Magister militum - Wikipedia Magister militum From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Imperial Roman military office The original command structure of the Late Roman army, with a separate magister equitum and a magister peditum in place of the later overall magister militum in the command structure of the army of the Western Roman Empire. The high command structure of the West Roman army c. 410–425, based on the Notitia Dignitatum. Magister militum (Latin for "Master of Soldiers", plural magistri militum) was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine the Great.[dubious – discuss] The term referred to the senior military officer (equivalent to a war theatre commander, the emperor remaining the supreme commander) of the Empire. In Greek sources, the term is translated either as strategos or as stratelates. Contents 1 Establishment and development of the Command 2 List of magistri militum 2.1 Unspecified commands 2.2 Comes et Magister Utriusque Militiae 2.3 per Gallias 2.4 per Hispanias 2.5 per Illyricum 2.6 per Orientem 2.7 per Armeniam 2.8 per Thracias 2.9 Praesentalis 2.10 per Africam 2.10.1 Western Empire 2.10.2 Eastern Empire 2.11 Magister Militae in Byzantine and medieval Italy 2.11.1 Venice 3 Later, less formal use of the term 4 See also 5 References 5.1 Citations 5.2 Sources Establishment and development of the Command[edit] Further information: Late Roman army The title of magister militum was created in the 4th century, when the emperor Constantine the Great deprived the praetorian prefects of their military functions. Initially two posts were created, one as head of the infantry, as the magister peditum ("Master of Foot"), and one for the more prestigious cavalry, the magister equitum ("Master of Horse"). The latter title had existed since Republican times, as the second-in-command to a Roman dictator. Under Constantine's successors, the title was also established at a territorial level: magistri peditum and magistri equitum were appointed for every praetorian prefecture (per Gallias, per Italiam, per Illyricum, per Orientem), and, in addition, for Thrace and, sometimes, Africa. On occasion, the offices would be combined under a single person, then styled magister equitum et peditum or magister utriusque militiae ("master of both forces"). As such they were directly in command of the local mobile field army of the comitatenses, composed mostly of cavalry, which acted as a rapid reaction force. Other magistri remained at the immediate disposal of the Emperors, and were termed in praesenti ("in the presence" of the Emperor). By the late 4th century, the regional commanders were termed simply magister militum. In the Western Roman Empire, a "commander-in-chief" evolved with the title of magister utriusque militiae. This powerful office was often the power behind the throne and was held by Stilicho, Flavius Aetius, Ricimer, and others. In the East, there were two senior generals, who were each appointed to the office of magister militum praesentalis. During the reign of Emperor Justinian I, with increasing military threats and the expansion of the Eastern Empire, three new posts were created: the magister militum per Armeniam in the Armenian and Caucasian provinces, formerly part of the jurisdiction of the magister militum per Orientem, the magister militum per Africam in the reconquered African provinces (534), with a subordinate magister peditum, and the magister militum Spaniae (c. 562). In the course of the 6th century, internal and external crises in the provinces often necessitated the temporary union of the supreme regional civil authority with the office of the magister militum. In the establishment of the exarchates of Ravenna and Carthage in 584, this practice found its first permanent expression. Indeed, after the loss of the eastern provinces to the Muslim conquest in the 640s, the surviving field armies and their commanders formed the first themata. Supreme military commanders sometimes also took this title in early medieval Italy, for example in the Papal States and in Venice, whose Doge claimed to be the successor to the Exarch of Ravenna. List of magistri militum[edit] Part of a series on the Military of ancient Rome 753 BC – AD 476 Structural history Army Unit types and