Flavius Mallius Theodorus ( c. 376–409) was a Roman politician and author of an extant treatise on metres, ''De metris'', one of the best of its kind (H. Keil, ''Grammatici Latini'', vi.). He also studied philosophy, astronomy and geometry, and wrote works on those subjects, which, together with his consulship, formed the subject of a panegyric by Claudian.

Biography

Theodorus' life is known in detail thanks to Claudian's panegyric, ''Panegyricus dictus Manlio Theodoro consuli.'' He came from a family of humble origin, which, nonetheless, allowed him to start an administrative career. Claudian says that Theodorus was member of the court of a Praetorian prefect, as lawyer; historians think this was probably the

Praetorian prefect of Italy The praetorian prefecture of Italy ( la, Praefectura praetorio Italiae, in its full form (until 356) ) was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided. It comprised the Italian peninsula, the Western Balkans, ...

, and that this office should be dated to 376.Jones. He was then governor of an African province, probably around 377, followed by ''consularis'' of Macedonia (c. 378). Next Theodorus entered in the imperial court administration, with an office that historians identify as ''

magister memoriae Magister is Latin for "master" or "teacher". It may refer to: Positions and titles * Magister degree, an academic degree * Magister equitum, or Master of the Horse * Magister militum, a master of the soldiers * Magister officiorum (''master of of ...

'' and date to 379, followed in 380 by the rank of ''

comes sacrarum largitionum The ''comes sacrarum largitionum'' ("Count of the Sacred Largesses"; in el, , ''kómes tōn theíon thesaurōn'') was one of the senior fiscal officials of the late Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire. Although it is first attested in ...

'' or, more probably, of ''

comes rerum privatarum In the Roman Empire during late antiquity, the ''comes rerum privatarum'' ( gr, κόμης τῆς ἰδικῆς παρουσίας, ''kómēs tēs idikēs parousías''), literally "count of the private fortune", was the official charged with admin ...

''; in this office he received a law preserved in the '' Codex Theodosianus''. He then became

Praetorian prefect of Gaul The Praetorian Prefecture of Gaul ( la, praefectura praetorio Galliarum) was one of four large prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided. History The prefecture was established after the death of Constantine I in 337, when th ...

, an office held in c. 382, then took a break for some years. He allied to

Stilicho Flavius Stilicho (; c. 359 – 22 August 408) was a military commander in the Roman army who, for a time, became the most powerful man in the Western Roman Empire. He was of Vandal origins and married to Serena, the niece of emperor Theodosiu ...

and from 397 to 399 held the post of Praetorian prefect of Illyricum, Italy and Africa (several laws conserved in the ''Codex Theodosianus'' were addressed to him in this period). In 399 he also held the consulate, together with Eutropius, a powerful and hated high officer of the Eastern court, who was killed that same year.

Augustine and Theodorus

Augustine of Hippo knew Theodorus. When he converted to Christianity, Augustine wrote a book, ''On blessed life'', which he dedicated to Theodorus. Theodorus, who at the time had retired from the court, was one of the Christian platonic intellectuals that Augustine met in Milan. When, in 397, he wrote the '' Confessions'', Augustine had changed his mind on Theodorus, who now was Praetorian prefect of Italy: Augustine described Theodorus as "a man inflated with monstrous pride" and despised his own admiration of him years before.Robert Austin Markus, ''The end of ancient Christianity'', Cambridge University Press, 1990, , pp. 29-30.

Notes

References

* * Arnold Hugh Martin Jones, John Robert Martindale, J. Morris, "Flavius Mallius Theodorus 27", ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: A.D. 260-395'', Cambridge University Press, 1971, , pp. 900–2. {{DEFAULTSORT:Theodorus, Flavius Mallius 4th-century Latin writers 4th-century Romans 5th-century Romans 4th-century Roman consuls Comites rerum privatarum Grammarians of Latin Imperial Roman consuls Praetorian prefects of Gaul Praetorian prefects of Italy