Firmus (4th century usurper)
Encyclopedia
Firmus was a Roman usurper
under Valentinian I
.
Firmus was the son of the Moorish
(Berber
) prince Nubel, a powerful Roman military officer, as well as a wealthy Christian. When Nubel died, Firmus killed his half-brother Zammac, who illegitimately had appropriated of Nubel's wealth, and become successor to his father.
Between 372 and 375, Firmus revolted against the comes Africae
Romanus, who was a supporter of Zammac. The misbehaviour of Romanus, who had neglected protection from African tribes to Roman cities that had refused the payment of bribes, had worsened the situation in Africa Province
in 360s. The revolt of Firmus against Romanus forced Valentinian to take action against both his officer and the African rebel.
When Valentinian sent his magister militum
Theodosius
(father of Theodosius I
) to depose Romanus, Firmus tried to find a compromise with him, but Theodosius refused peace to Firmus, who had proclaimed himself emperor.
With the support of the indigenous African tribes, Firmus obliged Theodosius to a bloody and hopeless campaign. In the end, however, Firmus was betrayed by one of his supporters, and chose suicide over capture.
Firmus supported the Donatist
s against the Nicene faith
. Firmus ordered the killing of the Nicene inhabitants of Rusuccuru, and after his death, Valentinian issued laws against the Donatists.
It is also possible that this Firmus was the basis on which the author of Historia Augusta modeled the improbable Firmus
, usurper against Aurelian
.
Roman usurper
Usurpers are individuals or groups of individuals who obtain and maintain the power or rights of another by force and without legal authority. Usurpation was endemic during roman imperial era, especially from the crisis of the third century onwards, when political instability became the rule.The...
under Valentinian I
Valentinian I
Valentinian I , also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces while Valentinian retained the west....
.
Firmus was the son of the Moorish
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
(Berber
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
) prince Nubel, a powerful Roman military officer, as well as a wealthy Christian. When Nubel died, Firmus killed his half-brother Zammac, who illegitimately had appropriated of Nubel's wealth, and become successor to his father.
Between 372 and 375, Firmus revolted against the comes Africae
Comes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
Romanus, who was a supporter of Zammac. The misbehaviour of Romanus, who had neglected protection from African tribes to Roman cities that had refused the payment of bribes, had worsened the situation in Africa Province
Africa Province
The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, and the small Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor...
in 360s. The revolt of Firmus against Romanus forced Valentinian to take action against both his officer and the African rebel.
When Valentinian sent his 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...
Theodosius
Count Theodosius
Flavius Theodosius or Theodosius the Elder was a senior military officer serving in the Western Roman Empire. He achieved the rank of Comes Britanniarum and as such, he is usually referred to as Comes Theodosius...
(father of Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
) to depose Romanus, Firmus tried to find a compromise with him, but Theodosius refused peace to Firmus, who had proclaimed himself emperor.
With the support of the indigenous African tribes, Firmus obliged Theodosius to a bloody and hopeless campaign. In the end, however, Firmus was betrayed by one of his supporters, and chose suicide over capture.
Firmus supported the Donatist
Donatist
Donatism was a Christian sect within the Roman province of Africa that flourished in the fourth and fifth centuries. It had its roots in the social pressures among the long-established Christian community of Roman North Africa , during the persecutions of Christians under Diocletian...
s against the Nicene faith
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
. Firmus ordered the killing of the Nicene inhabitants of Rusuccuru, and after his death, Valentinian issued laws against the Donatists.
It is also possible that this Firmus was the basis on which the author of Historia Augusta modeled the improbable Firmus
Firmus
Firmus was a Roman usurper against Aurelian. His story is told by the often unreliable Historia Augusta twice, with the first account the most sketchy and reliable.- Life of the historical Firmus :...
, usurper against Aurelian
Aurelian
Aurelian , was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following...
.