Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus
Encyclopedia
Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus signo Phosphorius (died 376) was a politician of the Roman Empire
, father of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
.
, he was the son of Aurelius Valerius Tullianus Symmachus
, consul for 330. He had one daughter and four sons, among whom were Celsinus Titianus and the most influential of the Symmachi, the orator Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
. Avianius was a pagan senator, and was member of several priestly collegia, including the Pontefices Vestae and the Quindecemviri sacris faciundi (from 351 to 375).
Before January 350 he had been appointed prefect to the annona
, later becoming vicarius urbis Romae. In 361, he went to Antioch
(in Syria
), where he probably met Libanius
, to meet Emperor Constantius II
: it is probable that the Roman Senate
wanted to assure its loyalty to the ruling emperor after receiving a letter from Julian, cousin and caesar
of Constantius who had been just proclaimed emperor by his troops. On their way back Symmachus and his colleague Valerius Maximus
travelled through Nassus, where they were received by Julian with all the honours.
Between 364 and 365 he held the office of praefectus urbi
of Rome
, under the rule of Valentinian I
. As praefect, he restored the ancient pons Agrippae on the Tiber
(on the place of the modern Ponte Sisto
), which took the name of pons Valentiniani; Symmachus even paid for a lavish public celebration for the inauguration of this bridge. Ammianus Marcellinus
has a flattering opinion of his mandate.
His house was on the right side of the Tiber
, in Trastevere
, and was burned down by the plebs during a riot in 367. According to the story told by Ammianus, the riot originated from a rumour, diffused by a member of the plebs, according to which Symmachus, during his prefecture, had said that "he would prefer putting out the limekilns with his own wine, to selling the lime at the price expected of him"; forgetting the prosperity achieved during Symmachus' office, the enraged plebs burnt down his house. Avianio left the city following this offence caused by "envy", that he tried to heal by writing a literary work. After a while, however, the plebs changed their minds and started supporting Symmachus, even asking for a punishment of the offenders. Symmachus returned to Rome
, by request of the Roman Senate
, whom he thanked on 1 January 376; the senators, even the Christians, proposed him to Emperor Gratian
as praetorian prefect
and consul
for year 377.
Avianius Symmachus died in 376, as consul elect. The following year his memory was honoured with a gilded statue, erected by imperial decree after a request of the Senate, on 29 April.
.
Among his correspondents there was Vettius Agorius Praetextatus
, who was a member of the pagan and senatorial aristocracy.
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....
, father of 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...
.
Biography
A member of the aristocratic family of the SymmachiSymmachi
The Symmachi were an aristocratic family of the late Roman Empire.The family received its first offices at the beginning of the 3rd century, under emperor Septimius Severus, then it increased its prestige, reaching its peaks in the 4th and 5th centuries...
, he was the son of Aurelius Valerius Tullianus Symmachus
Aurelius Valerius Tullianus Symmachus
Aurelius Valerius Tullianus Symmachus Phosphorius was a politician of the Roman Empire, member of the Symmachi.He was born around 280; he had a son, Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus, whose son was the famous orator Quintus Aurelius Symmachus...
, consul for 330. He had one daughter and four sons, among whom were Celsinus Titianus and the most influential of the Symmachi, the orator 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...
. Avianius was a pagan senator, and was member of several priestly collegia, including the Pontefices Vestae and the Quindecemviri sacris faciundi (from 351 to 375).
Before January 350 he had been appointed prefect to the annona
Annona
Annona is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after Guatteria, containing approximately 110 species of mostly neotropical and afrotropical trees and shrubs....
, later becoming vicarius urbis Romae. In 361, he went 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...
(in 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...
), where he probably met 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:...
, to meet Emperor Constantius II
Constantius II
Constantius II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death....
: it is probable that the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
wanted to assure its loyalty to the ruling emperor after receiving a letter from Julian, cousin and caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
of Constantius who had been just proclaimed emperor by his troops. On their way back Symmachus and his colleague Valerius Maximus
Valerius Maximus
Valerius Maximus was a Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes. He worked during the reign of Tiberius .-Biography:...
travelled through Nassus, where they were received by Julian with all the honours.
Between 364 and 365 he held 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 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...
, under the rule of Valentinian I
Valentinian I
Valentinian I , also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces while Valentinian retained the west....
. As praefect, he restored the ancient pons Agrippae on the Tiber
Tiber
The Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at...
(on the place of the modern Ponte Sisto
Ponte Sisto
Ponte Sisto is a footbridge in Rome's historic centre, spanning the river Tiber. It connects Via del Pettinari in the Rione of Regola to Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere...
), which took the name of pons Valentiniani; Symmachus even paid for a lavish public celebration for the inauguration of this bridge. Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian. He wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Antiquity...
has a flattering opinion of his mandate.
His house was on the right side of the Tiber
Tiber
The Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at...
, in Trastevere
Trastevere
Trastevere is rione XIII of Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City. Its name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, meaning literally "beyond the Tiber". The correct pronunciation is "tras-TEH-ve-ray", with the accent on the second syllable. Its logo is a golden head of a lion on a...
, and was burned down by the plebs during a riot in 367. According to the story told by Ammianus, the riot originated from a rumour, diffused by a member of the plebs, according to which Symmachus, during his prefecture, had said that "he would prefer putting out the limekilns with his own wine, to selling the lime at the price expected of him"; forgetting the prosperity achieved during Symmachus' office, the enraged plebs burnt down his house. Avianio left the city following this offence caused by "envy", that he tried to heal by writing a literary work. After a while, however, the plebs changed their minds and started supporting Symmachus, even asking for a punishment of the offenders. Symmachus returned to 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...
, by request of the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
, whom he thanked on 1 January 376; the senators, even the Christians, proposed him to Emperor Gratian
Gratian
Gratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
as 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...
and consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
for year 377.
Avianius Symmachus died in 376, as consul elect. The following year his memory was honoured with a gilded statue, erected by imperial decree after a request of the Senate, on 29 April.
Culture
Avianius Simmachus is described by his son as a reader of every kind of literature. He composed a small number of epigrams of low quality about members of the Constantinian age, such as Amnius Anicius Iulianus and Lucius Aradius Valerius ProculusLucius Aradius Valerius Proculus
Lucius Aradius Valerius Proculus signo Populonius was a senator and a politician of the Roman Empire, twice praefectus urbi of Rome and once consul .- Life :...
.
Among his correspondents there was Vettius Agorius Praetextatus
Vettius Agorius Praetextatus
Vettius Agorius Praetextatus was a wealthy pagan aristocrat in 4th-century Roman Empire and a high priest in the cults of numerous gods...
, who was a member of the pagan and senatorial aristocracy.