Anastasius (Samaria)
Encyclopedia
Anastasius was a Byzantine official, active in the reign of Justin II
(r. 565-578). He was a native of Samaria
. He held the positions of magister officiorum
and quaestor sacri palatii
. He seems to have died by the mid-570s.
, as recorded by John of Ephesus
. The same primary source calls Anastasius both a Samaritan
and a Palestinian
, presumably as geographic terms.
He is first mentioned as the subject of a panegyric
composed by Flavius Cresconius Corippus
. The poem is dated to late 565 or early 566. It describes Anastasius as holding the offices of magister officiorum
and quaestor sacri palatii
. This indicates that Anastasius had been appointed by Justin II
, soon after thre latter rose to the throne (14/15 November, 565). He was persumably a loyal supporter or political ally of Justin. He probably succeeded Constantine as quaestor and Peter the Patrician
as magister. Both men were long-serving ministers of Justinian I
(r. 527-565) and Justin would want to replace them with his own loyalists.
By the time Corippus wrote In laudem Justini minoris, his 566 panegyric in honour of Justin II, Anastasius had been replaced as magister officiorum. His immediate successor was apparently Theodore "Kondocheres" ("Shorthand"), a son of Peter the Patrician. On the other hand, Anastasius still held the position of quaestor into the 570s. Corripus keeps mentioning him as a quaestor in the second panegyric. John of Ephesus mentions him as the active quaestor in 571/572.
Corippus credits Anastasius with measures aimed to help the Praetorian prefecture of Africa
. John of Ephesus lists him as one of the officials opposed to Justin's amendments to the edict of the faith, c. 570. The amendments were considered favourable to the Monophysites
and scandalised the Chalcedonians. His opposition to the amendments and John criticizing him as a false Christian, probably means that Anastasius himself was a Chalcedonian. The narrative of John contains a tale where Justin terrorizes Anastasius. The emperor reportedly ordered the quaestor to have twenty copies of the amended text by nightfall, or else face execution by decapitation.
In 571, Anastasius was sent by Justin to discuss reconciliation terms with the monophysites. Their representatives refused to co-operate and Anastasius reported the failure to Justin. This ended the bried pro-monophysite period of Justin. On 22 March, 571, Justin started a new persecution of the monophysites. Anastasius was prominent among the senators conducting trials of monophysite bishops in 571 and 572. The trials took place at Constantinople
, with most of the accused sentenced to exile. He co-operated closely with John Scholasticus
, Patriarch of Constantinople. John of Ephesus accuses Anastasius of being in the Patriarch's payroll.
A particularly hostile chapter of John of Ephesus alleges that Anastasius was a crypto-pagan
, struggling to prevent the Christian Church from ever unifying. Anastasius' constant harassment of monophysites probably explains the hostility of the historian. John of Ephesus cites that when Samaritans came under religious persecution, Anastasius bribed officials to drop the charges. A minority of modern historians have suggested that Anastasius could be an adherent of Samaritanism, posing as a Christian. Most consider him a genuine Chalcedonian, the charges against him being purely political.
Anastasius reportedly suffered a seizure during "the day of the adoration of the Holy Cross
". This could have been a Good Friday
. Both 15 April, 572 (Good Friday, 572) and 7 April, 573 (Good Friday, 573) have been suggested as the date of the event. This sign of failing health was a precursor to his death, taking place "a year and a half" later. By 575, Anastasius seems to have died.
Justin II
Justin II was Byzantine Emperor from 565 to 578. He was the husband of Sophia, nephew of Justinian I and the late Empress Theodora, and was therefore a member of the Justinian Dynasty. His reign is marked by war with Persia and the loss of the greater part of Italy...
(r. 565-578). He was a native of Samaria
Samaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
. He held the positions of magister officiorum
Magister officiorum
The magister officiorum was one of the most senior administrative officials in the late Roman Empire and the early centuries of the Byzantine Empire...
and quaestor sacri palatii
Quaestor sacri palatii
The quaestor sacri palatii , in English Quaestor of the Sacred Palace, was the senior legal authority in the late Roman and early Byzantine empires, responsible for drafting laws. In the later Byzantine Empire, the office of the quaestor was altered and it became a senior judicial official for the...
. He seems to have died by the mid-570s.
Biography
Anastasius was a native of SamariaSamaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
, as recorded by John of Ephesus
John of Ephesus
John of Ephesus was a leader of the non-Chalcedonian Syriac-speaking Church in the sixth century, and one of the earliest and most important of historians who wrote in Syriac.-Life:...
. The same primary source calls Anastasius both a Samaritan
Samaritan
The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Religiously, they are the adherents to Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism...
and a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
, presumably as geographic terms.
