Macrian
Encyclopedia
Macrian or Makrian was the king of the Bucinobantes
, an Alemannic tribe, in the late fourth century and the brother of Hariobaud. Macrian tried to confederate all the north Germanic and Alemannic tribes together against Rome.
According to Ammianus Marcellinus
, In 359 Julian the Apostate
took Mogontiacum (Mainz on the Rhine) and, after the exchange of prisoners, made treaties of peace with the various Alemanni kings, Macrian, Hariobaud, Urius, Ursicinus, Vadomar, and Vestralp.
Due to continuing unrest, however, the emperor Valentinian I
, in the year 370, invaded Alemannia and deposed Macrian, whom he labelled turbarum rex artifex ("king and crafter of unrest"). With the help of deserters, Macrian was captured and imprisoned. In his place was set up Fraomar
, but the Bucinobantes would not accept him and he was expelled and Macrian restored. In 371 Valentinian was forced to grant Macrian an alliance; the Bucinobantes became foederati
of Rome and loyal allies in the war with the Franks
.
Macrian was killed on campaign against the Franks, in an ambush laid by their king Mallobaudes
.
Bucinobantes
The Bucinobantes were an Alemannic tribe in the region of the modern city of Mainz on the river Main.The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus wrote that Caesar Julian crossed the river Rhine near Mainz in 359 for negotiations with Macrian, the chieftain of the Bucinobantes, and with other...
, an Alemannic tribe, in the late fourth century and the brother of Hariobaud. Macrian tried to confederate all the north Germanic and Alemannic tribes together against Rome.
According to Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus
Ammianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian. He wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from Antiquity...
, In 359 Julian the Apostate
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
took Mogontiacum (Mainz on the Rhine) and, after the exchange of prisoners, made treaties of peace with the various Alemanni kings, Macrian, Hariobaud, Urius, Ursicinus, Vadomar, and Vestralp.
Due to continuing unrest, however, the emperor 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....
, in the year 370, invaded Alemannia and deposed Macrian, whom he labelled turbarum rex artifex ("king and crafter of unrest"). With the help of deserters, Macrian was captured and imprisoned. In his place was set up Fraomar
Fraomar
Fraomar was briefly the king of the Bucinobantes, an Alemannic tribe, from 370 to 371.In 370, the Roman emperor Valentinian I attacked the Alemanni with the help of the Burgundes and took their king, Macrian, prisoner...
, but the Bucinobantes would not accept him and he was expelled and Macrian restored. In 371 Valentinian was forced to grant Macrian an alliance; the Bucinobantes became foederati
Foederati
Foederatus is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the end of the Western Roman Empire...
of Rome and loyal allies in the war with the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
.
Macrian was killed on campaign against the Franks, in an ambush laid by their king Mallobaudes
Mallobaudes
Mallobaudes or Mellobaudes was a 4th-century Frankish king who also held the Roman title of comes domesticorum.In 354 he was a tribunus armaturarum in the Roman army in Gaul, where he served under Silvanus, who usurped power in 355. Malobaudes tried unsuccessfully to intervene on his behalf...
.