The praetorian prefecture of the East, or of the Orient (, ) was one of four large
praetorian prefecture
The praetorian prefecture (; in Ancient Greek, Greek variously named ) was the largest administrative division of the Late Antiquity, late Roman Empire, above the mid-level Roman diocese, dioceses and the low-level Roman province, provinces. Praeto ...
s into which the
Late Roman Empire was divided. As it comprised the larger part of the
Eastern Roman Empire, and its seat was at
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, the praetorian prefect was the second most powerful man in the East, after the Emperor, in essence serving as his first minister.
Structure
The Prefecture was established after the death of
Constantine the Great
Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...
in 337, when the empire was split up among his sons and
Constantius II received the rule of the East, with a
praetorian prefect as his chief aide. The part allotted to Constantius encompassed four (later five)
dioceses, each in turn comprising several
provinces
A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
. The authority of the prefecture stretched from the Eastern
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
, grouped into the
Diocese of Thrace, to
Asia Minor, divided into the dioceses of
Asiana and
Pontus, and the Middle East, with the dioceses of
Orient
The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world.
In English, it is largely a meto ...
and
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
.
List of known ''praefecti praetorio Orientis''
*
Pompeius Probus
*
Ablabius (329–337/338)
*
Septimius Acindynus (338–340)
*
Philippus (344–351)
* Thalassius (351–354)
* Domitianus (354)
*
Strategius Musonianus (354–358)
*
Flavius Hermogenes (358–360)
*
Helpidius (February 360 – December 361)
*
Saturninius Secundus Salutius (361 until some years into the reign of Valentinian)
* Nebridius
*
Domitius Modestus (369–377)
*
Quintus Clodius Hermogenianus Olybrius (379)
*
Neoterius (380–381)
*
Maternus Cynegius (384–388)
*
Eutolmius Tatianus (388–392)
*
Flavius Rufinus (392, September 10 – 395, November 27)
*
Caesarius (1st time, 395, November 30 – 397, July 13)
*
Eutychianus (1st time, 397, September 4 – 399, July 25)
*
Aurelianus (1st time, 399, August 17 – October 2)
* possibly
Eutychianus (2nd time, 399, December 11 – 400, July 12)
*
Caesarius (2nd time, 400–403)
*
Eutychianus (3rd time, 404–405)
*
Flavius Anthemius (405–414)
*
Monaxius (1st time, 10 May – 30 November 414)
*
Aurelianus (2nd time, 414–416)
*
Monaxius (2nd time, 26 August 416 – 27 May 420)
*
Eustathius (420–422)
*
Asclepiodotus (423–425)
*
Aetius (425)
*
Hierius (1st time, 425–428)
*
Flavius Florentius (1st time, 428–430)
*
Antiochus Chuzon (430–431)
*
Rufinus (431–432)
*
Hierius (2nd time, 432)
*
Flavius Taurus (1st time, 433–434)
*
Anthemius Isidorus (435–436)
*
Darius (436–437)
*
Flavius Florentius (2nd time, c. 438–439)
*
Flavius Taurus Seleucus Cyrus (439–441)
* Thomas (442)
*
Apollonius (442–443)
* Zoilus (444)
*
Hermocrates (444)
*
Flavius Taurus (2nd time, 445)
*
Flavius Constantinus (first term, c. 447)
* Antiochus (448)
*
Flavius Florentius Romanus Protogenes (448–449)
* Hormisdas (449–450)
* Palladius (450–455)
*
Flavius Constantinus (second term, 456)
*
Flavius Constantinus (third term, 459)
*
Flavius Antoninus Messala Vivianus (459–460)
*
Pusaeus (465)
* Amasius (c. 469)
* Matronianus (491)
* Hierius (494–496)
* Euphemius (496)
* Polycarpus (498)
* Constantine (1st time, 502)
* Appion (503)
* Leontius (503–504)
* Constantine (2nd time, 505)
* Eustathius (505–506)
* Zoticus (511–512)
*
Marinus (1st time, c. 512–515)
* Sergius (517)
*
Marinus (2nd time, 519)
* Demosthenes (520–524)
* Archelaus (524–527)
*
Basilides (c. 527)
* Atarbius (c. 528)
*
Iulianus (530–531)
*
John the Cappadocian
John the Cappadocian () (''Floruit, fl.'' 530s, living 548) was a praetorian prefect of the East (532–541) in the Byzantine Empire under Byzantine Emperor, Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565). He was also a Patrikios, patrician and the ''Roman ...
(1st time, 531–532)
* Phokas (533)
*
John the Cappadocian
John the Cappadocian () (''Floruit, fl.'' 530s, living 548) was a praetorian prefect of the East (532–541) in the Byzantine Empire under Byzantine Emperor, Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565). He was also a Patrikios, patrician and the ''Roman ...
(2nd time, 533–541)
* Flavius Comitas Theodorus Bassus (c. 541) as John's deputy
*
Peter Barsymes (1st time, 543–546)
* Flavius Comitas Theodorus Bassus (c. 548)
*
Addaeus (c. 551)
*
Hephaestus
Hephaestus ( , ; wikt:Hephaestus#Alternative forms, eight spellings; ) is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes.Walter Burkert, ''Greek Religion'' 1985: III.2. ...
(551–552)
* Areobindus (c. 553)
*
Peter Barsymes (2nd time, 555–562)
* Diomedes (c. 572)
* Georgius (c. 598)
*
Constantine Lardys (c. 602)
References
Sources
* The
Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE), Vols. I-III: (Vol. II, pp. 1250–1252;)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:East Praetorian Prefecture
7th-century disestablishments
337 establishments
4th century in the Byzantine Empire
5th century in the Byzantine Empire
6th century in the Byzantine Empire
7th century in the Byzantine Empire