ranks Decorations and punishments Legions Auxilia Generals Navy Fleets Admirals Campaign history Wars and battles Technological history Military engineering Castra Siege engines Triumphal arches Roads Political history   Strategy and tactics Infantry tactics Frontiers and fortifications Limes Limes Britannicus Antonine Wall Hadrian's Wall Saxon Shore Limes Germanicus Alb Limes Lauter Valley Limes Lower Germanic Limes Main Limes Neckar-Odenwald Limes Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes Wetterau Limes Danube–Iller–Rhine Limes Norican Limes Claustra Alpium Iuliarum Pannonian Limes Limes Alutanus Limes Moesiae Trajan's Wall Anastasian Wall Limes Sarmatiae Limes Arabicus Limes Tripolitanus Limes Mauretaniae  Ancient Rome portal •  War portal v t e Unspecified commands[edit] 383–385/8: Flavius Bauto, magister militum under Valentinian II[1] 385/8–394: Arbogast, magister militum under Valentinian II and Eugenius[1] 383–388: Andragathius[2] ?–480: Ovida Comes et Magister Utriusque Militiae[edit] 392–408: Flavius Stilicho 411–421: Flavius Constantius [3] 422–425: Castinus 425–430: Flavius Constantius Felix [4] 431–432: Bonifacius [5] 432–433: Sebastianus 433–454: Flavius Aetius[6] 455–456: Avitus & Remistus 456–472: Ricimer 472–473: Gundobad 475: Ecdicius Avitus 475–476: Orestes per Gallias[edit] 352–355: Claudius Silvanus 362–364: Flavius Valerius Jovinus, magister equitum under Julian and Jovian[7] ?–419: Gaudentius 425–430: Flavius Aetius 435–439: Litorius 452–458: Agrippinus 458–461: Aegidius 461/462: Agrippinus ?–472: Bilimer per Hispanias[edit] 441–442: Astyrius[8] 443: Merobaudes[9] 446: Vitus[10] per Illyricum[edit] ?–350: Vetranio, magister peditum under Constans[11] 361: Flavius Iovinus, magister equitum under Julian[7] 365–375: Aequitius, magister utriusquae militiae under Valentinian I[12] 395–? Alaric I 448/9 Agintheus (known from Priscus of Panium to have held office as the latter's embassy proceeded towards the court of Attila). 468–474: Julius Nepos 477–479: Onoulphus 479–481: Sabinianus Magnus 528: Ascum 529–530/1: Mundus (1st time) 532–536: Mundus (2nd time) c. 538: Justin c. 544: Vitalius c. 550: John 568–569/70: Bonus 581–582: Theognis per Orientem[edit] c. 347: Flavius Eusebius, magister utriusquae militiae[13] 349–359: Ursicinus, magister equitum under Constantius[11] 359–360: Sabinianus, magister equitum under Constantius[11] 363–367: Lupicinus, magister equitum under Jovian and Valens[7] 371–378: Iulius, magister equitum et Peditum under Valens[7] 383: Richomeres, magister equitum et peditum[1] 383–388: Ellebichus, magister equitum et peditum[1] 392: Eutherius, magister equitum et peditum[1] 393–396: Addaeus, magister equitum et peditum[1] 395/400: Fravitta 433–446: Anatolius 447–451: Zeno 460s: Flavius Ardabur Aspar –469: Flavius Iordanes 469–471: Zeno 483–498: Ioannes Scytha c. 503–505: Areobindus Dagalaiphus Areobindus 505–506: Pharesmanes ?516–?518: Hypatius ?518–529: Diogenianus 520–525/526: Hypatius 527: Libelarius 527–529: Hypatius 529–531: Belisarius 531: Mundus 532–533: Belisarius 540: Buzes 542: Belisarius 543–544: Martinus 549–551: Belisarius 555: Amantius 556: Valerianus 569: Zemarchus 572–573: Marcian 573: Theodorus 574: Eusebius 574/574–577: Justinian 577–582: Maurice 582–583: John Mystacon 584–587/588: Philippicus 588: Priscus 588–589: Philippicus 589–591: Comentiolus 591–603: Narses 603–604 Germanus 604–605 Leontius 605–610 Domentziolus per Armeniam[edit] Peter, direct predecessor of John Tzibus John Tzibus (?–541) Valerian Dagisthaeus (?–550) Bessas (550–554)[14] Martin[15] Justin[16] Heraclius the Elder (c. 595)[17] per Thracias[edit] 377–378: Saturninus, magister equitum under Valens[7] 377–378: Traianus, magister peditum under Valens[1] 378: Sebastianus, magister peditum under Valens[1] 380–383: Flavius Saturninus, magister peditum under Theodosius I[1] 392–393: Stilicho, magister equitum et peditum[1] 412–414: Constans 441: Ioannes the Vandal, magister utriusque militiae[18] 468–474: Armatus 474: Heraclius of Edessa 511: Hypatius 512: Cyril 514: Vitalian 530–533: Chilbudius 550–c. 554: Artabanes 588: Priscus (1st time) 593: Priscus (2nd time) 593–594: Peter (1st time) 594–c. 598: Priscus (2nd time) 598–601: Comentiolus 601–602: Peter (2nd time) Praesentalis[edit] 351–361: