Anatolius (consul)
Encyclopedia
Anatolius was a diplomat and general of the Eastern Roman Empire and Consul
in 440. Very influential during the reign of Theodosius II
, he held command of the Empire's eastern armies for 13 years and led several negotiations with Attila the Hun
.
Anatolius was magister militum per Orientem from 433 to 446, reaching the consulate in 440, which he held with the Western Emperor Valentinian III
as a colleague.
In his capacity as magister militum, he built the fortress of Theodosiopolis along the border with Persarmenia
in the mid-430s; in 440 he directed some works at Heliopolis of Phoenicia and rebuilt the walls of Gerasa in Arabia.In 440, the Sassanid king Yazdegerd II
attacked the Romans. Theodosius II
sent Anatolius to parley with the Great King. Anatolius reached the Sassanid army
, dismounted and advanced on foot; Yazdegerd, informed that he was the Roman general, was baffled by such a demonstration of respect and retired to his camp with the whole army. Here received the envoy of Theodosius, treating him with honor and accepted peace. In 443 he managed to conclude a truce for one year with Attila the Hun
. In 446 ended his service as magister militum per Orientem; the following year is already attested as patricius.
In 448 Anatolius achieved a peace agreement with the Huns in exchange for an annual tribute of 2100 pounds of gold. In 450 however, Attila was again at war against the Roman Empire, using as a pretext the harbouring of fugitives from the Hunnic realm; to an offer of parley, the Hun king replied that he would deal only with the ambassadors of consular rank
, and mentioned the names of Nomus
, Senator
and Anatolius. Anatolius, who by then had become magister militum praesentalis (a position he held until at least next year), and his friend went to meet Attila, who treated them badly at the beginning, but later succumbed to their oratorical arts and the gifts they had brought: Attila would accept the terms of the peace of 448, he would stop attacking the Emperor Theodosius II and give up the strip of land south of the Danube obtained with the peace of 448; it seems that the granting of the release of many prisoners to the Romans was even a concession made personally to the two prestigious guests.
In 451 Anatolius participated in various sessions of the Council of Chalcedon
as dean of the imperial representatives.
At the beginning of the reign of Marcian
, Florentius
and Anatolius dissuaded the Emperor to support the uprising of the Armenians against the Sassanid Empire.
In 442 Anatolius donated to the church of Edessa
a silver reliquary for the bones of Thomas the Apostle
. He built a church at Antioch who took the name of "Basilica of Anatolius". He received several letters from Theodoret
, with requests for help.
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
in 440. Very influential during the reign of Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
, he held command of the Empire's eastern armies for 13 years and led several negotiations with Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
.
Biography
In 421 Anatolius led one Roman army in Persian Armenia during the war against the Sassanids.Anatolius was magister militum per Orientem from 433 to 446, reaching the consulate in 440, which he held with the Western Emperor Valentinian III
Valentinian III
-Family:Valentinian was born in the western capital of Ravenna, the only son of Galla Placidia and Flavius Constantius. The former was the younger half-sister of the western emperor Honorius, and the latter was at the time Patrician and the power behind the throne....
as a colleague.
In his capacity as magister militum, he built the fortress of Theodosiopolis along the border with Persarmenia
Persarmenia
Nor-Shirakan or Persarmenia , also known as Adiabene, was part of Greater Armenia, but now situated on the western shore of Lake Urmia in northern Iran. Following the partition of Greater Armenia between the Roman Empire and Sassanid Empire in 387, the territory under Sassanid influence became to...
in the mid-430s; in 440 he directed some works at Heliopolis of Phoenicia and rebuilt the walls of Gerasa in Arabia.In 440, the Sassanid king Yazdegerd II
Yazdegerd II
Yazdegerd II was the fifteenth Sassanid King of Persia. He was the son of Bahram V and reigned from 438 to 457....
attacked the Romans. Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
sent Anatolius to parley with the Great King. Anatolius reached the Sassanid army
Sassanid army
The birth of the Sassanid army dates back to the rise of Ardashir I , the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, to the throne. Ardashir aimed at the revival of the Persian Empire, and to further this aim, he reformed the military by forming a standing army which was under his personal command and whose...
, dismounted and advanced on foot; Yazdegerd, informed that he was the Roman general, was baffled by such a demonstration of respect and retired to his camp with the whole army. Here received the envoy of Theodosius, treating him with honor and accepted peace. In 443 he managed to conclude a truce for one year with Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
. In 446 ended his service as magister militum per Orientem; the following year is already attested as patricius.
In 448 Anatolius achieved a peace agreement with the Huns in exchange for an annual tribute of 2100 pounds of gold. In 450 however, Attila was again at war against the Roman Empire, using as a pretext the harbouring of fugitives from the Hunnic realm; to an offer of parley, the Hun king replied that he would deal only with the ambassadors of consular rank
Consularis
Consularis is a Latin word, derived from consulo, "take counsel".-Roman history:Originally it was simple and adjective meaning "consular", but more interestingly it has also become a substantive, used in technical meanings.* Any former consul...
, and mentioned the names of Nomus
Nomus
- Biography :Nomus was magister officiorum from 443 to 446, and served as consul in 445, with Western Emperor Valentinian III as colleague.On 12 December 443, Nomus was ordered to strengthen the defence of the Danube limes, recently affected by the attacks of the Huns of Attila: the forts were...
, Senator
Senator (consul 436)
- Biography :Senator was consul posterior in the year 436.In 442/443 he was sent by Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II as an envoy to the King of the Huns, Attila....
and Anatolius. Anatolius, who by then had become magister militum praesentalis (a position he held until at least next year), and his friend went to meet Attila, who treated them badly at the beginning, but later succumbed to their oratorical arts and the gifts they had brought: Attila would accept the terms of the peace of 448, he would stop attacking the Emperor Theodosius II and give up the strip of land south of the Danube obtained with the peace of 448; it seems that the granting of the release of many prisoners to the Romans was even a concession made personally to the two prestigious guests.
In 451 Anatolius participated in various sessions of the Council of Chalcedon
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a church council held from 8 October to 1 November, 451 AD, at Chalcedon , on the Asian side of the Bosporus. The council marked a significant turning point in the Christological debates that led to the separation of the church of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 5th...
as dean of the imperial representatives.
At the beginning of the reign of Marcian
Marcian
Marcian was Byzantine Emperor from 450 to 457. Marcian's rule marked a recovery of the Eastern Empire, which the Emperor protected from external menaces and reformed economically and financially...
, Florentius
Florentius (consul 429)
Flavius Florentius was a prominent high official of the Eastern Roman Empire, who influenced imperial policy during the second quarter of the fifth century.- Biography :...
and Anatolius dissuaded the Emperor to support the uprising of the Armenians against the Sassanid Empire.
In 442 Anatolius donated to the church of Edessa
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
a silver reliquary for the bones of Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
. He built a church at Antioch who took the name of "Basilica of Anatolius". He received several letters from Theodoret
Theodoret
Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus was an influential author, theologian, and Christian bishop of Cyrrhus, Syria . He played a pivotal role in many early Byzantine church controversies that led to various ecumenical acts and schisms...
, with requests for help.