Celer (magister officiorum)
Encyclopedia
Flavius Celer was a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...

 general and 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...

under Emperor Anastasius
Anastasius I (emperor)
Anastasius I was Byzantine Emperor from 491 to 518. During his reign the Roman eastern frontier underwent extensive re-fortification, including the construction of Dara, a stronghold intended to counter the Persian fortress of Nisibis....

 in the early 6th century.

Celer was of Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....

n origin, and nothing is known of his early life. In 503, Emperor Anastasius named him general in the ongoing war
Anastasian War
The Anastasian War was fought from 502 to 506 between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanid 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 two empires over the next century.-Prelude:Several...

 against the Sassanid Persians in the East. In the spring of 504, he led his men to participate in the ongoing siege of Amida
Amida (Roman city)
Amida was an ancient city located where modern Diyarbakır, Turkey. The Roman writers Ammianus Marcellinus and Procopius consider it a city of Mesopotamia, but it may be more properly viewed as belonging to Armenia Major....

, but soon after left and engaged in an invasion of Persian-held territory, retaking several cities and returning with much booty. In late 504, he engaged in negotiations with the Persians, which resulted in a temporary truce. In 505, he was again active on the eastern frontier, but is not reported to have engaged in major operations; he did however continue contacts with the Persians, ransoming Amida for 1,100 pounds of gold. In autumn 506, he led the Byzantine negotiations with the Persians at Dara
Dara (Mesopotamia)
Dara or Daras was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts of the 6th century, with the famous Battle of Dara taking place before its walls...

 which resulted in the conclusion of a peace treaty. Perhaps as a reward, he was named 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...

 for 508; he had already been appointed as magister officiorum sometime ca. 503–504.

Celer was still in office at the time of the ascension of Justin I
Justin I
Justin I was Byzantine Emperor from 518 to 527. He rose through the ranks of the army and ultimately became its Emperor, in spite of the fact he was illiterate and almost 70 years old at the time of accession...

 in July 518, but was soon after removed from office. Following that, he participated in the negotiations with the Patriarch of Rome to end the Acacian Schism
Acacian schism
The Acacian schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches lasted thirty-five years, from 484-519. It resulted from a drift in the leaders of Eastern Christianity toward Monophysitism, and Emperor Zeno's unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the parties with the Henotikon.-Chronology:In the...

. He is described by chroniclers as wise, well-educated, a capable administrator and personally brave. The date or manner of his death is not recorded, save for a reference to it being "unfortunate".
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