Junius Bassus was a

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 ...

of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

from 318 to 331, during which time he also held the

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

. Several laws in the ''

Codex Theodosianus The ''Codex Theodosianus'' ("Theodosian Code") is a compilation of the laws of the Roman Empire under the Christian emperors since 312. A commission was established by Emperor Theodosius II and his co-emperor Valentinian III on 26 March 429 an ...

'' are addressed to him. His son Junius Bassus Theotecnius was ''

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 ...

'', and his sarcophagus from 359 is one of the most decorative late antique sarcophagi adorned with two registers of Christian scenes. He built the basilica of Junius Bassus on the

Esquiline Hill The Esquiline Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Its southernmost cusp is the ''Oppius'' ( Oppian Hill). Etymology The origin of the name ''Esquiline'' is still under much debate. One view is that the hill was named after the ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, famous for its '' opus sectile'' decoration.

Bibliography

* Elsner, J.R., ''Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire AD 100-450'', Oxford University Press, 1998, , p. 192. * Martindale, John Robert, and Arnold Hugh Martin Jones, ''The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire'', Cambridge University Press, 1971, , pp. 154–155. 4th-century praetorian prefects 4th-century Roman consuls Bassus Praetorian prefects of Italy {{ancientRome-bio-stub