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Heraclianus

March 07, 2023

Heraclianus[1] (Ancient Greek: Ἡρακλειανὸς, Herakleianòs; died 7 March 413) was a provincial governor and a usurper of the Western Roman Empire (412–413) opposed to Emperor Honorius, who had originally brought him to power. Heraclianus helped put down a rebellion by Priscus Attalus. However, he decided to stage his own rebellion and during his invasion of the Italian peninsula, was either defeated in battle or captured and executed.

Heraclianus
Usurper of the Western Roman Empire
ReignSummer 412–Spring 413
PredecessorHonorius
SuccessorHonorius
Died7 March 413
Carthage

Biography

Opposition to Priscus Attalus

 
Europe and the Roman Empire in Heraclianus' time (AD 406)

The first known act of Heraclianus was the killing of the powerful Magister militum Stilicho (22 August 408) for Emperor Honorius, who wanted to remove his influential general.[2] Honorius rewarded Heraclianus with the appointment to the rank of Comes Africae, Governor of the important province of Africa, in late 408.[3]

According to Paulus Orosius, Heraclianus was sent to Africa in 409. Orosius also states that the Governor of Africa in 408 was "John", who was killed by the people of his province.[4] However, in another account, Zosimus states that Heraclianus was the successor of Bathanarius, brother-in-law of Stilicho, put to death by Honorius.[5]

 
Coin minted by Priscus Attalus.

In 409, with the help of the Visigoths of King Alaric I, Priscus Attalus rebelled against Honorius, whose seat of power was in Ravenna, and set up his own court in Rome.[6] Heraclianus remained loyal to Honorius and tightly controlled African ports to restrict the grain supply to the city of Rome and starve Rome out.[7]

Attalus did not initially send an army to Africa against Heraclianus, as it would have to have been under Visigothic lead.[8] Deceived by false prophecies or moved by his own jealousy of the Visigoths, he sent a lone representative, Constans, counting on his authority alone to depose Heraclianus or convince the provincials to rebel.[9] However, Constans was killed,[10] and Heraclianus sent Honorius the great sum he had confiscated from the envoys, intended to bribe the local population.[11] Alaric wanted to send an army against Heraclianus under the command of his own man Drumas. But Attalus opposed this, and Alaric deposed him in 410.[12] As Alaric intended to send a rather small army of only 500 men, it is probable that Heraclianus had only a very small force at his own disposal. However, it is also probable that Heraclianus had the support of the local population, as Emperor Honorius had recently issued a tolerance edict in favour of the Donatists, a Christian sect very popular in Africa.[13] According to the historian Adrian Goldsworthy, Attalus sent a Roman commander with regular troops to secure the province of Africa, but these were seriously defeated by the Roman troops of Heraclianus, who for the time being remained loyal to the Emperor Honorius.[14]

Usurpation against Honorius

 
The Byzantine Emperor Honorius, Jean-Paul Laurens, 1880.

In 412 Heraclianus was designated for the consulate of the year 413, but in all probability he was never appointed Consul. Confident in his own power and instigated by Sabinus,[15] his son-in-law, he rebelled against Honorius and proclaimed himself Augustus.[16] His first act was to interrupt the grain supply to the city of Rome, as he had successfully done against Priscus Attalus.[17] Next he gathered several ships along with troops to invade Italy.[18] Honorius had Heraclianus and his supporters proclaimed enemies of the State and condemned to death with an edict issued in Ravenna on 7 July 412.[19]

In 413, Heraclianus arrived in Italy with a large army to fight Honorius. With regards to his death, there are two versions: According to Orosius and Marcellinus Comes, Heraclianus arrived in Italy and moved towards Rome, but he was frightened by the arrival of Comes Marinus. He left his army and fled to Carthage, where he was put to death on 7 March. The second version, as put forth by Hydatius, sees Heraclianus defeated at Utriculum (maybe Oriculum, in Umbria, halfway between Rome and Ravenna), in a battle with 50,000 deaths, then fleeing to Carthage, where he was put to death by envoys sent by Honorius in the temple of Memoria.[20] Sabinus, Heraclianus' son-in-law, fled to the eastern court at Constantinople but was later sent back and then exiled.[21]

Heraclianus' name does not appear in the Fasti consulares, the list of all Roman consuls, as Honorius probably revoked his appointment and left Lucius as Consul without colleague.[22] Heraclianus' acts were revoked; his possessions, 2,000 lb of gold and land of the same value, were confiscated and given to Flavius Constantius.[23]

