Eugenius (died 6 September 394) was a Western Roman emperor from 392 to 394, unrecognized by the

Eastern Roman emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised sovereign authority are ...

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 ...

. While

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

himself, Eugenius capitalized on the discontent in the West caused by Theodosius' religious policies targeting pagans. He renovated the pagan

Temple of Venus and Roma The Temple of Venus and Roma (Latin: ''Aedes Veneris et Romae'') is thought to have been the largest Roman temple, temple in Ancient Rome. Located on the Velian Hill, between the eastern edge of the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum, it was dedicat ...

and restored the Altar of Victory after continued petitions from the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...

. Eugenius replaced Theodosius' administrators with men loyal to him. This included pagans, reviving the pagan cause. His army fought the army of Theodosius at the Battle of the Frigidus, where he was captured and executed.

Life

A Christian and former teacher of grammar and rhetoric, as well as ''magister scriniorum'', Eugenius had become an acquaintance of Arbogast, the ''

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 ...

'', after being introduced to him by Arbogast's uncle Richomeres. Arbogast was of Frankish origin and ''de facto'' ruler of the western portion of the Empire.

Rise to power

Three months after the death 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, ...

, Eugenius was elevated to ''

augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

'' on 22 August 392 at Lyons, by Arbogast. Deferring to Eugenius offered Arbogast two strong advantages: first, Eugenius, a Roman and Christian, was more suitable than Arbogast, a Frank and pagan, as an ''Augustus''; furthermore, the Roman Senate would be more likely to support Eugenius.

Civil, religious, and military policies

After being installed as Emperor, Eugenius changed the imperial administrators. When Theodosius had left the western half of the empire to Valentinian II, he had put his own men in the highest civil offices, to keep a strong grasp on the whole empire. Eugenius replaced these administrators with others loyal to himself, coming from the senatorial class.

Virius Nicomachus Flavianus Virius Nicomachus Flavianus (334–394 AD) was a grammarian, a historian and a politician of the Roman Empire. A pagan and close friend of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, he was Praetorian prefect of Italy from 390–392. Under the usurper Eugenius ...

the Elder became

praetorian prefect The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...

, his son Nicomachus Flavianus the Younger received the title of ''

praefectus urbi The ''praefectus urbanus'', also called ''praefectus urbi'' or urban prefect in English, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, an ...

'', while the new ''

praefectus annonae The ("prefect of the provisions"), also called the ("prefect of the grain supply"), was a Roman official charged with the supervision of the grain supply to the city of Rome. Under the Republic, the job was usually done by an aedile. However, ...

'' was Numerius Proiectus. Though his actual beliefs are a matter of controversy among ancient and modern historians, Eugenius was at least publicly a Christian. Pagan senators convinced Eugenius to use public money to fund pagan projects, such as the rededication of the

and the restoration of the Altar of Victory within the

Curia Curia (: curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally probably had wider powers, they came to meet ...

. Eugenius' appointment of Nicomachus Flavianus, a pagan, as Praetorian Prefect of Italy, revived the pagan cause. These religious policies created tension with pro-Christian figures, such as Emperor Theodosius and the powerful and influential Bishop

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

, who left his see in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

when the imperial court of Eugenius arrived. Eugenius was also successful in the military field, notably in the renovation of old alliances with

Alamanni The Alemanni or Alamanni were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River during the first millennium. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Roman emperor Caracalla of 213 CE, the Alemanni c ...

and Franks, even marching to the Rhine frontier, where he impressed and pacified the Germanic tribes by parading his army in front of them. After this display, he recruited Alamannic and Frankish units for his army.

Fall

After his election as emperor, Eugenius sent two embassies to Theodosius's court, asking for recognition of his election. Theodosius received them, but both embassies were given vague responses and returned without completing their missions. In January 393, Theodosius promoted his eight-year-old son

Honorius Honorius (; 9 September 384 – 15 August 423) was Roman emperor from 393 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. After the death of Theodosius in 395, Honorius, under the regency of Stilicho ...

to the rank of ''

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

'' of the West, indicating he considered Eugenius' elevation illegitimate. Following the news of Honorius' elevation to ''Augustus'', Eugenius and Arbogast marched their army, stripped from the Rhine frontier, into Italy in the spring of 393. Theodosius then moved from Constantinople with his army, and met Eugenius and Arbogast at the Battle of the Frigidus in the Vipava Valley, on 6 September 394. The bloody battle lasted two days, and was marked by unusually strong winds, and ended with a victory for Theodosius' forces. Eugenius was captured and executed, and his head was displayed in Theodosius' camp. Arbogast committed suicide the next day.

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

*
Roberts, Walter, "Flavius Eugenius (392–394)", ''De Imperatoribus Romanis''
{{Authority control 4th-century births 4th-century Christians 4th-century murdered monarchs 4th-century Roman usurpers 4th-century Roman consuls 394 deaths Ancient Roman generals Executed Roman emperors People executed by the Roman Empire Year of birth unknown