Roman usurper from 365 to 366
Procopius
|
---|
Solidus
of Procopius minted in Constantinople
|
|
Reign
| 28 September 365 ?
27 May 366 (against
Valens
)
|
---|
Predecessor
| Valens
and
Valentinian I
|
---|
Successor
| Valens and Valentinian I
|
---|
|
Born
| 326
Cilicia
(modern-day
Turkey
)
|
---|
Died
| 27 May 366 (aged 40)
|
---|
Wife
| |
---|
Issue
| Procopius
|
---|
Mother
| Sister of
Basilina
|
---|
Procopius
(
Ancient Greek
: Προκ?πιο?; 326 ? 27 May 366) was a
Roman usurper
against
Valens
.
Life
[
edit
]
Procopius was a native of
Cilicia
and born in
Corycus
around the year 326.
On his mother's side, Procopius was a Greek, a maternal cousin, to Emperor
Julian
, since their maternal grandfather was
Julius Julianus
. His first wife was probably Artemisia.
The Roman general of the 5th century
Procopius
and his son, the Emperor
Anthemius
, were among his descendants, the first being the son of his son Procopius.
During the reign of
Constantius II
, he served as
tribunus et notarius
for a long period of time. By 358, the emperor trusted him enough to send him with
Lucillianus
as an envoy to the Sassanid court.
His career granted him the opportunity to build many important connections, as well as to help him understand the structure of the imperial government.
Procopius entered Julian's retinue and took part in his campaign against the Sassanids in 363.
Together with
Sebastianus
he was entrusted with controlling the upper
Tigris
with 30,000 men and, if possible, joining King
Arsaces II of Armenia
and marching southward, to reach Julian's army in Assyria.
[6]
However, Julian died and, when Procopius reached the main Roman army near
Thilsaphata
, between
Nisibis
and
Singara
, he met the new emperor,
Jovian
.
Though Julian had died without naming a successor,
a rumor spread that he had ordered Procopius to take the purple in case of his death.
Fearing Jovian's wrath, which had caused the death of another army candidate to the throne (Jovianus),
Procopius went into hiding, but later supervised the transport of Julian's body to
Tarsus
and its subsequent burial,
and only later went to Caesarea with his family.
[10]
After Jovian's death, the new emperors,
Valentinian I
and
Valens
, sent some soldiers to arrest Procopius.
He surrendered, but asked to meet his family; he had his captors dine and drink, and then seized the opportunity to flee with his family, first to the
Black Sea
and later to the
Tauric Chersonese
, where they hid.
However, Procopius lived in constant fear of betrayal or exposure, and decided to go to
Constantinople
, the Empire's capital, to ask Strategius for help.
Becoming aware of discontent caused by the policies of Valens’ praetorian prefect and father-in-law, Petronius,
Procopius decided to declare himself Emperor. He bribed two legions which were then resting at
Constantinople
to support his efforts, and took control of the imperial city. Shortly after this he proclaimed himself Emperor on 28 September 365, and quickly took control of the provinces of
Thrace
, and later
Bithynia
.
Procopius promoted himself as an educated philosopher, well versed in the Greek language of the Eastern Empire, and highlighted Valens' weakness in this area, to gain the support of the Hellenized Eastern aristocrats.
He also emphasized his link to the Constantinian dynasty by appearing in public with Constantius II’s widow
Faustina
and their daughter
Constantia
, an act which Ammianus considered to have earned him greater support.
Though Valens initially despaired of subduing the rebellion, and was inclined to come to terms with the usurper, he quickly rallied, guided by the counsels of
Salutius
and
Arintheus
, and the superior ability of his generals prevailed in two battles at
Thyatira
and
Nacolia
where Procopius' forces were defeated.
[17]
He fled the battlefield, and was for a while a fugitive in the wilds of
Phrygia
, but was soon betrayed to Valens due to the treachery of his two generals Agilonius and
Gomoarius
, he was captured. Valens had his rival executed on 27 May 366
through beheading.
His head was then sent to Valens’ elder brother and co-emperor Valentinian I.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Francois Paschoud,
Zosime. Histoire Nouvelle
(Paris: Societe d'edition "Les Belles Lettres," 1979), II.1, n. 33, pp. 106?109.
- ^
According to
Philostorgius
, since his wife could not bear their escape, Procopius went to Caesarea, but to live in one of Eunomius' properties (
Historia Ecclesiastica
9.5).
- ^
Edward Gibbon
,
The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire
, (The Modern Library, 1932), chap. XXV., p. 852, 853
Sources
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]