Nectaridus
Encyclopedia
Nectaridus was a possible early Count of the Saxon Shore
, a military leader in Roman Britain
in the later fourth century AD.
His command may have been an ad hoc creation, possibly during the reign of Valentinian I
or Julian
during the early 360s in response to growing pirate raiding. His military command probably extended beyond Britain to include maritime forces protecting both sides of the English Channel
.
Ammianus records that he was killed in 367 AD during the Great Conspiracy
and the loss of such a high-ranking official would have been a blow to Roman prestige.
His replacement is not known and the post may have been only a proto-version of the later office of Count.
Count of the Saxon Shore
The Count of the Saxon Shore for Britain was the head of the "Saxon Shore" military command of the later Roman Empire.The post was possibly created during the reign of Constantine I and was probably existent by AD 367 when Nectaridus is elliptically referred to as one by Ammianus...
, a military leader in Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
in the later fourth century AD.
His command may have been an ad hoc creation, possibly during the reign 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....
or Julian
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....
during the early 360s in response to growing pirate raiding. His military command probably extended beyond Britain to include maritime forces protecting both sides of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
Ammianus records that he was killed in 367 AD during the Great Conspiracy
Great Conspiracy
The Great Conspiracy is a term given to a year-long war that occurred in Roman Britain near the end of the Roman occupation of the island. The historian Ammianus Marcellinus described it as a barbarica conspiratio that capitalized on a depleted military force in the province brought about by...
and the loss of such a high-ranking official would have been a blow to Roman prestige.
His replacement is not known and the post may have been only a proto-version of the later office of Count.