Acacius () was a Byzantine imperial curator, active in the late reign of
Justinian I
Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...
(r. 527–565). He is known for his role in a
civil disorder
Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, civil strife, or turmoil, are situations when law enforcement and security forces struggle to Public order policing, maintain public order or tranquility.
Causes
Any number of thin ...
incident of the 560s. The main source about him is a fragment of
John Malalas
John Malalas (; ; – 578) was a Byzantine chronicler from Antioch in Asia Minor.
Life
Of Syrian descent, Malalas was a native speaker of Syriac who learned how to write in Greek later in his life. The name ''Malalas'' probably derive ...
.
[Martindale, Jones & Morris (1992), p. 9]
Biography
Acacius was reportedly an imperial curator (Greek:βασιλικός κουράτωρ). His duties are not mentioned. He could have served as curator of a domus divina, thus being a
vir illustris
The title ''vir illustris'' () is used as a formal indication of standing in late antiquity to describe the highest ranks within the senates of Rome and Constantinople. All senators had the title ''vir clarissimus'' (); but from the mid fourth ce ...
(high ranking senator), or he could have been a palace official.
Acacius is known to have had a daughter. When said daughter was raped, Acacius attempted to punish the suspected rapist. The rapist happened to be a member of the Green faction of
chariot racing
Chariot racing (, ''harmatodromía''; ) was one of the most popular Ancient Greece, ancient Greek, Roman Empire, Roman, and Byzantine Empire, Byzantine sports. In Greece, chariot racing played an essential role in aristocratic funeral games from ...
, and Acacius' actions led to a new conflict between the Greens and the Blues in the Pittacia district of
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. The fragment can be safely dated to the 560s, dated to between 562 and 565. Malalas elsewhere mentions an incident taking place in Pittacia during October 562, but it is unknown if these incidents are connected.
References
Sources
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6th-century Byzantine people
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