He is first mentioned as the subject of a panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
composed by Flavius Cresconius Corippus
Flavius Cresconius Corippus
Flavius Cresconius Corippus was a late Roman epic poet of the 6th century, who flourished under East Roman Emperors Justinian I and Justin II. His major works are the epic poem Johannis and the panegyric In laudem Justini minoris...
. The poem is dated to late 565 or early 566. It describes Anastasius as holding the offices of magister officiorum
Magister officiorum
The magister officiorum was one of the most senior administrative officials in the late Roman Empire and the early centuries of the Byzantine Empire...
and quaestor sacri palatii
Quaestor sacri palatii
The quaestor sacri palatii , in English Quaestor of the Sacred Palace, was the senior legal authority in the late Roman and early Byzantine empires, responsible for drafting laws. In the later Byzantine Empire, the office of the quaestor was altered and it became a senior judicial official for the...
. This indicates that Anastasius had been appointed by Justin II
Justin II
Justin II was Byzantine Emperor from 565 to 578. He was the husband of Sophia, nephew of Justinian I and the late Empress Theodora, and was therefore a member of the Justinian Dynasty. His reign is marked by war with Persia and the loss of the greater part of Italy...
, soon after thre latter rose to the throne (14/15 November, 565). He was persumably a loyal supporter or political ally of Justin. He probably succeeded Constantine as quaestor and Peter the Patrician
Peter the Patrician
Peter the Patrician was a senior East Roman or Byzantine official, diplomat and historian. A well-educated and successful lawyer, he was repeatedly sent as envoy to Ostrogothic Italy in the prelude to the Gothic War of 535–554. Despite his diplomatic skill, he was not able to avert war, and was...
as magister. Both men were long-serving ministers of Justinian I
Justinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
(r. 527-565) and Justin would want to replace them with his own loyalists.
By the time Corippus wrote In laudem Justini minoris, his 566 panegyric in honour of Justin II, Anastasius had been replaced as magister officiorum. His immediate successor was apparently Theodore "Kondocheres" ("Shorthand"), a son of Peter the Patrician. On the other hand, Anastasius still held the position of quaestor into the 570s. Corripus keeps mentioning him as a quaestor in the second panegyric. John of Ephesus mentions him as the active quaestor in 571/572.
Corippus credits Anastasius with measures aimed to help the Praetorian prefecture of Africa
Praetorian prefecture of Africa
The praetorian prefecture of Africa was a major administrative division of the Eastern Roman Empire, established after the reconquest of northwestern Africa from the Vandals in 533-534 by emperor Justinian I...
. John of Ephesus lists him as one of the officials opposed to Justin's amendments to the edict of the faith, c. 570. The amendments were considered favourable to the Monophysites
Monophysitism
Monophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity...
and scandalised the Chalcedonians. His opposition to the amendments and John criticizing him as a false Christian, probably means that Anastasius himself was a Chalcedonian. The narrative of John contains a tale where Justin terrorizes Anastasius. The emperor reportedly ordered the quaestor to have twenty copies of the amended text by nightfall, or else face execution by decapitation.
In 571, Anastasius was sent by Justin to discuss reconciliation terms with the monophysites. Their representatives refused to co-operate and Anastasius reported the failure to Justin. This ended the bried pro-monophysite period of Justin. On 22 March, 571, Justin started a new persecution of the monophysites. Anastasius was prominent among the senators conducting trials of monophysite bishops in 571 and 572. The trials took place at Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, with most of the accused sentenced to exile. He co-operated closely with John Scholasticus
John Scholasticus
John Scholasticus was the 32nd patriarch of Constantinople from April 12, 565 until his death in 577. He is also regarded as a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church....
, Patriarch of Constantinople. John of Ephesus accuses Anastasius of being in the Patriarch's payroll.
A particularly hostile chapter of John of Ephesus alleges that Anastasius was a crypto-pagan
Crypto-Paganism
Crypto-Pagans are pagan and neoplatonic groups that have had to pretend to be members of a mandated or mainstream religion while secretly practicing their true religion.-Neopaganism:...
, struggling to prevent the Christian Church from ever unifying. Anastasius' constant harassment of monophysites probably explains the hostility of the historian. John of Ephesus cites that when Samaritans came under religious persecution, Anastasius bribed officials to drop the charges. A minority of modern historians have suggested that Anastasius could be an adherent of Samaritanism, posing as a Christian. Most consider him a genuine Chalcedonian, the charges against him being purely political.
Anastasius reportedly suffered a seizure during "the day of the adoration of the Holy Cross
True Cross
The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
". This could have been a Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
. Both 15 April, 572 (Good Friday, 572) and 7 April, 573 (Good Friday, 573) have been suggested as the date of the event. This sign of failing health was a precursor to his death, taking place "a year and a half" later. By 575, Anastasius seems to have died.