Traianus (magister peditum)
Encyclopedia
Traianus was a Roman general under Emperor Valens
with whom he died in the battle of Adrianople
.
Between 367 and 368 he held the military office of dux
Aegypti. While in office, he and the praefectus augustalis Eutolmius Tatianus
protected the Arian bishop Lucius of Alexandria
. He was also ordered to rebuild the Caesareum and he started the building on May 1, 368.
Between 371 and 374 he was comes rei militaris in the East, where, together with the Alamanni
c king Vadomar he fought the Sasanids. At the end of the winter, the Sasanid king Sapor II gathered his army and moved against the Roman territory. Emperor Valens
sent Vadomarius and Traianus against him, with a strong army and the order to keep the Sasanids under control but to avoid provoking them into battle. However, at Vagabanta the Sasanid cavalry forced the Roman infantry into contact: the infantry first tried to break contact, but then defeated the enemy. The following encounters had alternate results and so, at the end of summer, the generals signed a truce and retired. In 374, while he commanded the Roman troops in Armenia, he was secretly ordered by Valens to kill king Pap of Armenia
. Traianus obtained Pap's confidence and invited him to dinner: during the banquet, Traianus left the room and a killer killed Pap.
Later he was promoted to the rank of magister peditum and was sent in Thracia
to fight the Gothic War. In 377 the Goths had been allowed to enter Roman territory but, oppressed by Roman officers, had rebelled and had sacked Adrianople, gathering under the leadership of Fritigern
. Emperor Valens was at the time at Antioch
, in Syria
, where he was preparing the war against the Sasanids. The Emperor decided to send two of his generals, Profuturus and Traianus, to Thracia with fresh troops. The two generals decided to fight the bulk of the enemy army with their Armenian troops, which had proved valiant, and succeeded in pushing the Goths inside the valleys, where they hoped to defeat them by hunger. The Roman troops were, nonetheless, vastly inferior by number to the Goths, and, since the expected reinforcements led by Frigerid did not arrive, Traianus and Profuturus decided to retire and to unite to the units of Richomeres
near the city of Ad Salices ("Near the Willows", close to Marcianopolis
in Moesia). Here the Romans and the Goths fought the battle of the Willows
: the Romans fought a huge number of Goths (Gothic soldiers with their families) who had entrenched behind a wall of wagons, then forced them to open-field battle. At first the Roman left wing broke, but thanks to the reinforcement of local troops, the Romans were able to sustain the fight until the night came, despite receiving huge losses.
When the news of the bloody battle arrived in the East, Valens sent West more troops under the magister equitum Saturninus
, who was to substitute the two generals. When he returned to Constantinople
, Valens accused Traianus of cowardice, but thanks to the support of the magistri militum Arinthaeus and Victor, Traianus put the blame on Valens' persecution of the Nicenians.
In 378 Traianus was exonerated in favour of Sebastianus, but he was later recalled in service. Traianus followed Valens, who wanted to defeat the Goths before the arrival from the West of his nephew Gratian
with the Western army. Valens fought the Goths in the battle of Adrianople
(August 9, 378); here, while the Roman troops were shattering around, Traianus noted that the Emperor had been left alone by his guards, and the two of them fell on the battlefield.
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
with whom he died in the battle of Adrianople
Battle of Adrianople
The Battle of Adrianople , sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between a Roman army led by the Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels led by Fritigern...
.
Life
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
Aegypti. While in office, he and the praefectus augustalis Eutolmius Tatianus
Eutolmius Tatianus
Flavius Eutolmius Tatianus was a politician of the Late Roman Empire.- Initial career :The family of Eutolmii originated in Syria; Tatian was born in Sidyma, son of Antonius Tatianus, praeses of Caria from 360 to 364 circa. He had a son, Proculus, who followed his footsteps choosing a political...
protected the Arian bishop Lucius of Alexandria
Lucius of Alexandria
Lucius of Alexandria was an arian who was twice installed as Patriarch of Alexandria, first in 363, during the reign of Athanasius, and the second between 373 and 380, competing with Peter II of Alexandria.- References :...
. He was also ordered to rebuild the Caesareum and he started the building on May 1, 368.
