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Silvanus and the Emperor Constantius II

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2015

D.C. Nutt
D.C. Nutt*
Affiliation:
Macquarie University
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Extract

The sources which refer to Silvanus and his abortive usurpation are few and varied. They include a secular historian with a military background (Ammianus Marcellinus), a Roman emperor (Julian) and a lesser group composed of secular and ecclesiastical historians, orators and priests. Epigraphical evidence is slight. These sources are not of equal merit or value nor are they in absolute agreement. Indeed, the two major sources, Ammianus and Julian, differ substantially.

Type
Research Article
Information
Antichthon , Volume 7 , 1973 , pp. 80 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © Australasian Society for Classical Studies 1973

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References

1 Included in this group are: Aur. Vict. Caes. 42.13 f; Epit. 42.10, 11; Eutrop. x 13; Zonar. xiii 9; Socr. ii 32; Sozom. iv 7.4; Theodor, xi 16–21; Hieron. Chron. 2370; Orosius vii 29.14; Liban. Or. xviii 31; Mamert. Paneg. xi 13; Johan. Ant. fr. 174.

2 ILS 748 = CIL x 6945.

3 Ammi. XV 5.22–30.

4 Vir fortis Amm. xvi 2.4; insons xv 5.5; success of military campaign, xv 5.4; speech of Malarichus, xv 5.6.

5 Amm. xv 5.32 ita dux haut exsilium meritorum hoc genere oppetit mortis, metu calumniarum, quibus facilone iniquoruni irretitus est absens, ut tueri possit salutem, ad praesidia progressus extrema.

6 Amm. xv 5.1.

7 Cf. Thompson, E.A.The Historical Work of Ammianus Marcellinus (Cambridge, 1947), pp.44–5.Google Scholar

8 Julian, Or. i and ii in particular.

9 Julian, Ep. ad A th. 273 d, 274 c.

10 While this particular incident has been recognized by modern authors it has not been treated fully. For a representative modern treatment see Seeck, O.Geschichte des Untergangs der antiken Welt, Vol. 4 (2nd ed., Stuttgart, 1922), pp. 227–33,Google Scholar ‘Constantius (4)’, RE IV 1076–7, ‘Silvanus (4)’, RE III A 125–6; Stein, E.Geschichte des spätrömischen Reiches, Vol. 1 (Vienna, 1928), p. 221;Google ScholarSyme, R.Ammianus and the Historia Augusta (Oxford, 1968), pp. 53–9;Google ScholarThompson, E.A.The Historical Work of Ammianus Marcellinus, pp 44–5.Google Scholar

11 His origin: Amm. xv 5.16; Aur. Vict. Caes. 42.14; Epit. 42.11. His father: Amm. xv 5.33.

12 Mommsen, Chron. min. i 237; Aur. Vict. Caes. 42.14; Epit. 42.11; Amm. xv 5.33; Zonar. xiii 8 p. 16 d; Julian, Or. i 48 b, ii 97 c.

13 Philippus’ origin: Liban. Or. xlii 24–5. As envoy: Zosim. ii 46.2; for detailed argument see Bidez, J. ‘Amiens, ville natale de l’empereur Magnence’, REA 27 (1925), 312–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

14 Zonar. xiii 8 p. 17 b.

15 He was certainly in Gaul before 3 November 353, but see Jones, A.H.M.Historia 4 (1955), 229 ff.;Google Scholar Amm. xv 5.2; Aur. Vict. Caes. 42.15; Julian, Or. ii 98 c. Cf. Seeck, Reg. 93, for 352.

16 Amm. xv 5.2.

17 For discussion of the relationship between Silvanus and Arbitio see below.

18 Purpose to defeat Germans: Zonar. xiii 9 p. 19 c: Amm. xv 5.2: Incitement of Germans by Constantius: Liban. Or. i 533, 540.

19 Julian, Or. i 49 a, ii 98 c.

20 Amm. xv 5.4; xvi 2.4; Julian, Or. ii 98 c, d.

21 Amm. xvi 2.4.

22 Amm. xv 5.4; Julian, Ep. ad Ath. 273 d.

23 Amm. xv 5.3–8.

24 Amm. xv 5.9–14.

25 Amm. xv 5.15–16; Zonar. xiii 9 p. 19 c; Julian, Or. i 48 c, ii 98 d; Ep. ad Ath. 273 d, 274 c; Aur. Vict. Caes. 42.15; Liban. Or. xviii 31; Socr. ii 32.11; Orosius vii 29.14; Sozom. iv 7.4.

