Caesarius (consul 397)
Encyclopedia
Flavius Caesarius was a politician of the Eastern Roman Empire, who served under Emperors Theodosius I
and Arcadius
. Caesarius was magister officiorum
in 386-387, praetorian prefect of the East between 395 and 397, consul
in in 397, then again praetorian prefect of the East in between 400 and 403.
, and the elder brother of Aurelianus
, with whom he contended the power. He had a wife, to whom he was devoted.
In 386 he is attested as magister officiorum
. In 387, while he still was magister officiorum, Emperor Theodosius I
sent him to Antioch
, where the population had revolted because of a taxation matter; here Caesarius held an inquiry, together with Ellobicus, then magister militum per Orientem. Caesarius conducted his investigation with a particular attention for the situation of the citizens of Antioch, pleading for Theodosius' clemency for them in his report to the Emperor, that the Antiochian orator Libanius
thanked him in an oration of his.
Despite his merits, however, for a long time after his tenure as magister officiorum, Caesarius was not appointed to a higher office. This period, 388-395, corresponds to the years in which Rufinus was in power; it has been proposed that Caesarius, despite being and Orthodox, was not enough strict against the heretics. In that same period, it was Aurelian that made career, succeeding Rufinus as magister officiorum in 392 and then holding the office of praefectus urbi
of Constantinople
between 393 and 394.
However, in November 395, after Rufinus was killed, Caesarius had a huge obstacle to his career removed, and succeeded Rufinus in the office of praetorian prefect of the East. When he had been appointed prefect, Rufinus had issued a law to ban the Lycia
ns, as his enemies, the powerful Eutolmius Tatianus
and his son Proculus, were; Caesarius nullified this law of Rufinus', as well as another banning the Arian Eunomians from making wills, but not in opposition to Rufinus, as shown by the fact that he also issued a law that allowed the widow of proscribed men from losing their properties (the widow of Rufinus probably benefited by this law).
In April 400, Gainas
returned to Constantinople
with his army, and asked Emperor Arcadius
to depose and hand him Aurelianus and Saturninus
. Gainas chose Caesarius as successor to Aurelianus to the office of Praetorian prefect of the East, but after a short time, he left Constantinople and was defeated by the magister militum per Orientem Fravitta
; however, Caesarius kept his office until 403; to this period is to be dated an inscription in Tralles, in which Caesarius is attested Patricius, a title that, combined with Praetorian prefecture of the East and the ex-consul status put Caesarius at the top of the dignities.
Caesarius bought a monastery from the followers of Macedonius
: the property had been left as legacy to the monks by some Eusebia, a close friend of Caesarius' wife, who had asked them to bury the relics of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
she kept in her house. Caesarius demolished the monastery a buried his wife and her friend, then he built a shrine to saint Thyrsus
, and a tomb for himself close by.
of the Aegyptus, sive De providentia by Synesius
, where the story of the struggle between Egyptian god Osiris
and Typhon is used to retell the story of the struggle between Aurelianus
(Osiris) and Caesarius in the period of the revolt of Gainas
. In the novel, Typhon-Caesarius plays the role of the villain, Osiris-Aurelius the main character.
Apart its literary merits, the De providentia has been useful to reconstruct the events of that period, even if historians need to recast the allegories to real people and historical events and to remove Synesius' bias in favour of Aurelianus.
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
and Arcadius
Arcadius
Arcadius was the Byzantine Emperor from 395 to his death. He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius...
. Caesarius was 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...
in 386-387, praetorian prefect of the East between 395 and 397, consul
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in in 397, then again praetorian prefect of the East in between 400 and 403.
Biography
Caesarius was the son of the Consul of 361, TaurusTaurus (consul 361)
Flavius Taurus was a politician and a military officer of the Roman Empire.- Biography :His father was of humble origins. Taurus had three children, Armonius, died about 391, Eutychianus, praetorian prefect of the East and consul in 398, and Aurelianus, praetorian prefect of the East and consul in...
, and the elder brother of Aurelianus
Aurelianus (consul 400)
Aurelianus , also known as Aurelian, was a prominent politician of the Eastern Roman Empire.- Biography :Aurelianus was the son of the Consul of 361, Taurus, and brother of Caesarius; he had a son called Taurus, Consul in 428...
, with whom he contended the power. He had a wife, to whom he was devoted.
In 386 he is attested as 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...
. In 387, while he still was magister officiorum, Emperor Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
sent him to Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, where the population had revolted because of a taxation matter; here Caesarius held an inquiry, together with Ellobicus, then magister militum per Orientem. Caesarius conducted his investigation with a particular attention for the situation of the citizens of Antioch, pleading for Theodosius' clemency for them in his report to the Emperor, that the Antiochian orator Libanius
Libanius
Libanius was a Greek-speaking teacher of rhetoric of the Sophist school. During the rise of Christian hegemony in the later Roman Empire, he remained unconverted and regarded himself as a Hellene in religious matters.-Life:...
thanked him in an oration of his.
