Astyrius

Astyrius

Astyrius

Roman army officer and politician

Flavius Astyrius[1] or Asturius[2] (fl. 441–449) was a general and a politician of the Western Roman Empire.

Biography

Astyrius was the father-in-law of Merobaudes and belonged to an aristocratic family.[3]

He followed a military career: between 441 and 443 he is attested as dux or magister utriusque militiae. In 441 he was in Tarraconensis (Spain), where he defeated the Bagaudae.[4] In 443 he was succeeded by his son-in-law Merobaudes.[5]

He was appointed consul for the year 449. At the beginning of his office he was in Gaul (probably in the capital city of the praetorian prefecture, Arelate), and Nicetius delivered a panegyric in his honour.[6]

A consular diptych produced by Astyrius in 449 is preserved at Liège. The diptych shows Astyrius seated on a curule chair wearing complete consular regalia and the inscription Flavius Astyrius vir clarissimus[7] et inlustris[8] comes[9] ex magistro utriusque militiae consul ordinarius.[10]

Notes

  1. [1]
    As spelled on his consular diptych (CIL XIII, 10032.2 = ILS 1300).
  2. [2]
    Rossi, ICUR, 745
  3. [3]
    As shown by the vir clarissimus rank.
  4. [4]
    Hydatius, 125 (sub anno 441).
  5. [5]
    Hydatius, 128 (sub anno 443).
  6. [6]
    Sidonius Apollinaris, Epistulae III.6.5.
  7. [7]
    The vir clarissimus rank was bestowed to aristocracy members since their birth.
  8. [8]
    The vir inlustris rank was awarded by the Emperor to a few high officers, among whom the magister utriusque militiae.
  9. [9]
    The rank of comes was probably conferred to Astyrius at the end of his office as magister utriusque militiae.
  10. [10]
    Mathisen.

Bibliography

  • "Fl. Astyrius", Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Volume 2, pp. 174–175.
  • Ralph W. Mathisen, People, Personal Expression, and Social Relations in Late Antiquity, University of Michigan Press, 2003, ISBN 0-472-11246-5, pp. 18–19.
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