Between 371 and 374 he was comes rei militaris in the East, where, together with the Alamanni
Alamanni
The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...
c king Vadomar he fought the Sasanids. At the end of the winter, the Sasanid king Sapor II gathered his army and moved against the Roman territory. Emperor Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
sent Vadomarius and Traianus against him, with a strong army and the order to keep the Sasanids under control but to avoid provoking them into battle. However, at Vagabanta the Sasanid cavalry forced the Roman infantry into contact: the infantry first tried to break contact, but then defeated the enemy. The following encounters had alternate results and so, at the end of summer, the generals signed a truce and retired. In 374, while he commanded the Roman troops in Armenia, he was secretly ordered by Valens to kill king Pap of Armenia
Pap of Armenia
Pap was king of Armenia of the Arshakuni dynasty from 370 to 374. He was the son of King Arshak II and is notorious for poisoning the Catholicos of Armenia Nerses the Great.-Ascendancy:...
. Traianus obtained Pap's confidence and invited him to dinner: during the banquet, Traianus left the room and a killer killed Pap.
Later he was promoted to the rank of magister peditum and was sent in Thracia
Thracia
Thracia is a Web-Based computer game created and developed by an exclusively Romanian team, part of Infotrend Consulting, and launched in 2009. At the time, it was the first endeavor of its kind. All browser games were text based, made up mostly of static content...
to fight the Gothic War. In 377 the Goths had been allowed to enter Roman territory but, oppressed by Roman officers, had rebelled and had sacked Adrianople, gathering under the leadership of Fritigern
Fritigern
Fritigern or Fritigernus was a Tervingian Gothic chieftain whose decisive victory at Adrinaople the Gothic War extracted favourable terms for the Goths when peace was made with Gratian in 382.-War against Athanaric:...
. Emperor Valens was at the time at Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, where he was preparing the war against the Sasanids. The Emperor decided to send two of his generals, Profuturus and Traianus, to Thracia with fresh troops. The two generals decided to fight the bulk of the enemy army with their Armenian troops, which had proved valiant, and succeeded in pushing the Goths inside the valleys, where they hoped to defeat them by hunger. The Roman troops were, nonetheless, vastly inferior by number to the Goths, and, since the expected reinforcements led by Frigerid did not arrive, Traianus and Profuturus decided to retire and to unite to the units of Richomeres
Richomeres
Flavius Richomeres was a Frank who lived in the late 4th century. He took service in the Roman army and made a career as comes, magister militum, and consul. He was married to Ascyla, with whom he had a son Theudemeres, who became king of the Franks...
near the city of Ad Salices ("Near the Willows", close to Marcianopolis
Marcianopolis
Marcianopolis or Marcianople was an ancient Roman city in Thracia. It was located at the site of modern day Devnya, Bulgaria.-History:...
in Moesia). Here the Romans and the Goths fought the battle of the Willows
Battle of the Willows
The Battle of the Willows took place at a place called ad Salices , or according to Roman records, a road way-station called Ad Salices ; probably located within 15 kilometres of Marcianople , although its exact location is unknown...
: the Romans fought a huge number of Goths (Gothic soldiers with their families) who had entrenched behind a wall of wagons, then forced them to open-field battle. At first the Roman left wing broke, but thanks to the reinforcement of local troops, the Romans were able to sustain the fight until the night came, despite receiving huge losses.
When the news of the bloody battle arrived in the East, Valens sent West more troops under the magister equitum Saturninus
Saturninus (consul 383)
Flavius Saturninus was a politician and a military man of the Roman Empire.- Life :Saturninus was probably a Christian: it is known that he hosted a bishop, that he donated to a monastery and that was in touch for a short time with Gregory of Nazianzus.He followed the military career, and in...
, who was to substitute the two generals. When he returned 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:...
, Valens accused Traianus of cowardice, but thanks to the support of the magistri militum Arinthaeus and Victor, Traianus put the blame on Valens' persecution of the Nicenians.
In 378 Traianus was exonerated in favour of Sebastianus, but he was later recalled in service. Traianus followed Valens, who wanted to defeat the Goths before the arrival from the West of his nephew Gratian
Gratian
Gratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
with the Western army. Valens fought the Goths in the battle of Adrianople
Battle of Adrianople
The Battle of Adrianople , sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between a Roman army led by the Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels led by Fritigern...
(August 9, 378); here, while the Roman troops were shattering around, Traianus noted that the Emperor had been left alone by his guards, and the two of them fell on the battlefield.
Sources
- Jones, Arnold Hugh MartinArnold Hugh Martin JonesArnold Hugh Martin Jones — known as A.H.M. Jones — was a prominent 20th century British historian of classical antiquity, particularly of the later Roman Empire.-Biography:...
, John Robert Martindale, John MorrisJohn Morris (historian)John Robert Morris was an English historian who specialised in the study of the institutions of the Roman Empire and the history of Sub-Roman Britain...
, "Traianus 2", The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, volume 1, Cambridge University Press, 1992, ISBN 0521072336, pp. 921–922.