Alypius of Antioch
Encyclopedia
Alypius of Antioch was a geographer
and a vicarius
of Roman Britain
, probably in the late 350s AD. He replaced Flavius Martinus
after that vicarius' suicide. His rule is recorded is Ammianus XXIII 1, 3.
He came from Antioch
and served under Constantius II
and was probably appointed to ensure that nobody with western associations was serving in Britain during a time of mistrust, rebellion and suppression symbolised by the brutal acts of the imperial notary Paulus Catena
. He may have had to deal with the insurrection of the usurper named Carausius II
.
Alypius was afterwards commissioned to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
as part of Julian's systematic attempt to reverse the Christianization
of the Roman Empire
by restoring pagan
and, in this case, Jewish
practices. Among the letters of Julian are two (29 and 30) addressed to Alypius; one inviting him to Rome
, the other thanking him for a geographical treatise, which no longer exists.
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
and a vicarius
Vicarius
Vicarius is a Latin word, meaning substitute or deputy. It is the root and origin of the English word "vicar" and cognate to the Persian word most familiar in the variant vizier....
of Roman Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, probably in the late 350s AD. He replaced Flavius Martinus
Flavius Martinus
Flavius Martinus was a vicarius of Roman Britain c. 353 under Constantius II.He tried to control the violent recriminations following the defeat of Magnentius. Martinus tried to rein in the vengeance of Constantius' notary Paulus Catena who had been sent to Britain to ruthlessly hunt down...
after that vicarius' suicide. His rule is recorded is Ammianus XXIII 1, 3.
He came from Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
and served under Constantius II
Constantius II
Constantius II , was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death....
and was probably appointed to ensure that nobody with western associations was serving in Britain during a time of mistrust, rebellion and suppression symbolised by the brutal acts of the imperial notary Paulus Catena
Paulus Catena
Paulus was the name of an imperial notary, or senior civil servant, who served under the Roman Emperor Constantius II in the middle of the 4th century. He is described by the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, who probably met him. According to Marcellinus, his cruelty was infamous throughout the...
. He may have had to deal with the insurrection of the usurper named Carausius II
Carausius II
Carausius II is the name given by historians to a possible imperial usurper in Roman Britain between the years 354 and 358. Coins appear during this period bearing the name which is the same as an earlier British usurper emperor, Carausius....
.
Alypius was afterwards commissioned to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
as part of Julian's systematic attempt to reverse the Christianization
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
by restoring pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
and, in this case, Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
practices. Among the letters of Julian are two (29 and 30) addressed to Alypius; one inviting him to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, the other thanking him for a geographical treatise, which no longer exists.