Richomeres
Encyclopedia
Flavius Richomeres was a Frank
who lived in the late 4th century. He took service in the Roman army and made a career as comes
, magister militum
, and consul
. He was married to Ascyla, with whom he had a son Theudemeres
, who became king of the Franks. He was uncle of the general Arbogastes
.
and was transferred from Gaul
to Thracia
, where he was involved in the Gothic wars of Emperor Valens
. At Adrianopole he tried to persuade Valens to wait on Gratian for support.
When the Gothic leader Fritigern
demanded hostages to secure peace from the Romans he volunteered and departed the Roman camp to bring the other hostages safely to Fritigern, but before he arrived some divisions of the two armies got out of control and engaged, starting the famous Battle of Adrianople
. Richomeres ended up at a battlefield in complete chaos but he saved himself by withdrawing and survived. However the Roman army of Valens was largely destroyed and many officers fell including emperor Valens.
Around 383 he was general in the east (magister militum per orientum) and became consul
in 384.
In 388 Theodosius I
sent him together with his nephew Arbogastes and Promotus and Timasius
against Magnus Maximus
, who was defeated.
From the year 388 he served as supreme commander in the Eastern Empire (comes et magister utriusque militiae) until his death in 393. Richomeres was interested in literature and was acquainted with rhetoricians as Libanius
and Augustinus
. He introduced the rhetorician Eugenius
to his nephew Arbogastes. A few years later Arbogastes seized power in the West Roman Empire. After the death of Valentinian II
Arbogastes promoted Eugenius to be his Emperor, while he himself remained the leader and generalissimo.
In 393 Theodosius I organised a campaign against Arbogastes and Richomeres was asked to lead the cavalry against his nephew. On the way from the East to the West he died before the battle took place. Arbogastes lost the battle and committed suicide with his own sword.
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
who lived in the late 4th century. He took service in the Roman army and made a career as comes
Comes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
, magister militum
Magister militum
Magister militum was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, the term referred to the senior military officer of the Empire...
, and consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
. He was married to Ascyla, with whom he had a son Theudemeres
Theudemeres
Theudemeres was a Frankish king. He was the son of the Roman commander Richomeres and his wife Ascyla.Not much is known of Theudemeres. According to Gregory of Tours a war broke out between the Franks and the Romans some unknown time after the fall of the usurping Emperor Jovinus who had been...
, who became king of the Franks. He was uncle of the general Arbogastes
Arbogast (general)
Flavius Arbogastes , or Arbogast was a Frankish general in the Roman Empire. It has been stated by some ancient historians that he was the son of Flavius Bauto, Valentinian II's former magister militum and protector before Arbogast, but modern scholars largely discount this claim...
.
Life
Around the years 377/378, Richomeres was Comes domesticorum of Emperor GratianGratian
Gratian was Roman Emperor from 375 to 383.The eldest son of Valentinian I, during his youth Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian's brother Valentinian II was declared emperor by his father's soldiers...
and was transferred from Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
to Thracia
Thracia
Thracia is a Web-Based computer game created and developed by an exclusively Romanian team, part of Infotrend Consulting, and launched in 2009. At the time, it was the first endeavor of its kind. All browser games were text based, made up mostly of static content...
, where he was involved in the Gothic wars of Emperor Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
. At Adrianopole he tried to persuade Valens to wait on Gratian for support.
When the Gothic leader Fritigern
Fritigern
Fritigern or Fritigernus was a Tervingian Gothic chieftain whose decisive victory at Adrinaople the Gothic War extracted favourable terms for the Goths when peace was made with Gratian in 382.-War against Athanaric:...
demanded hostages to secure peace from the Romans he volunteered and departed the Roman camp to bring the other hostages safely to Fritigern, but before he arrived some divisions of the two armies got out of control and engaged, starting the famous Battle of Adrianople
Battle of Adrianople
The Battle of Adrianople , sometimes known as the Battle of Hadrianopolis, was fought between a Roman army led by the Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels led by Fritigern...
. Richomeres ended up at a battlefield in complete chaos but he saved himself by withdrawing and survived. However the Roman army of Valens was largely destroyed and many officers fell including emperor Valens.
Around 383 he was general in the east (magister militum per orientum) and became 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...
in 384.
In 388 Theodosius I
Theodosius I
Theodosius I , also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and the western halves of the Roman Empire. During his reign, the Goths secured control of Illyricum after the Gothic War, establishing their homeland...
sent him together with his nephew Arbogastes and Promotus and Timasius
Timasius
Flavius Timasius was a general of the Roman Empire, a relative of the Empress Aelia Flaccilla, wife of Theodosius I.- Life :Timasius was a officer under Emperor Valens, and survived to the battle of Adrianople , in which the Emperor lost his life. Theodosius I appointed Timasius comes and magister...
against Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus , also known as Maximianus and Macsen Wledig in Welsh, was Western Roman Emperor from 383 to 388. As commander of Britain, he usurped the throne against Emperor Gratian in 383...
, who was defeated.
From the year 388 he served as supreme commander in the Eastern Empire (comes et magister utriusque militiae) until his death in 393. Richomeres was interested in literature and was acquainted with rhetoricians as Libanius
Libanius
Libanius was a Greek-speaking teacher of rhetoric of the Sophist school. During the rise of Christian hegemony in the later Roman Empire, he remained unconverted and regarded himself as a Hellene in religious matters.-Life:...
and Augustinus
Augustinus
The Augustinus seu doctrina Sancti Augustini de humanae naturae sanitate, aegritudine, medicina adversus Pelagianos et Massilianses, known as the Augustinus, was a theological work in Latin by Cornelius Jansen...
. He introduced the rhetorician Eugenius
Eugenius
Flavius Eugenius was an usurper in the Western Roman Empire against Emperor Theodosius I. Though himself a Christian, he was the last Emperor to support Roman polytheism.-Life:...
to his nephew Arbogastes. A few years later Arbogastes seized power in the West Roman Empire. After the death of Valentinian II
Valentinian II
Flavius Valentinianus , commonly known as Valentinian II, was Roman Emperor from 375 to 392.-Early Life and Accession :...
Arbogastes promoted Eugenius to be his Emperor, while he himself remained the leader and generalissimo.
In 393 Theodosius I organised a campaign against Arbogastes and Richomeres was asked to lead the cavalry against his nephew. On the way from the East to the West he died before the battle took place. Arbogastes lost the battle and committed suicide with his own sword.