Andragathius was a
magister militum
(Latin for "master of soldiers"; : ) was a top-level military command used in the late Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine the Great. The term referred to the senior military officer (equivalent to a war theatre commander, the e ...
of Roman emperor
Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus (; died 28 August 388) was Roman emperor in the West from 383 to 388. He usurped the throne from emperor Gratian.
Born in Gallaecia, he served as an officer in Britain under Theodosius the Elder during the Great Conspiracy ...
, responsible for the death of the rival emperor
Gratian.
In 383, after several days of skirmishing near
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Gratian's army defected to Maximus. Gratian fled, with Andragathius in pursuit. In order to lure the fugitive back, Andragathius traveled in a closed, mule-borne
litter
Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The waste is objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles, but ...
, and had his guards send out a report that the vehicle was occupied by Gratian's wife. Gratian met the litter between
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
and Andragathius killed him.
In 388, Maximus learned that
Justina, mother of
Valentinian II
Valentinian II (; 37115 May 392) was a Roman emperor in the western part of the Roman Empire between AD 375 and 392. He was at first junior co-ruler of his half-brother, then was sidelined by a usurper, and finally became sole ruler after 388, ...
, was crossing the
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...
with her children, and sent Andragathius to intercept her. Eluding the fast ships which Andragathius had sent in every direction, Justina's party completed its journey in safety. Andragathius then brought together a competent navy which sailed the adjacent coasts, in anticipation of an attack by
Theodosius I
Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...
. No attack came, as Theodosius concentrated his forces on land and defeated Maximus near
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...
. Andragathius then threw himself into the ocean.
[''Andragathius'', Universal Historical Dictionary, Volume 1, George Crabb, Baldwin and Craddock, 1833, pg. 76.]
References
4th-century Romans
Ancient Roman military personnel who died by suicide
Magistri equitum (Roman Empire)
Ancient Roman regicides