Ulpius Limenius (died 8 April AD 349) was a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

politician who 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 AD 349.

Biography

Presumably a member of the

Nobiles The ''nobiles'' ( ''nobilis'') were members of a social rank in the Roman Republic indicating that one was "well known". This may have changed over time: in Cicero's time, one was notable if one descended from a person who had been elected consul. ...

and a member of the eastern Senate, Limenius was appointed

Proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ...

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 ( ...

in AD 342. He was an opponent of the rhetorician

Libanius Libanius ( grc-gre, Λιβάνιος, Libanios; ) was a teacher of rhetoric of the Sophist school in the Eastern Roman Empire. His prolific writings make him one of the best documented teachers of higher education in the ancient world and a criti ...

, and during his tenure as Proconsul he supported the accusations of Libanius’ rivals, charging him with practicing magic and treason, thereby forcing Libanius to leave Constantinople. Although he was an eastern provincial, he was assigned the dual role of praetorian prefect of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

(which the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Constans Flavius Julius Constans ( 323 – 350), sometimes called Constans I, was Roman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank of '' caesar'' from 333, and was the youngest son of Constantine the Great. After his father's death, he was mad ...

gave to him when he created the new Prefecture, splitting Italy off from the

Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum The praetorian prefecture of Illyricum ( la, praefectura praetorio per Illyricum; el, ἐπαρχότης/ὑπαρχία �ῶν πραιτωρίωντοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ, also termed simply the Prefecture of Illyricum) was one of four ...

) as well as ''

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 ...

'' 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 ...

. He held these posts from 12 June 347 to 8 April 349. This unusual appointment not only reflected Constans' upbringing in Constantinople, but was also probably indicative of a long-standing relationship with a trusted subordinate. In AD 348, Limenius, as Urban Prefect, probably celebrated the

Secular Games The Saecular Games ( la, Ludi saeculares, originally ) was a Roman religious celebration involving sacrifices and theatrical performances, held in ancient Rome for three days and nights to mark the end of a and the beginning of the next. A , sup ...

in the emperor's name, as Constans was absent from Rome. During his time as Praetorian Prefect, he received a number of imperial

laws Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...

to implement. One, dated 28 March 349, was aimed at the preservation of columns and monuments, as well as preventing the violation of tombs in the city of Rome. Another, dated 12 February 349, directed Limenius to crack down on counterfeiters. In AD 349, Limenius was appointed '' consul prior'' alongside Aconius Catullinus Philomatius. A pagan,Barnes, Timothy David, ''Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire'' (2001), pg. 292 Limenius died on 8 April 349, during his term as consul.

Sources

* Chenault, Robert R., ''Rome Without Emperors: The Revival of a Senatorial City in the Fourth Century CE.'' (2008) * Martindale, J. R.; Jones, A. H. M, ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'', Vol. I AD 260–395, Cambridge University Press (1971) * Story, Joseph, ''Commentaries on the Conflict of Laws, Foreign and Domestic, in Regard to Contracts, Rights, and Remedies, and Especially in Regard to Marriages, Divorces, Wills, Successions, and Judgements'' (1841)

References

{{s-end 349 deaths 4th-century Romans Late-Roman-era pagans Imperial Roman consuls Praetorian prefects of Italy

Limenius Limenius ( grc-gre, Λιμήνιος; fl. 2nd century BC) was an Athenian musician and the creator of the Second Delphic Hymn in 128 BC. He is the earliest known composer in recorded history for a surviving piece of music, or one of the two earli ...

Urban prefects of Constantinople Urban prefects of Rome Year of birth unknown