Flavius Domnicus was a Byzantine

Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

 military officer and patrikios, active in the reign of Emperor Justinian I

Justinian I

Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...

 (r. 527–565). He should not be confused with his contemporary Domnicus, Praetorian prefect of Illyricum

Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum

The praetorian prefecture of Illyricum was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided.The administrative centre of the prefecture was Sirmium , and, after 379, Thessalonica...

 (term 535–540).

Biography

Domnicus is first mentioned in 536. He was a member of the Byzantine Senate

Byzantine Senate

The Byzantine Senate or Eastern Roman Senate was the continuation of the Roman Senate, established in the 4th century by Constantine I. It survived for centuries but was increasingly irrelevant until its eventual disappearance in the 13th century....

. Procopius

Procopius

Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...

 records that Domnicus was sent to the Praetorian prefecture of Africa

Praetorian prefecture of Africa

The praetorian prefecture of Africa was a major administrative division of the Eastern Roman Empire, established after the reconquest of northwestern Africa from the Vandals in 533-534 by emperor Justinian I...

, alongside Germanus and Symmachus. The three were tasked with facing the military rebellion of Stotzas

Stotzas

Stotzas , also Stutias, was an East Roman soldier and leader of a military rebellion in the Praetorian prefecture of Africa.-Life:...

. Domnicus took over command of the infantry forces of the area, succeeding the deceased John of Epidamnus. He served in command of the infantry at the Battle of Scalae Veteres (537). The battle was a victory for Germanus and his forces. Germanus, Domnicus, and Symmachus were recalled to Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

 in 539.

Documents of 540 have Domnicus listing his own titles: comes domesticorum, former consul

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...

 (honorary consul), and patrician. During his service in Africa, Domnicus likely held the rank of magister militum

Magister militum

Magister militum was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, the term referred to the senior military officer of the Empire...

. He obviously no longer held any military tile in 540. That year, Emperor Justinian I assigned Domnicus and Maximinus as his new envoys to the court of Vitiges (reigned 536–540) in Ravenna

Ravenna

Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...

. Domnicus also delivered a letter of Emperor Justinian to Pope Vigilius

Pope Vigilius

Pope Vigilius reigned as pope from 537 to 555, is considered the first pope of the Byzantine Papacy.-Early life:He belonged to a aristocratic Roman family; his father Johannes is identified as a consul in the Liber pontificalis, having received that title from the emperor...

 (term 537–555). He returned to Constantinople, transporting letters from Vigilius to Emperor Justinian and Patriarch Menas of Constantinople. The letters addressed matters of faith. Domnicus added his own signature to them "by way of approval".

The letters of Vigilius have survived. They support the decisions of a council of Constantinople in 536. Said decisions confirmed adherence to the rules 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...

 (451) and opposition to Monophysitism

Monophysitism

Monophysitism , or Monophysiticism, is the Christological position that Jesus Christ has only one nature, his humanity being absorbed by his Deity...

. Domnicus's approval of their content indicates that the patrikios was an adherent of Chalcedonian Christianity. There is no further mention of him.

Sources