Equitius, or Aequitius, was ''

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 ...

'' (or master of soldiers) in Illyricum in the Roman Empire.

Career

Born in Pannonia, he served together with the future Emperor

Valentinian I Valentinian I (; 32117 November 375), also known as Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. He ruled the Western Roman Empire, Western half of the empire, while his brother Valens ruled the Byzantine Empire, East. During his re ...

as ''

scutarius A scutarius in ancient Rome was any of the various types of gladiator who used a large shield called a samnite shield, which is named after another type of gladiator—a samnite. In Latin, the shield was called a '' scutum''—where the name ''s ...

'' (or guardsman). Being one of Valentinian's principal supporters, the new Emperor made Equitius ''magister militum'' in Illyricum in 364. When

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea (; ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; ; – 565) was a prominent Late antiquity, late antique Byzantine Greeks, Greek scholar and historian from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman general Belisarius in Justinian I, Empe ...

rose up against Valentinian, Equitius remained loyal to the Emperor. Procopius sent envoys to the Illyrian troops to secure their support, but Equitius had them captured and killed. Valentinian appointed Equitius consul in 374. In 375, when Valentinian died, Equitius was one of the generals who elevated the deceased emperor's second son,

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, ...

, as emperor.Ps-Aurelius Victor, ''Epitome'' 45.10 He was last seen in the region of Illyria in 384.

References

Sources

* * 4th-century Roman consuls Comites rei militaris Magistri militum Romans from Pannonia {{AncientRome-mil-stub