Philippus1 (Greek: Φίλιππος; fl. 340s–350s) was an official under the Roman emperor Constantius II.
Biography
Son of a sausage-maker, Philippus rose in social standing, becoming a notarius.2 In 346, he became Praetorian Prefect of the East3 under Emperor Constantius, allegedly because of the influence of the court eunuchs.4 Philippus then obtained the consulate in 348.
In 351, when Constantius was facing the rebellion of the usurper Magnentius, Philippus was sent to the rebel camp, formally to negotiate a peace, but actually to discover the military readiness of the enemy.5 Philippus then addressed the rebel army, accusing them of ingratitude towards the Constantinian dynasty, and proposing that Magnentius leave Italy and keep only Gaul. When Magnentius tried to take the town of Siscia, Philippus was held hostage by the usurper.6
His grandson, Anthemius, also became Praetorian Prefect of the East.
References
References
- Sometimes called Flavius Philippus. The name became a courtesy title by the late 4th century, see Cameron, Alan (1988). "Flavius: a Nicety of Protocol". Latomus. 47 (1): 26–33. JSTOR 41540754.
- Libanius, Orationes, xlii.24-25.
- A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, entry on Theodosius II
- Libanius, Orationes, lxxii.11.
- Zosimus, ii.46.2.
- Zosimus, ii.46.2-4.
Primary sources
Secondary sources
- Morris, John; Arnold Hugh Martin Jones; John Robert Martindale (1992). The prosopography of the later Roman Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 696–697. ISBN 0-521-07233-6.