Scudilo ( gr, Σκοδιλών) was an

Alemannic Alemannic (''Alamannic'') or Alamanni may refer to: * Alemannic German, a dialect family in the Upper German branch of the German languages and its speakers * Alemanni, a confederation of Suebian Germanic tribes in the Roman period * Alamanni (surna ...

warrior who served in the

Roman army The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval continu ...

under emperor Constantius II.

Life

If Scudilo is identical to the Skolidoas mentioned by

Zosimus Zosimus, Zosimos, Zosima or Zosimas may refer to: People * * Rufus and Zosimus (died 107), Christian saints * Zosimus (martyr) (died 110), Christian martyr who was executed in Umbria, Italy * Zosimos of Panopolis, also known as ''Zosimus Alchemi ...

, he began serving in the Roman army as a tribune in 351. He probably served as ''tribunus scutariorum'' (chief of the bodyguards) of emperor Constantius II. In 351 Scudilo moved with an army from Milan to the Rhine with the intention of crossing the river at Augusta Raurica and attacking the Alemannic brothers Vadomarius and

Gundomadus Gundomad ( la, Gundomadus; ? - 357 AD) or Gundomar, was an Alemannic petty king in the area around Breisgau, Germany in the 4th century. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus reports that Gundomad, together with his brother Vadomarius, in 354 con ...

. However, the bridge was held by the Alemanni. Local guides showed the Romans a ford, but they still failed to cross the river. Despite his good reputation, Scudilo was suspected, together with

Agilo Agilo was an Alemannic warrior. Originally ''tribunus stabuli'' (354) and then ''tribunus gentilium et scutariorum'' (354–360), he was promoted to ''magister peditum'' (360–362). During the reigns of Roman emperors Constantius II and Julia ...

and

Latinus Latinus ( la, Latinus; Ancient Greek: Λατῖνος, ''Latînos'', or Λατεῖνος, ''Lateînos'') was a figure in both Greek and Roman mythology. He is often associated with the heroes of the Trojan War, namely Odysseus and Aeneas. Alth ...

, of having warned the Alemannic king Vadomarius of an impending Roman attack. Nevertheless, the Alemanni negotiated a peace treaty with the Romans, allegedly because their priests had discouraged battle on the basis of bad omens. Scudilo was later sent to Antioch to persuade Constantius Gallus into vising the court of Constantius II. Shortly thereafter, he died of a hemorrhage.

References

* Otto Seeck: Scudilo. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (RE). Band II A,1, Stuttgart 1921, Sp. 909. 4th-century Germanic people Alemannic warriors Ancient Roman military personnel {{AncientRome-military-stub