Jerome accused Heraclianus of mistreating those who had fled from Rome to Carthage on the occasion of Attalus' usurpation (Heraclianus imprisoned the noblewomen Anicia Faltonia Proba, Anicia Iuliana and Demetrias, and freed them only after a huge payment), and of being a drunken and corrupt man.[24]

Notes

  1. ^ Jones, pg. 539
  2. ^ Smith, pg. 402
  3. ^ Jones, pg. 539
  4. ^ Orosius, 7:42:10
  5. ^ Zosimus, 5:37:6
  6. ^ Bury, pg. 117
  7. ^ Bury, pg. 120
  8. ^ Bury, pg. 120
  9. ^ Bury, pg. 119
  10. ^ Bury, pg. 119
  11. ^ Zosimus, 6:10:2
  12. ^ Bury, pg. 120
  13. ^ After Attalus' deposition, Honorius renewed the persecution against the Donatists, sending to Heraclianus an edict that nullified the previous one.
  14. ^ Adrian Goldsworthy, The Fall of the West: The Slow Death of the Roman Superpower, paperback edition published in 2010 by Phoenix, an imprint of Orion Books Ltd, London, p.300.
  15. ^ Orosius.
  16. ^ Bury, pg. 146
  17. ^ Orosius, 7:42:12
  18. ^ Bury, pg. 146
  19. ^ Jones, pg. 540
  20. ^ Smith, pg. 402
  21. ^ Jones, pg. 968
  22. ^ Jones, pg. 540
  23. ^ Jones, pg. 540
  24. ^ Jerome, Ep. 130.7

Bibliography

Primary sources

Secondary sources

  • Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin, John Robert Martindale, John Morris, The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, "Heraclianus 3", volume 2, Cambridge University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-521-20159-4, pp. 539–540.
  • Bury, J. B., A History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene, Vol. I (1889)
  • Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Volume 2, C. Little and J. Brown, Boston, 1870, p. 402