26 Amm. xiv 11,2–5, xv 5.19, 28.

27 Amm. xv 5.19–28.

28 Amm. xv 5.29–35 Zonar. xiii 9 p. 19 d; Aur. Vict. Caes. 42.15; Epit. 42.10; Johan. Ant. fr. 174; Julian, Or. i 48 c, ii 98 d, 99 a; Socr. ii 32.11; Sozom. iv 7.4; Eutrop. x 13.

29 Amm. xv 6.1–4; Julian, Or. i 48 c-49 a, ii 99 a, b.

30 Julian, Or. ii 97 c; Amm. xv 5.33.

31 Amm. xv 5.4, xvi 2.4; Julian, Or. ii 98 c.

32 Amm. xv 5.5.

33 Amm. xv 5.6.

34 The possibility exists that the conspiracy to remove Silvanus was inspired from within the consistorium itself. This idea presupposes alignments within the consistorium. However the scarcity of evidence prevents any definite conclusions.

35 Besides the two references to this point in the incident under discussion (xv 5.5, 15), there are many other allusions to it. For example, xiv 5.1, 4, 9; 9.2; 11.4; xv 2.2; 3.3, 4, 9, are all chronologically before the Silvanus incident.

36 Amm. xxii 3.11.

37 Amm. xiv 11. 19, 23.

38 Amm. xxii 3.11.

39 Amm. xv 5.9.

40 Amm. xv 5.18.

41 Amm. xv 5.7–9.

42 Amm. xv 5.15–16.

43 Amm. xv 5.25–26.

44 Amm. xv 6.3.

45 den Boer, W. ‘The Emperor Silvanus and his Army’, Acta Classica 3 (1960), 105–9.Google Scholar

46 Ibid. 108–9.

47 Amm. xv 6.2: necessitate compulsum.

48 Amm. xv 5.32.

49 Amm. xv 5.16.

50 See Seeck, O. ‘Constantius (4)’, RE 4 1077,Google Scholar ‘Silvanus (4)’, RE IIIA 128, for the excellent suggestion that this was on 7 August 355, in honour of Constantius’ birthday.

51 Amm. xv 5.16.

52 Amm. xv 5.17.

53 Den Boer, op. cit. 108 n. 17. Rolfe’s translation of the phrase cultu purpureo a draconum et vexillorum insignibus ad lempus abstracto as then as a temporary expedient he tore the purple decorations from the standards of the cohorts and companies’ is not necessarily wrong as den Boer claims. The ablative absolute construction here does not enlighten us as to who tore these emblems from the standards. But, as there is no mention of the army, it would be sensible to allocate the action (as Rolfe has done) to the subject of the whole passage, namely, Silvanus.

54 Amm. xv 5.29.

55 Amm. xv 5.30. The reasoning that the phrase in hoc aestu mentis ancipiti refers to Silvanus is superficial. It refers to the distress caused to Ursicinus and Ammianus by the attitude of the troops. The context makes this clear, xv 5.28 refers entirely to Silvanus. xv 5.29 gives the reaction of Ursicinus and Ammianus to the behaviour of the soldiers, xv 5.30 again refers to Ursicinus and Ammianus. Silvanus has not been mentioned for two sections. Therefore, on context alone, the phrase must refer to the imperial agents. Then, grammatically, the phrase must relate to the subject of the sentence, which is the we of scrutabimus, namely, Ursicinus and Ammianus. That the phrase refers to them is reinforced by the reference, in the same section, to mutatis prac timore saepe sententiis.

56 Amm. xv 8.1.

57 Amm. xv 5.16.

58 Aur. Vict. Epit. 42.11.

59 This route lay through Vercellae, Augusta Praetoria, Octodurus, Tarnaiae, Viviscus, Aventicum, Augusta Raurica, Mogontiacum, Bonna to Colonia Agrippina.

60 Amm. xv 5.22.

61 Amm. xv 5.24.

62 Amm. xv 5.30–31.

63 Ibid.