Arbitio, magister equitum under Constantius II[11] 361–363: Nevitta, magister equitum under Julian[7] 363–379: Victor, magister equitum under Valens[7] 366–378: Flavius Arinthaeus, magister peditum under Valens[7] 364–369: Flavius Iovinus, magister equitum under Valentinian I[7] 364–366: Dagalaifus, magister peditum under Valentinian I[7] 367–372: Severus, magister peditum under Valentinian I[7] 369–373: Flavius Theodosius, magister equitum under Valentinian I[7] 375–388: Merobaudes, magister peditum under Valentinian I, Gratian and Magnus Maximus[19] 388–395: Timasius 394–408: Stilicho, magister equitum et peditum[1] 399–400: Gainas 400: Fravitta 409: Varanes and Arsacius[20] 419–: Plinta 434–449: Areobindus? 443–451: Apollonius 450–451: Anatolius 475–477/478: Armatus 485–: Longinus 492–499: John the Hunchback 518–520: Vitalian [21] 520–?: Justinian [22] 528: Leontius 528–529: Phocas 520–538/9: Sittas 536: Germanus 536: Maxentianus 546–548: Artabanes 548/9–552: Suartuas 562: Constantinianus (uncertain) 582: Germanus (uncertain) 585–c. 586: Comentiolus 626: Bonus (uncertain) per Africam[edit] Western Empire[edit] 373–375: Flavius Theodosius, magister equitum [7] 386–398: Gildo, magister equitum et peditum[23] Eastern Empire[edit] 534–536: Solomon 536–539: Germanus 539–544: Solomon 544–546: Sergius 545–546: Areobindus 546: Artabanes 546–552: John Troglita 578–590: Gennadius Magister Militae in Byzantine and medieval Italy[edit] Venice[edit] 8th century: Marcellus 737: Domenico Leoni under Leo III the Isaurian 738: Felice Cornicola under Leo III the Isaurian 739: Theodatus Hypatus under Leo III the Isaurian 741: Ioannes Fabriacius under Leo III the Isaurian 764–787: Mauricius Galba Later, less formal use of the term[edit] By the 12th century, the term was being used to describe a man who organized the military force of a political or feudal leader on his behalf. In the Gesta Herwardi, the hero is several times described as magister militum by the man who translated the original Old English account into Medieval Latin. It seems possible that the writer of the original version, now lost, thought of him as the 'hereward' (Old English: here, lit. 'army' and Old English: weard, lit. 'guard') – the supervisor of the military force. That this later use of these terms was based on the classical concept seems clear.[24] See also[edit] Structural history of the Roman military References[edit] Citations[edit] ^ a b c d e f g h i j k PLRE I, p. 1114 ^ PLRE I, p. 62 ^ Hughes, Ian: Aetius: Attila's Nemesis, pg. 74 ^ Hughes, Ian: Aetius: Attila's Nemesis, pg. 75 ^ Hughes, Ian: Aetius: Attila's Nemesis, pg. 85 ^ Hughes, Ian: Aetius: Attila's Nemesis, pg. 87, Heather, Peter: The Fall of the Roman Empire, pg. 262, 491 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m PLRE I, p. 1113 ^ Hydatius, Chronica Hispania, 122 ^ Hydatius, Chronica Hispania, 128 ^ Hydatius, Chronica Hispania, 134 ^ a b c d PLRE I, p. 1112 ^ PLRE I, p. 125 ^ PLRE I, p. 307 ^ Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin; Martindale, J. R.; Morris, J. (1980). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume 2, AD 395-527. Cambridge University Press. p. 228. ISBN 9780521201599. ^ Martindale, J. R. (1992). The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire 2 Part Set: Volume 3, AD 527-641. Cambridge University Press. p. 845. ISBN 978-0-521-20160-5. ^ Greatrex, Geoffrey; Lieu, Samuel N. C. (2005). The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars AD 363-628. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-75645-2. ^ Kaegi, Walter Emil (2003). Heraclius, Emperor of Byzantium. Cambridge University Press. p. 22. ISBN 9780521814591. ^ PLRE II, p. 597 ^ PLRE I, pp. 1113–1114 ^ PLRE I, p. 152 ^ John Moorhead, Justinian (London, 1994), p. 16. ^ John Moorhead, Justinian (London, 1994), p. 17. ^ PLRE I, p. 395 ^ Gesta Herwardi Archived 2011-01-21 at the Wayback Machine The term is used in chapters XII, XIV, XXII and XXIII. See The Name, Hereward for details. Sources[edit] Boak, AER (1915). "The Roman Magistri in the Civil and Military Service of the Empire". Harvard Studies in Classical Philology. 26: 73–164. JSTOR 310606. Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE), Vols. 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