Despite his merits, however, for a long time after his tenure as magister officiorum, Caesarius was not appointed to a higher office. This period, 388-395, corresponds to the years in which Rufinus was in power; it has been proposed that Caesarius, despite being and Orthodox, was not enough strict against the heretics. In that same period, it was Aurelian that made career, succeeding Rufinus as magister officiorum in 392 and then holding the office of praefectus urbi
Praefectus urbi
The praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, 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, and held high importance in late Antiquity...
of 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:...
between 393 and 394.
However, in November 395, after Rufinus was killed, Caesarius had a huge obstacle to his career removed, and succeeded Rufinus in the office of praetorian prefect of the East. When he had been appointed prefect, Rufinus had issued a law to ban the Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
ns, as his enemies, the powerful Eutolmius Tatianus
Eutolmius Tatianus
Flavius Eutolmius Tatianus was a politician of the Late Roman Empire.- Initial career :The family of Eutolmii originated in Syria; Tatian was born in Sidyma, son of Antonius Tatianus, praeses of Caria from 360 to 364 circa. He had a son, Proculus, who followed his footsteps choosing a political...
and his son Proculus, were; Caesarius nullified this law of Rufinus', as well as another banning the Arian Eunomians from making wills, but not in opposition to Rufinus, as shown by the fact that he also issued a law that allowed the widow of proscribed men from losing their properties (the widow of Rufinus probably benefited by this law).
In April 400, Gainas
Gainas
Gainas was an ambitious Gothic leader who served the Eastern Roman Empire as Magister Militum during the reigns of Theodosius I and Arcadius....
returned to 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 his army, and asked Emperor Arcadius
Arcadius
Arcadius was the Byzantine Emperor from 395 to his death. He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius...
to depose and hand him Aurelianus and Saturninus
Saturninus (consul 383)
Flavius Saturninus was a politician and a military man of the Roman Empire.- Life :Saturninus was probably a Christian: it is known that he hosted a bishop, that he donated to a monastery and that was in touch for a short time with Gregory of Nazianzus.He followed the military career, and in...
. Gainas chose Caesarius as successor to Aurelianus to the office of Praetorian prefect of the East, but after a short time, he left Constantinople and was defeated by the magister militum per Orientem Fravitta
Fravitta
Flavius Fravitta was a chieftain of the Visigoths, who entered in the Eastern Roman army, rising to its highest ranks.- Biography :Fravitta was a member of the Visigoth aristocracy...
; however, Caesarius kept his office until 403; to this period is to be dated an inscription in Tralles, in which Caesarius is attested Patricius, a title that, combined with Praetorian prefecture of the East and the ex-consul status put Caesarius at the top of the dignities.
Caesarius bought a monastery from the followers of Macedonius
Macedonius I of Constantinople
Macedonius was a Greek bishop of Constantinople from 342 up to 346, and from 351 until 360. He inspired the establishment of the Macedonians, a sect later declared heretical.-Biography:...
: the property had been left as legacy to the monks by some Eusebia, a close friend of Caesarius' wife, who had asked them to bury the relics of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
Forty Martyrs of Sebaste
The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste or the Holy Forty were a group of Roman soldiers in the Legio XII Fulminata whose martyrdom in 320 for the Christian faith is recounted in traditional martyrologies.They were killed near Sebaste, in Lesser Armenia, victims of the persecutions of Licinius,...
she kept in her house. Caesarius demolished the monastery a buried his wife and her friend, then he built a shrine to saint Thyrsus
Saint Thyrsus
Saint Thyrsus or Thyrsos is venerated as a Christian martyr. He was killed for his faith in Sozopolis , Phrygia during the persecution of Decius. Leucius and Callinicus were martyred with him. Tradition states that Thrysus endured many tortures and was sentenced to be sawn in half...
, and a tomb for himself close by.
In literature
Caesarius has been identified by some scholars with the character of TyphonTyphon
Typhon , also Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos was the last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, and the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. He was known as the "Father of all monsters"; his wife Echidna was likewise the "Mother of All Monsters."Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus,...
of the Aegyptus, sive De providentia by Synesius
Synesius
Synesius , a Greek bishop of Ptolemais in the Libyan Pentapolis after 410, was born of wealthy parents, who claimed descent from Spartan kings, at Balagrae near Cyrene between 370 and 375.-Life:...
, where the story of the struggle between Egyptian god Osiris
Osiris
Osiris is an Egyptian god, usually identified as the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead. He is classically depicted as a green-skinned man with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive crown with two large ostrich feathers at either side, and...
and Typhon is used to retell the story of the struggle between Aurelianus
Aurelianus (consul 400)
Aurelianus , also known as Aurelian, was a prominent politician of the Eastern Roman Empire.- Biography :Aurelianus was the son of the Consul of 361, Taurus, and brother of Caesarius; he had a son called Taurus, Consul in 428...
(Osiris) and Caesarius in the period of the revolt of Gainas
Gainas
Gainas was an ambitious Gothic leader who served the Eastern Roman Empire as Magister Militum during the reigns of Theodosius I and Arcadius....
. In the novel, Typhon-Caesarius plays the role of the villain, Osiris-Aurelius the main character.
Apart its literary merits, the De providentia has been useful to reconstruct the events of that period, even if historians need to recast the allegories to real people and historical events and to remove Synesius' bias in favour of Aurelianus.