March 07, 2023
heraclianus, ancient, greek, Ἡρακλειανὸς, herakleianòs, died, march, provincial, governor, usurper, western, roman, empire, opposed, emperor, honorius, originally, brought, power, helped, down, rebellion, priscus, attalus, however, decided, stage, rebellion, d. Heraclianus 1 Ancient Greek Ἡrakleianὸs Herakleianos died 7 March 413 was a provincial governor and a usurper of the Western Roman Empire 412 413 opposed to Emperor Honorius who had originally brought him to power Heraclianus helped put down a rebellion by Priscus Attalus However he decided to stage his own rebellion and during his invasion of the Italian peninsula was either defeated in battle or captured and executed HeraclianusUsurper of the Western Roman EmpireReignSummer 412 Spring 413PredecessorHonoriusSuccessorHonoriusDied7 March 413Carthage Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Opposition to Priscus Attalus 1 2 Usurpation against Honorius 2 Notes 3 Bibliography 3 1 Primary sources 3 2 Secondary sourcesBiography EditOpposition to Priscus Attalus Edit Europe and the Roman Empire in Heraclianus time AD 406 The first known act of Heraclianus was the killing of the powerful Magister militum Stilicho 22 August 408 for Emperor Honorius who wanted to remove his influential general 2 Honorius rewarded Heraclianus with the appointment to the rank of Comes Africae Governor of the important province of Africa in late 408 3 According to Paulus Orosius Heraclianus was sent to Africa in 409 Orosius also states that the Governor of Africa in 408 was John who was killed by the people of his province 4 However in another account Zosimus states that Heraclianus was the successor of Bathanarius brother in law of Stilicho put to death by Honorius 5 Coin minted by Priscus Attalus In 409 with the help of the Visigoths of King Alaric I Priscus Attalus rebelled against Honorius whose seat of power was in Ravenna and set up his own court in Rome 6 Heraclianus remained loyal to Honorius and tightly controlled African ports to restrict the grain supply to the city of Rome and starve Rome out 7 Attalus did not initially send an army to Africa against Heraclianus as it would have to have been under Visigothic lead 8 Deceived by false prophecies or moved by his own jealousy of the Visigoths he sent a lone representative Constans counting on his authority alone to depose Heraclianus or convince the provincials to rebel 9 However Constans was killed 10 and Heraclianus sent Honorius the great sum he had confiscated from the envoys intended to bribe the local population 11 Alaric wanted to send an army against Heraclianus under the command of his own man Drumas But Attalus opposed this and Alaric deposed him in 410 12 As Alaric intended to send a rather small army of only 500 men it is probable that Heraclianus had only a very small force at his own disposal However it is also probable that Heraclianus had the support of the local population as Emperor Honorius had recently issued a tolerance edict in favour of the Donatists a Christian sect very popular in Africa 13 According to the historian Adrian Goldsworthy Attalus sent a Roman commander with regular troops to secure the province of Africa but these were seriously defeated by the Roman troops of Heraclianus who for the time being remained loyal to the Emperor Honorius 14 Usurpation against Honorius Edit The Byzantine Emperor Honorius Jean Paul Laurens 1880 In 412 Heraclianus was designated for the consulate of the year 413 but in all probability he was never appointed Consul Confident in his own power and instigated by Sabinus 15 his son in law he rebelled against Honorius and proclaimed himself Augustus 16 His first act was to interrupt the grain supply to the city of Rome as he had successfully done against Priscus Attalus 17 Next he gathered several ships along with troops to invade Italy 18 Honorius had Heraclianus and his supporters proclaimed enemies of the State and condemned to death with an edict issued in Ravenna on 7 July 412 19 In 413 Heraclianus arrived in Italy with a large army to fight Honorius With regards to his death there are two versions According to Orosius and Marcellinus Comes Heraclianus arrived in Italy and moved towards Rome but he was frightened by the arrival of Comes Marinus He left his army and fled to Carthage where he was put to death on 7 March The second version as put forth by Hydatius sees Heraclianus defeated at Utriculum maybe Oriculum in Umbria halfway between Rome and Ravenna in a battle with 50 000 deaths then fleeing to Carthage where he was put to death by envoys sent by Honorius in the temple of Memoria 20 Sabinus Heraclianus son in law fled to the eastern court at Constantinople but was later sent back and then exiled 21 Heraclianus name does not appear in the Fasti consulares the list of all Roman consuls as Honorius probably revoked his appointment and left Lucius as Consul without colleague 22 Heraclianus acts were revoked his possessions 2 000 lb of gold and land of the same value were confiscated and given to Flavius Constantius 23 Jerome accused Heraclianus of mistreating those who had fled from Rome to Carthage on the occasion of Attalus usurpation Heraclianus imprisoned the noblewomen Anicia Faltonia Proba Anicia Iuliana and Demetrias and freed them only after a huge payment and of being a drunken and corrupt man 24 Notes Edit Jones pg 539 Smith pg 402 Jones pg 539 Orosius 7 42 10 Zosimus 5 37 6 Bury pg 117 Bury pg 120 Bury pg 120 Bury pg 119 Bury pg 119 Zosimus 6 10 2 Bury pg 120 After Attalus deposition Honorius renewed the persecution against the Donatists sending to Heraclianus an edict that nullified the previous one Adrian Goldsworthy The Fall of the West The Slow Death of the Roman Superpower paperback edition published in 2010 by Phoenix an imprint of Orion Books Ltd London p 300 Orosius Bury pg 146 Orosius 7 42 12 Bury pg 146 Jones pg 540 Smith pg 402 Jones pg 968 Jones pg 540 Jones pg 540 Jerome Ep 130 7Bibliography EditPrimary sources Edit Jerome Epistulae 130 7 Dialogus contra Pelagianos 3 19 Commentaria in Ezechielem 9 28 Jordanes Romana 325 Hydatius Chronicon 51 56 Marcellinus Comes Chronicon sub anno 413 Olympiodorus of Thebes frammento 23 Orosius Historiae adversum Paganos 7 29 42 Procopius of Caesarea Guerra vandalica 1 2 30 36 Prosper of Aquitaine sub anno 413 Sozomen 9 8 3 7 Theophanes the Confessor AM 5904 Zosimus Historia Nova 5 37 6 7 11 Chronica Gallica of 452 75Secondary sources Edit Jones Arnold Hugh Martin John Robert Martindale John Morris The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire Heraclianus 3 volume 2 Cambridge University Press 1992 ISBN 0 521 20159 4 pp 539 540 Bury J B A History of the Later Roman Empire from Arcadius to Irene Vol I 1889 Smith William Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology Volume 2 C Little and J Brown Boston 1870 p 402Preceded byHonorius Augustus IXTheodosius Augustus V Roman consul413 With Lucius Succeeded byConstantiusConstans Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Heraclianus amp oldid 1143351452, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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