Neratius Cerealis
Encyclopedia
Neratius or Naeratius Cerealis (floruit 328–358) was a Roman senator and politician, Praefectus urbi
and Consul.
, wife of Julius Constantius
, and half-brother of Vulcacius Rufinus
, and probably had a son named Neratius Scopius. He owned some balnea on the Esquiline Hill
in Rome, the balnea Neratii Cerealis, located between the church built by Pope Liberius
(the modern Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
) and the Basilica of Junius Bassus
; maybe it was the domus Neratiorum, owned by an aristocratic family of the 2nd century, to which he added the balnea around 360.
In 328 he was Praefectus annonae
of Rome.
In late summer 351 he was in Sirmium
, member of the tribunal processing Photinus
; the city was under control of the area under control of Emperor Constantius II
, while Rome was occupied by usurper Magnentius
. It is probable that Neratius remained with Constantius until he was appointed Praefectus urbi
of Rome, on September 26, 352, a little time after the usurper had left the city. As Praefectus he asked that to divert to Rome the grain for Capua
, Puteoli and other cities of Campania
. His office ended on December 8, 353.
On the right of the Arch of Septimius Severus
in the Roman Forum
, between the arch and the Curia
, it is still extant the basis of a statue erected by Neratius in honour of Constantius II; the Emperor is celebrated in the epigraph as restitutor urbis et orbis, extinctor pestiferae tyrannidis, a reference to his victory over Magnentius.
Neratius was Consul in 358.
Jerome
records the answer that a young widow, Marcella, gave to Neratius when he proposed to marry her, late in his life: she said that if she wanted to marry again, she would choose a husband, not an inheritance.
Praefectus urbi
The praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and held high importance in late Antiquity...
and Consul.
Biography
He was the brother of GallaGalla (wife of Julius Constantius)
Galla was a member of the Constantinian dynasty that ruled on the Roman Empire.- Biography :Galla was the sister of the consul Neratius Cerealis and of the praetorian prefect Vulcacius Rufinus....
, wife of Julius Constantius
Julius Constantius
Julius Constantius was a politician of the Roman Empire and a member of the Constantinian dynasty, being a son of emperor Constantius Chlorus and his second wife Flavia Maximiana Theodora, a younger half-brother of emperor Constantine I and the father of emperor Julian.- Biography :Julius...
, and half-brother of Vulcacius Rufinus
Vulcacius Rufinus
Vulcacius Rufinus was a Roman politician, related to the Constantinian dynasty.- Biography :A pagan, Rufinus was the brother of Neratius Cerealis, of Galla , and of the mother, of unknown name, of Maximus...
, and probably had a son named Neratius Scopius. He owned some balnea on the Esquiline Hill
Esquiline Hill
The Esquiline Hill is one of the celebrated Seven Hills of Rome. Its southern-most cusp is the Oppius .-Etymology:The origin of the name Esquilino is still under much debate. One view is that the Hill was named after the abundance of holm-oaks, exculi, that resided there...
in Rome, the balnea Neratii Cerealis, located between the church built by Pope Liberius
Pope Liberius
Pope Liberius, pope from May 17, 352, to September 24, 366, was consecrated according to the Catalogus Liberianus on May 22, as the successor of Pope Julius I. He was regarded as a saint in the early Church, but his name was later removed from the Roman Martyrology, however, he is once again...
(the modern Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
The Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major , known also by other names, is the largest Roman Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy.There are other churches in Rome dedicated to Mary, such as Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, but the greater size of the...
) and the Basilica of Junius Bassus
Basilica of Junius Bassus
The Basilica of Junius Bassus was a civil basilica on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, on a site now occupied by the Seminario Pontificio di Studi Orientali, in via Napoleone III, 3. It is best known for its examples of opus sectile work.-History:It was built by Junius Annius Bassus in 331 during his...
; maybe it was the domus Neratiorum, owned by an aristocratic family of the 2nd century, to which he added the balnea around 360.
In 328 he was Praefectus annonae
Praefectus annonae
The praefectus annonae was a Roman imperial official charged with the supervision of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Under the republic, the job was usually done by an aedile...
of Rome.
In late summer 351 he was in Sirmium
Sirmium
Sirmium was a city in ancient Roman Pannonia. Firstly mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by the Illyrians and Celts, it was conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC and subsequently became the capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. In 294 AD, Sirmium was...
, member of the tribunal processing Photinus
Photinus
Photinus was a Christian heresiarch and bishop of Sirmium in Pannonia, best known for denying the incarnation of Christ. His name became synonymous in later literature for someone asserting that Christ was not God.- Life :...
; the city was under control of the area under control of Emperor 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....
, while Rome was occupied by usurper Magnentius
Magnentius
Flavius Magnus Magnentius was a usurper of the Roman Empire .-Early life and career:...
. It is probable that Neratius remained with Constantius until he was appointed Praefectus urbi
Praefectus urbi
The praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and held high importance in late Antiquity...
of Rome, on September 26, 352, a little time after the usurper had left the city. As Praefectus he asked that to divert to Rome the grain for Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
, Puteoli and other cities of Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
. His office ended on December 8, 353.
On the right of the Arch of Septimius Severus
Arch of Septimius Severus
The white marble Arch of Septimius Severus at the northwest end of the Roman Forum is a triumphal arch dedicated in AD 203 to commemorate the Parthian victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of 194/195 and...
in the Roman Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
, between the arch and the Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
, it is still extant the basis of a statue erected by Neratius in honour of Constantius II; the Emperor is celebrated in the epigraph as restitutor urbis et orbis, extinctor pestiferae tyrannidis, a reference to his victory over Magnentius.
Neratius was Consul in 358.
Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
records the answer that a young widow, Marcella, gave to Neratius when he proposed to marry her, late in his life: she said that if she wanted to marry again, she would choose a husband, not an inheritance.