Clearchus (consul 384)
Encyclopedia
Clearchus was a Roman politician who was consul
of the Roman Empire
in 384
AD.
, as a boy Clearchus was taught by the philosopher and sophist Nicoles. Moving to Constantinople
, in 356 or perhaps 357 he visited Antioch
, and throughout this period (until 363) he was an associate of Themistius
.
From 359 Clearchus was holding a number of unknown posts in Constantinople, and was promoted in 360 to a higher position during this time. It is possible that he was appointed to the post of assessor during this period. His increasing political clout was demonstrated by being included on the embassy from the Senate
which went to Antioch to greet the new emperor Jovian after his accession.
From 363
to 366
AD, Clearchus was appointed Vicarius
of Asia
In 364 he intervened to secure the acquittal of Alexander of Heliopolis, the former governor of Syria
In 365 he was asked to intervene in an incident at Perga
concerning Metrophanes, the governor
of Pamphylia
. During the revolt of Procopius
, he remained loyal to the emperor
Valens
, and risked his life in support of the emperor. He criticised the Praetorian Prefect
Salutius
, accusing him of laziness in his response to the crisis. As a reward for his loyalty, Valens possibly appointed Clearchus as the proconsul
of Asia
. He held this post from 366 to 367 AD, during which he managed to remove Salutius from his post and secure the appointment of Auxonius in his place. He was also able to protect the philosopher Maximus of Ephesus
who had been convicted of illegally enriching himself, by releasing him and restoring his property.
Clearchus’s next appointment was as Praefectus urbi
of Constantinople in 372, which he held for a year. During his appointment Clearchus led the inauguration of the Aquaduct of Valens
(373
AD), and he subsequently commissioned a Nymphaeum
Maius in the Forum of Theodosius
, that was supplied with water from the aqueduct. He was appointed Urban Prefect of Constantinople for a second time, this time from 382
to 384
AD. As a reward for his services, Clearchus was made consul
in 384. During his time as consul, Clearchus’s influence appears to have receded and he held no further posts.
A pagan
, Clearchus received regular correspondence from the sophist Libanius
.
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...
of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in 384
384
Year 384 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ricomer and Clearchus...
AD.
Career
Born into a moderately successful family in the region of ThesprotiaThesprotia
Thesprotia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Igoumenitsa. It is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity.-History:...
, as a boy Clearchus was taught by the philosopher and sophist Nicoles. Moving 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:...
, in 356 or perhaps 357 he visited 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...
, and throughout this period (until 363) he was an associate of Themistius
Themistius
Themistius , named , was a statesman, rhetorician, and philosopher. He flourished in the reigns of Constantius II, Julian, Jovian, Valens, Gratian, and Theodosius I; and he enjoyed the favour of all those emperors, notwithstanding their many differences, and the fact that he himself was not a...
.
From 359 Clearchus was holding a number of unknown posts in Constantinople, and was promoted in 360 to a higher position during this time. It is possible that he was appointed to the post of assessor during this period. His increasing political clout was demonstrated by being included on the embassy from the Senate
Byzantine Senate
The Byzantine Senate or Eastern Roman Senate was the continuation of the Roman Senate, established in the 4th century by Constantine I. It survived for centuries but was increasingly irrelevant until its eventual disappearance in the 13th century....
which went to Antioch to greet the new emperor Jovian after his accession.
From 363
363
Year 363 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iulianus and Sallustius...
to 366
366
Year 366 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratianus and Dagalaifus...
AD, Clearchus was appointed Vicarius
Vicarius
Vicarius is a Latin word, meaning substitute or deputy. It is the root and origin of the English word "vicar" and cognate to the Persian word most familiar in the variant vizier....
of Asia
Diocese of Asia
The Diocese of Asia was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of western Asia Minor and the islands of the eastern Aegean Sea...
In 364 he intervened to secure the acquittal of Alexander of Heliopolis, the former governor of Syria
Syria (Roman province)
Syria was a Roman province, annexed in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursuing victory in the Third Mithridatic War. It remained under Roman, and subsequently Byzantine, rule for seven centuries, until 637 when it fell to the Islamic conquests.- Principate :The...
In 365 he was asked to intervene in an incident at Perga
Perga
Perga was an ancient Greek city in Anatolia and the capital of Pamphylia, now in Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Today it is a large site of ancient ruins east of Antalya on the coastal plain. Located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age...
concerning Metrophanes, the governor
Consularis
Consularis is a Latin word, derived from consulo, "take counsel".-Roman history:Originally it was simple and adjective meaning "consular", but more interestingly it has also become a substantive, used in technical meanings.* Any former consul...
of Pamphylia
Pamphylia
In ancient geography, Pamphylia was the region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus . It was bounded on the north by Pisidia and was therefore a country of small extent, having a coast-line of only about 75 miles with a breadth of...
. During the revolt of Procopius
Procopius (usurper)
Procopius was a Roman usurper against Valens, and member of the Constantinian dynasty.- Life :According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Procopius was a native and spent his youth in Cilicia, probably in Corycus. On his mother's side, Procopius was related, a maternal cousin, to Emperor Julian, since...
, he remained loyal to the emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
, and risked his life in support of the emperor. He criticised the Praetorian Prefect
Praetorian prefect
Praetorian prefect was the title of a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides...
Salutius
Salutius
Saturninius Secundus Salutius was a career Roman official who was a native of Gaul. He was a quaestor when he became a member of Julian's staff, while the latter was Caesar in Gaul. Salutius was well versed in Greek philosophy and rhetoric and won the respect of Julian. It was probably through his...
, accusing him of laziness in his response to the crisis. As a reward for his loyalty, Valens possibly appointed Clearchus as the proconsul
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
of Asia
Diocese of Asia
The Diocese of Asia was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of western Asia Minor and the islands of the eastern Aegean Sea...
. He held this post from 366 to 367 AD, during which he managed to remove Salutius from his post and secure the appointment of Auxonius in his place. He was also able to protect the philosopher Maximus of Ephesus
Maximus of Ephesus
Maximus of Ephesus was a Neoplatonist philosopher. He is said to have come from a rich family, and exercised great influence over the emperor Julian, who was commended to him by Aedesius. He pandered to the emperor's love of magic and theurgy, and by judicious administration of the omens won a...
who had been convicted of illegally enriching himself, by releasing him and restoring his property.
Clearchus’s next appointment was as 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 in 372, which he held for a year. During his appointment Clearchus led the inauguration of the Aquaduct of Valens
Valens Aqueduct
The Valens Aqueduct is a Roman aqueduct which was the major water-providing system of the Eastern Roman capital of Constantinople...
(373
373
Year 373 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Valens...
AD), and he subsequently commissioned a Nymphaeum
Nymphaeum
A nymphaeum or nymphaion , in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs....
Maius in the Forum of Theodosius
Forum of Theodosius
The Forum of Theodosius was an area in Constantinople. It was originally built by Constantine I and named the Forum Tauri...
, that was supplied with water from the aqueduct. He was appointed Urban Prefect of Constantinople for a second time, this time from 382
382
Year 382 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antonius and Syagrius...
to 384
384
Year 384 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ricomer and Clearchus...
AD. As a reward for his services, Clearchus was made 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 384. During his time as consul, Clearchus’s influence appears to have receded and he held no further posts.
A pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, Clearchus received regular correspondence from the sophist 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:...
.
Sources
- Jones, A. H. M., Martindale, J. R., Morris, J., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I (1971).
- Lenski, Noel Emmanuel, Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D. (2002).
- Potter, David Stone, The Roman Empire at Bay: AD 180 - 395 (2004).