Florentinus
Encyclopedia
Florentinus was a Roman
politician who served as Urban prefect of Rome
from 395
to 397
AD.
around 379/380 AD. He was the Comes sacrarum largitionum
in the west from 385 to 386 and the Quaestor sacri palatii
in 395. After this he was given the post of Praefectus urbi
of Rome, serving from 395 to the end of 397 AD before he was replaced by Lampadius. During his time as Urban Prefect, Florentinus received numerous missives from the emperor
Honorius
concerning the duties, restrictions and rewards for the decurions
. He was also repremanded by the emperor for issuing post warrants without imperial authorisation. Soon after his term as Urban Prefect had ended he entered into retirement, living in Gaul
.
During his time in office, he received regular correspondence from Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
, while Claudian
dedicated to him the second book of De raptu Proserpinae. Florentinus had at least one son, called Minervius.
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....
politician who served as Urban prefect of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
from 395
395
Year 395 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Olybrius and Probinus...
to 397
397
Year 397 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesarius and Atticus...
AD.
Career
A native of Augusta Treverorum, Florentinus was possibly a NotariusNotarius
A notarius is a public secretary who is appointed by competent authority to draw up official or authentic documents . In the Roman Catholic Church there have been apostolic notaries and even episcopal notaries...
around 379/380 AD. He was the Comes sacrarum largitionum
Comes sacrarum largitionum
The comes sacrarum largitionum was one of the senior fiscal officials of the late Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire....
in the west from 385 to 386 and the 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...
in 395. After this he was given the post 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 Rome, serving from 395 to the end of 397 AD before he was replaced by Lampadius. During his time as Urban Prefect, Florentinus received numerous missives from 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...
Honorius
Honorius (emperor)
Honorius , was Western Roman Emperor from 395 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the eastern emperor Arcadius....
concerning the duties, restrictions and rewards for the decurions
Decurion (administrative)
A decurion was a member of a city senate in the Roman Empire. Decurions were drawn from the curiales class, which was made up of the wealthy middle class citizens of a town society....
. He was also repremanded by the emperor for issuing post warrants without imperial authorisation. Soon after his term as Urban Prefect had ended he entered into retirement, living in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
.
During his time in office, he received regular correspondence from Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus was a Roman statesman, orator, and man of letters. He held the offices of governor of Africa in 373, urban prefect of Rome in 384 and 385, and consul in 391...
, while Claudian
Claudian
Claudian was a Roman poet, who worked for Emperor Honorius and the latter's general Stilicho.A Greek-speaking citizen of Alexandria and probably not a Christian convert, Claudian arrived in Rome before 395. He made his mark with a eulogy of his two young patrons, Probinus and Olybrius, thereby...
dedicated to him the second book of De raptu Proserpinae. Florentinus had at least one son, called Minervius.
Sources
- Jones, A. H. M., Martindale, J. R., Morris, J., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. I (1971).