the two ''magistri militum'' "in the presence" of the emperor), a post he held until Anastasius's death in July 518.. The bishop and historian
Zacharias of Mytilene
Zacharias of Mytilene (c. 465, Gaza – after 536), also known as Zacharias Scholasticus or Zacharias Rhetor, was a bishop and ecclesiastical historian.
Life
The life of Zacharias of Mytilene can be reconstructed only from a few scattered repo ...
characteristically calls him "upright and trustworthy, but with slight intelligence.".
Campaigns against Persia
In 502, the
Anastasian War
The Anastasian War was fought from 502 to 506 between the Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire. It was the first major conflict between the two powers since 440, and would be the prelude to a long series of destructive conflicts between the t ...
with
Sassanid Persia
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
broke out. Thus in 503, along with Hypatius and
Areobindus Dagalaiphus Areobindus
Flavius Areobindus Dagalaifus Areobindus ( grc-gre, Ἀρεόβινδος; 479–512) was an Eastern Roman general and politician. The scion of a distinguished line, he led troops in the Anastasian War, and served as consul in 506. During an urb ...
, Patricius was sent east to campaign against the Persians. He invaded the Persian province of
Arzanene
Arzanene ( el, Ἀρζανηνή) or Aghdznik () was a historical region in the southwest of the ancient kingdom of Armenia. It was ruled by one of the four ''bdeashkhs'' (''bidakhsh'', ''vitaxa'') of Armenia, the highest ranking nobles below t ...
, sacking various forts and taking prisoners, before returning to join forces with Hypatius. While Areobindus was detailed to keep watch on the Persian stronghold of
Nisibis
Nusaybin (; '; ar, نُصَيْبِيْن, translit=Nuṣaybīn; syr, ܢܨܝܒܝܢ, translit=Nṣībīn), historically known as Nisibis () or Nesbin, is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009 and is ...
and on the army of Shah Kavadh I (r. 488–531) from Dara, Patricius and Hypatius, with the main force of 40,000 men (an enormous army for the time), were tasked with the recapture of Amida. Although the siege of Amida proved fruitless, together they won a skirmish against some Hephthalite Huns. Their success, however, made them careless, allowing them to be surprised by the main Persian army under Kavadh. Defeated, they retreated across the
Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...
to
Samosata
Samsat ( ku, Samîsad), formerly Samosata ( grc, Σαμόσατα) is a small town in the Adıyaman Province of Turkey, situated on the upper Euphrates river. It is the seat of Samsat District...
In early 504, Patricius successfully intercepted a supply convoy for the garrison of Amida. He then defeated the Persian reinforcements, capturing their commanders, and resumed the siege of the city. He pursued the siege vigorously, destroying part of the city's outer walls by undermining them, and ambushing and killing the garrison commander Glones. He was, however, unable to take the city until the end of hostilities. At that point, he arranged the ransom of the city.
Involvement in civil war
Back in Constantinople, Patricius became involved in the theological disputes that troubled much of Anastasius's reign. During the rebellion of
Vitalian
Pope Vitalian ( la, Vitalianus; died 27 January 672) was the bishop of Rome from 30 July 657 to his death. His pontificate was marked by the dispute between the papacy and the imperial government in Constantinople over Monothelitism, which Rome ...
, Patricius was used by Anastasius as an ambassador, since he had known both Vitalian and his father, and had promoted the former's career in the past. Nevertheless, due to this friendship, he refused to attack Vitalian's army during his third assault on Constantinople in 515, ostensibly because he feared that he would be accused of treason in the case of a defeat..
Imperial candidacy
In 518, at the death of Anastasius, Patricius was put forward as one of the candidates to succeed him by the men of the ''
Scholae Palatinae
The ''Scholae Palatinae'' (literally "Palatine Schools", in gr, Σχολαί, Scholai) were an elite military guard unit, usually ascribed to the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great as a replacement for the '' equites singulares Augusti'', the c ...
''. His candidacy, however, was not accepted by the imperial bodyguard, the '' excubitores'', who tried to set upon him; his life was saved by the intervention of
Justinian
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized '' renova ...
, the nephew of the ''excubitores commander and eventual emperor,
Justin I
Justin I ( la, Iustinus; grc-gre, Ἰουστῖνος, ''Ioustînos''; 450 – 1 August 527) was the Eastern Roman emperor from 518 to 527. Born to a peasant family, he rose through the ranks of the army to become commander of the imperial ...
(r. 518–527).
End of career
The last reference to Patricius occurs in November 519, when he was at
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroe ...
, where he was sent to persuade its bishop to accept the
Chalcedonian
Chalcedonian Christianity is the branch of Christianity that accepts and upholds theological and ecclesiological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in 451. Chalcedonian Christianity accepts the Christ ...
doctrines or abdicate voluntarily. Upon his refusal, Patricius forcibly deposed him and exiled him.