Apodemius: Difference between revisions
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:''For the praetorian prefect under Theodosius I, see [[Apodemius (praetorian prefect)]]'' |
:''For the praetorian prefect under Theodosius I, see [[Apodemius (praetorian prefect)]]'' |
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'''Apodemius''' (died in [[361]]) was an officer of the [[Roman Empire]], a |
'''Apodemius''' (died in [[361]]) was an officer of the [[Roman Empire]], a courtier of Emperor [[Constantius II]], involved in the deaths of [[Constantius Gallus]] and [[Claudius Silvanus]]. |
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== Biography == |
== Biography == |
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[[Image:Solidus-Constantius Gallus-thessalonica RIC 149.jpg|thumb|Coin of [[Constantius Gallus]], the [[caesar (title)|caesar]] that Apodemius executed in [[Pula]].]] |
[[Image:Solidus-Constantius Gallus-thessalonica RIC 149.jpg|thumb|Coin of [[Constantius Gallus]], the [[caesar (title)|caesar]] that Apodemius executed in [[Pula]].]] |
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Apodemius was an '' |
Apodemius was an ''agens in rebus'',<ref name="am.11.19">[[Ammianus Marcellinus]], [[s:Roman_History/Book_XIV#XI|xiv.11.19]].</ref><ref name="am.11.23">Ammianus Marcellinus, [[s:Roman_History/Book_XIV#XI|xiv.11.23]].</ref> a sort of secret agent, who worked for emperor [[Constantius II]] (337-361). |
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In 350, Constantius ordered Apodemius and [[Barbatio]] to go to [[Poetovio]], arrest his cousin and [[caesar (title)|caesar]] of the East [[Constantius Gallus]] and bring him to [[Pula]], where |
In 350, Constantius ordered Apodemius and [[Barbatio]] to go to [[Poetovio]], arrest his cousin and [[caesar (title)|caesar]] of the East [[Constantius Gallus]] and bring him to [[Pula]], where trial awaited him.<ref name="am.11.19" /> When Constantius ordered Gallus to be put to death for treason, Apodemius, [[Serenianus]] and the ''notarius'' [[Pentadius]] executed the sentence; immediately after, Apodemius grabbed Gallus' shoes, ran quickly from Pula to [[Mediolanum]], where the imperial court was seated, entered the chamber where Constantius was having a meeting and threw the shoes at the feet of the Emperor to signify Gallus' death.<ref>Ammianus Marcellinus, [[s:Roman_History/Book_XV#I.2|xv.1.2]].</ref> |
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When the [[praetorian prefect]] [[Claudius Silvanus]] rebelled in [[Gaul]], in 355, Apodemius was sent with letters to summon Silvanus to the presence of Constantius. When he had arrived in Gaul, taking no heed of the commission with which he was charged, and caring but little for anything that might happen, he remained inactive, without either seeing Silvanus, or delivering the letters which commanded him to appear at court. And having taken the receiver of the province into his counsels, he began with arrogance and malevolence to harass the clients and servants of the master of the horse, as if that officer had been already condemned and was on the point of being executed.<ref>Ammianus Marcellinus, [[s:Roman_History/Book_XV#V.8|xv.5.8—9]], who defines Apodemius "a persevering and bitter enemy to all good men".</ref> |
When the [[praetorian prefect]] [[Claudius Silvanus]] rebelled in [[Gaul]], in 355, Apodemius was sent with letters to summon Silvanus to the presence of Constantius. When he had arrived in Gaul, taking no heed of the commission with which he was charged, and caring but little for anything that might happen, he remained inactive, without either seeing Silvanus, or delivering the letters which commanded him to appear at court. And having taken the receiver of the province into his counsels, he began with arrogance and malevolence to harass the clients and servants of the master of the horse, as if that officer had been already condemned and was on the point of being executed.<ref>Ammianus Marcellinus, [[s:Roman_History/Book_XV#V.8|xv.5.8—9]], who defines Apodemius "a persevering and bitter enemy to all good men".</ref><!--is this a direct quote?--> |
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In 361 Constantius II died; his successor was [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]], half-brother of Constantius Gallus. The new emperor instituted the [[Chalcedon tribunal]] to trial the officers of Constantius II, in particular their involvement in Gallus' fall and death. Apodemius, |
In 361 Constantius II died; his successor was [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]], half-brother of Constantius Gallus. The new emperor instituted the [[Chalcedon tribunal]] to bring to trial the officers of Constantius II, in particular their involvement in Gallus' fall and death. Apodemius, who by the time had already returned to private life, was found guilty of having plotted against Gallus and put to death.<ref>Ammianus Marcellinus, [[s:Roman_History/Book_XXII#III.3|xxii.3.11]].</ref> |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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{{reflist}} |
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<references /> |
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== Bibliography == |
== Bibliography == |
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Revision as of 06:48, 29 November 2008
- For the praetorian prefect under Theodosius I, see Apodemius (praetorian prefect)
Apodemius (died in 361) was an officer of the Roman Empire, a courtier of Emperor Constantius II, involved in the deaths of Constantius Gallus and Claudius Silvanus.
Biography
Apodemius was an agens in rebus,[1][2] a sort of secret agent, who worked for emperor Constantius II (337-361).
In 350, Constantius ordered Apodemius and Barbatio to go to Poetovio, arrest his cousin and caesar of the East Constantius Gallus and bring him to Pula, where trial awaited him.[1] When Constantius ordered Gallus to be put to death for treason, Apodemius, Serenianus and the notarius Pentadius executed the sentence; immediately after, Apodemius grabbed Gallus' shoes, ran quickly from Pula to Mediolanum, where the imperial court was seated, entered the chamber where Constantius was having a meeting and threw the shoes at the feet of the Emperor to signify Gallus' death.[3]
When the praetorian prefect Claudius Silvanus rebelled in Gaul, in 355, Apodemius was sent with letters to summon Silvanus to the presence of Constantius. When he had arrived in Gaul, taking no heed of the commission with which he was charged, and caring but little for anything that might happen, he remained inactive, without either seeing Silvanus, or delivering the letters which commanded him to appear at court. And having taken the receiver of the province into his counsels, he began with arrogance and malevolence to harass the clients and servants of the master of the horse, as if that officer had been already condemned and was on the point of being executed.[4]
In 361 Constantius II died; his successor was Julian, half-brother of Constantius Gallus. The new emperor instituted the Chalcedon tribunal to bring to trial the officers of Constantius II, in particular their involvement in Gallus' fall and death. Apodemius, who by the time had already returned to private life, was found guilty of having plotted against Gallus and put to death.[5]
Notes
Bibliography
- Primary sources
- Ammianus Marcellinus, Res gestae
- Zosimus, New History
- Secondary sources
- Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin, John Robert Martindale, John Morris, "Apodemius 1", The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. 2, Cambridge University Press, 1992, ISBN 0521072336, p. 82.