Chrocus or Crocus (
fl.
''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
260–306 AD) was a leader of the
Alamanni
The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes
*
*
*
on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...
in the late 3rd to early 4th centuries. In 260, he led an uprising of the Alamanni against the
Roman Empire, traversing the
Upper Germanic Limes
The Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes (german: Obergermanisch-Raetischer Limes), or ORL, is a 550-kilometre-long section of the former external frontier of the Roman Empire between the rivers Rhine and Danube. It runs from Rheinbrohl to Eining on ...
and advancing as far as
Clermont-Ferrand, and possibly as far as
Ravenna, and he was possibly present at the Alamannic conquest of the French town of
Mende.
According to
Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Florenti ...
' ''
History of the Franks'', Chrocus was a famous king of his time and was responsible for a great deal of destruction throughout Gaul, most notably of all ancient temples located in Gaul, though this may have been exaggerated. One of the temples he allegedly tore down was called the ''Vasso Galatæ'', a marvelous structure that once stood in Clermont.
Chrocus, with his troops, aided
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
's proclamation as emperor. In 306, he was present as a general in Roman service at the death of
Constantius Chlorus in
York,
Britannia, and called for his son Constantine to be declared the new
Roman Emperor (''
Epitome de Caesaribus
The ''Epitome de Caesaribus'' is a Latin historical work written at the end of the 4th century.
It is a brief account of the reigns of the Roman emperors from Augustus to Theodosius the Great. It is attributed to Aurelius Victor, but was written ...
'' 41).
Literature
* Dieter Geuenich, ''Geschichte der Alemannen'',
Kohlhammer Verlag Stuttgart 2004, /
External links
Crocus King of Alamanni, Vandals
{{Authority control
3rd-century births
4th-century deaths
Alemannic rulers
Alemannic warriors