Helpidius was the

praetorian prefect of the East The praetorian prefecture of the East, or of the Orient (, ) was one of four large praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided. As it comprised the larger part of the Eastern Roman Empire, and its seat was at Constantinop ...

during the years 360 and 361.

Biography

Helpidius was a native of

Paphlagonia Paphlagonia (; , modern translit. ''Paflagonía''; ) was an ancient region on the Black Sea coast of north-central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus (region), Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia (later, Galatia ...

. According to

Libanius Libanius (; ) was a teacher of rhetoric of the Sophist school in the Eastern Roman Empire. His prolific writings make him one of the best documented teachers of higher education in the ancient world and a critical source of history of the Greek ...

, Helpidius was of low birth and not member of the provincial aristocracy. However, this is questionable as Helpidius would have hardly been able to afford to secure a post in the higher administration. Around 350, he seems to have registered as citizen in Constantinople in order to join the new imperial senate. At some time before 356, Helpidius and his family visited the hermits

Anthony the Great Anthony the Great (; ; ; ; – 17 January 356) was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is distinguished from other saints named Anthony, such as , by various epithets: , , , , , and . For his importance among t ...

and

Hilarion Hilarion (291–371), also known by the bynames of Thavata, of Gaza, and in the Orthodox Church as the Great was a Christian anchorite who spent most of his life in the desert according to the example of Anthony the Great (c. 251–356). While ...

in Egypt and Gaza, respectively. According to

Jerome Jerome (; ; ; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an early Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, theologian, translator, and historian; he is commonly known as Saint Jerome. He is best known ...

, Hilarion was able to heal the children of Helpidius from fever. In 360, he succeeded Flavius Hermogenes as Preatorian prefect of the East and is attested in office on 4 February 360. He was dismissed by Julian at the end of 361. His successor Secundus was in office by December 361. Ammianus describes Helpidius as humane and a good administrator. Helpidius is also mentioned in the oratio "To Polycles" of Libanius in which he accuses Helpidius of having contrived the lie that Julian had his wife Helena poisoned by a court doctor. The oratio consists in an attempt to defend the memory of Julian while discrediting his accusers Polycles and Helpidius.

Family

Helpidius was married to Aristaenete and had three children. Their daughter Priscilla married Bassianus in 363, the son of the Antiochean praetorian prefect Thalassius, who owned large landholdings in Antioch, Tyre and the province of Euphratensis. His grandson was Aristaenetus.

References

{{s-end Roman Paphlagonia Praetorian prefects of the East 4th-century Romans