Iunius Quartus Palladius
Encyclopedia
Flavius Iunius Quartus Palladius (floruit 408-421) was a politician of the Western Roman Empire
, who held the Praetorian prefecture of Italy, Illyricum and Africa for six years and was also consul in 416.
; the inscription on the basis gives Palladius' career in detail. Early in his career he was quaestor and pretor candidatus, notarius et tribunus at the Imperial court, comes sacrarum largitionum
(probably in 408/409, if he is to be identified with the Palladius that was in Rome at the time of Alaric
's first siege).
In 416 Palladius was appointed consul
posterior, with the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II
as colleague. That same year he started (January 7, 416) his office as Praetorian prefect of Italy, Illyricum and Africa, office he held for six years (at least until July 28, 421, but his first possible successor is attested only in 422). During this period (April 30, 418) he received a law by Honorius
, according to which he was to expel the Pelagians from Rome; later he and the other prefects (Monaxius
and Agricola) issued a praetorian law that against the Pelagians.
He is probably to be identified with the tribunus et notarius who was in Rome in 408, during the first siege of Alaric
. In this occasion Palladius was to gather among the Roman aristocrats the jewels needed to pay for Alaric's tribute, but he could not obtain enough and was obliged to proceed to the spoliation of the residual decorations of the Pagan temples of the city.
For four times he was appointed envoy by the Roman Senate
.
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, who held the Praetorian prefecture of Italy, Illyricum and Africa for six years and was also consul in 416.
Life
Palladius come from a noble family, that gave several high officers to the imperial administration. It is known that he had a brother, who set up a statue in his honour near his house on the Aventine HillAventine Hill
The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the twelfth rione, or ward, of Rome.-Location and boundaries:The Aventine hill is the southernmost of Rome's seven hills...
; the inscription on the basis gives Palladius' career in detail. Early in his career he was quaestor and pretor candidatus, notarius et tribunus at the Imperial court, comes sacrarum largitionum
Comes sacrarum largitionum
The comes sacrarum largitionum was one of the senior fiscal officials of the late Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire....
(probably in 408/409, if he is to be identified with the Palladius that was in Rome at the time of Alaric
Alaric I
Alaric I was the King of the Visigoths from 395–410. Alaric is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire....
's first siege).
In 416 Palladius was appointed consul
Roman consul
A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...
posterior, with the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II
Theodosius II
Theodosius II , commonly surnamed Theodosius the Younger, or Theodosius the Calligrapher, was Byzantine Emperor from 408 to 450. He is mostly known for promulgating the Theodosian law code, and for the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople...
as colleague. That same year he started (January 7, 416) his office as Praetorian prefect of Italy, Illyricum and Africa, office he held for six years (at least until July 28, 421, but his first possible successor is attested only in 422). During this period (April 30, 418) he received a law by Honorius
Honorius (emperor)
Honorius , was Western Roman Emperor from 395 to 423. He was the younger son of emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the eastern emperor Arcadius....
, according to which he was to expel the Pelagians from Rome; later he and the other prefects (Monaxius
Monaxius
Flavius Monaxius was a politician of the Eastern Roman Empire, praefectus urbi of Constantinople, Consul and twice praetorian prefect of the East.- Biography :...
and Agricola) issued a praetorian law that against the Pelagians.
He is probably to be identified with the tribunus et notarius who was in Rome in 408, during the first siege of Alaric
Alaric I
Alaric I was the King of the Visigoths from 395–410. Alaric is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire....
. In this occasion Palladius was to gather among the Roman aristocrats the jewels needed to pay for Alaric's tribute, but he could not obtain enough and was obliged to proceed to the spoliation of the residual decorations of the Pagan temples of the city.
For four times he was appointed envoy by the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
.
Sources
- Prosopography of the Later Roman EmpireProsopography of the Later Roman EmpireProsopography of the Later Roman Empire is a set of three volumes collectively describing every person attested or claimed to have lived in the Roman world from AD 260, the date of the beginning of Gallienus' sole rule, to 641, the date of the death of Heraclius, which is commonly held to mark the...
, "Fl. Iunius Quartus Palladius 19", p. 822-824.