Gennadius was an East Roman (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...

 general and the first exarch of Africa.

He was appointed as 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...

 Africae

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...

in ca. 578, and quickly defeated the Romano-Moorish kingdom of Garmul in Mauretania

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...

. He held this post until named exarch

Exarch

In the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....

 by Emperor Maurice

Maurice (emperor)

Maurice was Byzantine Emperor from 582 to 602.A prominent general in his youth, Maurice fought with success against the Sassanid Persians...

 (r. 582–602) sometime between 585 and 591. Already a patricius by 582, he was awarded the title of honorary consul sometime before 585. As exarch, he had an extensive correspondence with Pope Gregory the Great on issues of the African Church

Patriarchate of Carthage

This is a list of bishops and archbishops of Carthage, often referred to as Primate proconsular Africa, Numidia, Mauritania and Tripolitania. Until the seventh century, the bishops are recognized by the Orthodox Church and The Roman Church as their own....

, and especially the suppression of the Donatists. Gennadius suppressed a series of Moorish

Moors

The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...

 revolts in ca. 585 and ca. 596, and retired from his post sometime between September/October 598 and July 600. He was succeeded by Innocentius as a civilian praetorian prefect of Africa.

Sources