Virius Nicomachus Flavianus facts for kids
Virius Nicomachus Flavianus (born 334 AD, died 394 AD) was a very important person in the Roman Empire. He was a scholar who studied language, a historian who wrote about the past, and a politician.
He followed the old Roman religion, which is called paganism. He was a close friend of another important Roman, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus. Flavianus held a very high position called Praetorian Prefect of Italy from 390 to 392 AD. This job was like being a top government leader. Later, he served a ruler named Eugenius (who took power without permission). Flavianus was again Praetorian Prefect from 393 to 394 AD and also became a consul in 394 AD. A consul was one of the highest elected officials in Rome.
Life of a Roman Leader
Nicomachus Flavianus was born in 334 AD. He belonged to the Nicomachi, a very powerful family in Rome. His father was Volusius Venustus. Flavianus had a son, also named Nicomachus Flavianus, and maybe another son named Venustus. He was also the grandfather of Appius Nicomachus Dexter and Galla.
We know about his career from two old stone carvings. One was put up by his granddaughter's husband, Quintus Fabius Memmius Symmachus. The other was from a statue built in 431 AD in Trajan's Forum by his nephew, Appius Nicomachus Dexter. This statue celebrated Flavianus's life.
Here are some of the important jobs Flavianus held:
- Quaestor: An official who managed money.
- Praetor: A judge or legal official.
- Pontifex Maior: A high priest in the Roman religion.
- Consular of Sicilia: Governor of the Roman province of Sicily (364/365 AD).
- Vicarius of Africa: A deputy governor in the Roman province of Africa (376/377 AD).
- Quaestor Sacri Palatii: A high legal advisor to the emperor.
- Praetorian Prefect: A top official, serving in Illyricum and Italy (390–392 AD).
- Praetorian Prefect (second time): Again in Illyricum and Italy (393–394 AD).
- Consul: A very high political office (394 AD).
When he was vicarius Africae, Flavianus dealt with a law against a Christian group called Donatism. It seems he might have supported the Donatists in some way. He also helped investigate a problem in the city of Leptis Magna. His report cleared the citizens of any wrongdoing. Because of this, the people of Leptis Magna built a statue in his honor.
When Emperor Valentinian died, the eastern emperor Theodosius I appointed a new Praetorian Prefect. However, a general named Arbogast decided to make his own emperor in the west, a man named Eugenius. When Eugenius came to Italy, Flavianus joined him. Eugenius then made Flavianus Praetorian Prefect for a second time. Flavianus was so important to Eugenius that he was even made consul in 394 AD.
Flavianus also played a big part in what is sometimes called the "pagan revival." Eugenius was a Christian, but he chose many followers of the old Roman religion as his allies. Flavianus used this chance to bring back public ceremonies of the Roman religion. Eugenius did not stop him. Later, Christian writers said that the fight between Theodosius and Eugenius was a battle between Christianity and Paganism. They said Flavianus's religious actions were a pagan revival supported by Eugenius. For example, some stories claim Flavianus promised to destroy Christian churches if Eugenius won. However, many modern historians believe it wasn't a full "pagan revival." They think Flavianus simply used the chance to support Roman religion when there wasn't a strong Christian leader in power.
Flavianus encouraged Eugenius in his fight against Theodosius. He claimed that religious sacrifices showed they would win the war.
Friends and Family
Flavianus was part of a group of important Romans who followed the old Roman religion. This group included Vettius Agorius Praetextatus and Quintus Aurelius Symmachus. This group was very important for keeping the old Roman religion alive in the late 300s AD. Thanks to families like the Nicomachi and Symmachi, many works by ancient Roman writers, such as Livy, Martial, and Apuleius, were saved and passed down to us today.
The Nicomachi and Symmachi families became even closer through marriages. In 393 or 394 AD, Flavianus's son, Nicomachus Flavianus, married Galla, who was the daughter of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus. Later, in 401 AD, Symmachus's son married a daughter or niece of Flavianus. To celebrate the strong connection between these two families, a special diptych (a two-part artwork) was made. One part was for the Nicomachi family, and the other for the Symmachi family.
Flavianus, Praetextatus, and Symmachus are the main characters in a book called Saturnalia by Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius. This book was written in the 400s AD but is set in 384 AD. It describes these leaders of the pagan movement hosting discussions about philosophy and religion.
Flavianus also had a connection to Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, a famous philosopher. This link was through Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus, who adopted Boethius. Symmachus even named one of his daughters after Flavianus's daughter. This shows how strong the influence of the old Roman religion was in the family that raised Boethius.
Flavianus's Writings
Quintus Fabius Memmius Symmachus, who was Flavianus's son-in-law, called him a "most eloquent historian." This is because Flavianus wrote a history of Rome called Annales (meaning "Annals"). Sadly, this book is now lost. He probably wrote it for Emperor Theodosius. The title suggests it might have continued the history written by Tacitus. It's possible Flavianus's work covered events up to the time of Emperor Aurelian (270–275 AD). Some historians think that another ancient writer, Ammianus Marcellinus, might have used Flavianus's Annals as a source for his own work.
Flavianus also translated a Greek book called Life of Apollonius of Tyana by Philostratus. This book was about a man named Apollonius whose life was seen as similar to that of Jesus. Because of this, the book was sometimes considered like a "pagan Gospel" in the 300s AD.
Flavianus is also thought to be the person mentioned in a Christian work called Carmen adversus Flavianum. He is also a main character in Macrobius's Saturnalia, where he is shown as a very knowledgeable person.
Images for kids
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Symmachi–Nicomachi diptych; the left part is in Paris, the right part is in London.
See also
In Spanish: Virio Nicómaco Flaviano para niños
