Rufius Postumius Festus ( 472–507) was a Roman aristocrat who lived during the

Late Roman Empire The Later Roman Empire spans the period from 284 AD (Diocletian's proclamation as emperor) to 641 (death of Heraclius) in the history of the Roman Empire. Evidence Histories In comparison with previous periods, studies on Later Roman history a ...

. Festus was the last

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 ...

appointed by an Emperor in the West. The next consul appointed in the West was Caecina Decius Maximus Basilius, whom king Odoacer appointed in 480, eight years after Festus.

Life

His parentage is not recorded. Bagnall, ''et al.'', speculate that Festus' father may be the consul of 439 with the same name, but admit that beyond being "presumably a Roman aristocrat" nothing is known of the older Festus. The year Festus was appointed consul (472), the emperor

Anthemius Procopius Anthemius (died 11 July 472) was western Roman emperor from 467 to 472. Perhaps the last capable Western Roman Emperor, Anthemius attempted to solve the two primary military challenges facing the remains of the Western Roman Empire: ...

was deposed by the powerful ''

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, ...

Ricimer Flavius Ricimer ( , ; – 18/19 August 472) was a Romanized Germanic general who effectively ruled the remaining territory of the Western Roman Empire from 461 until his death in 472, with a brief interlude in which he contested power with An ...

after an armed struggle in the city 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 ...

that started at the beginning of the year, and ended with Anthemius' death on 11 July. Festus survived this civil strife. He next appears in the historical record following the death of

Pope Anastasius II Pope Anastasius II (died 19 November 498) was the bishop of Rome from 24 November 496 to his death. He was an important figure in trying to end the Acacian schism, but his efforts resulted in the Laurentian schism, which followed his death. Ana ...

. If

Theodore Lector Theodorus Lector ( el, Θεόδωρος Ἀναγνώστης, ''Theodoros Anagnostes'') was a lector, or reader, at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople during the early sixth century. He wrote two works of history; one is a collection of sources ...

can be trusted, Festus had travelled 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 ( ...

where he secretly promised the Eastern emperor

Zeno Zeno ( grc, Ζήνων) may refer to: People * Zeno (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Philosophers * Zeno of Elea (), philosopher, follower of Parmenides, known for his paradoxes * Zeno of Citium (333 – 264 BC), ...

that Anastasius would approve the '' Henotikon''; upon returning from

Festus discovered that Anastasius had died 19 November 498. By 22 November, Festus had picked

Laurentius Laurentius is a Latin given name and surname that means "''From Laurentum''" (a city near Rome). It is possible that the place name ''Laurentum'' is derived from the Latin ''laurus'' ("laurel"). People with the name include: In Early Christian ...

as a candidate for Anastasius' successor. Although arbitration by the Ostrogothic king

Theodoric Theodoric is a Germanic given name. First attested as a Gothic name in the 5th century, it became widespread in the Germanic-speaking world, not least due to its most famous bearer, Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths. Overview The name ...

awarded the papal throne to Symmachus, Laurentius' supporters effectively ruled as pope until 506. Between 507 and 511 Festus and

Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus (died 526) was a 6th-century Roman aristocrat, an historian and a supporter of Nicene Christianity. He was a patron of secular learning, and became the consul for the year 485. He supported Pope Symmachus in the ...

brought a lawsuit against the ex-consul Paulinus at Rome, but the actual accusation is unknown.Cassiodorus, ''Variae'', I.23; translated by S.J.B. Barnish, ''Cassiodorus: Variae'' (Liverpool: University Press, 1992), p. 17

References

{{end 5th-century Italo-Roman people 6th-century Italo-Roman people 5th-century Roman consuls Imperial Roman consuls

Life

See also

References