#theodosius-i — Public Fediverse posts

Rex Sacrorum

In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (“king of the sacred things,” sometimes called rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. The rex sacrorum was based in the Regia.

During the Roman Republic, the rex sacrorum was chosen by the pontifex maximus (the chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome) from a list of patricians (patricians were originally a group of ruling-class families in ancient Rome) submitted by the College of Pontiffs.

A further requirement was that he be born to parents married through the ritual of confarreatio. This was also the form of marriage he himself had to enter. His wife (the regina sacrorum) also performed religious duties specific to her role. Marriage was such a fundamental part of the priesthood that if the regina died, the rex had to resign. The rex sacrorum was above the pontifex maximus. Although he was more or less a powerless figurehead.

The rex sacrorum wore a toga, the undecorated soft “shoeboot” (calceus), & carried a ceremonial axe. As a priest of the archaic Roman religion, he sacrificed capite velato, with head covered.

The rex held a sacrifice on the Kalends of each month. Kalends is the 1st day of every month in the Roman Calendar. The word ‘calendar’ comes from this word. On the Nones (the Roman Calendar used by the Roman Kingdom & Roman Republic), he announced the dates of festivals for the month.

On March 24 & May 24, he held a sacrifice in the Comitium. The Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of ancient Rome & had major religious & prophetic significance. In addition to these duties, the rex sacrorum seems to have functioned as the high priest of Janus.

In Rome, the priesthood was deliberately depoliticized. The rex sacrorum wasn’t elected. His inauguration was merely witnessed by a comitia calata, an assembly called for the purpose. The rex was barred from a political & military command. After the overthrow of the Roman kings, the office of rex sacrorum fulfilled at least some of the sacral duties of kingship, with the consuls assuming political power & military command, as well as some sacral functions.

As the wife of the rex sacrorum, the regina sacrorum (“queen of the sacred things”) was a high priestess who carried out ritual duties only she could perform. On the Kalends of every month, the regina presided at the sacrifice of a sow (porca) or female lamb (agna) to Juno. The reginas were equal to their male partners. These 2 priesthood were gender-balanced & had shared duties.

While performing her rituals, the regina wore a headdress called the arculum, formed from a garland of pomegranate twigs tied up with a white woolen thread. The rex & regina sacrorum were required to marry by the ritual of confarreatio, originally reserved for patricians. But after the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC, it’s possible that the regina could’ve been plebeian. Plebeians/plebs were the general body of the free Roman citizens who weren’t patricians.

The office of Rex Sacrorum wasn’t a highly coveted position among the patricians. Although the rex sacrorum was technically superior to the pontiffs, the rank conferred no real political gain. Because of this, there would be some years without a rex sacrorum at all.

By the time of Antony’s civil war, the office was entirely in disuse. But seems to have been revived later by Augustus, as there was mention of it during the empire until it was probably abolished by Theodosius I.

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Rex Sacrorum

In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (“king of the sacred things,” sometimes called rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. The rex sacrorum was based in the Regia.

During the Roman Republic, the rex sacrorum was chosen by the pontifex maximus (the chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome) from a list of patricians (patricians were originally a group of ruling-class families in ancient Rome) submitted by the College of Pontiffs.

A further requirement was that he be born to parents married through the ritual of confarreatio. This was also the form of marriage he himself had to enter. His wife (the regina sacrorum) also performed religious duties specific to her role. Marriage was such a fundamental part of the priesthood that if the regina died, the rex had to resign. The rex sacrorum was above the pontifex maximus. Although he was more or less a powerless figurehead.

The rex sacrorum wore a toga, the undecorated soft “shoeboot” (calceus), & carried a ceremonial axe. As a priest of the archaic Roman religion, he sacrificed capite velato, with head covered.

The rex held a sacrifice on the Kalends of each month. Kalends is the 1st day of every month in the Roman Calendar. The word ‘calendar’ comes from this word. On the Nones (the Roman Calendar used by the Roman Kingdom & Roman Republic), he announced the dates of festivals for the month.

On March 24 & May 24, he held a sacrifice in the Comitium. The Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of ancient Rome & had major religious & prophetic significance. In addition to these duties, the rex sacrorum seems to have functioned as the high priest of Janus.

In Rome, the priesthood was deliberately depoliticized. The rex sacrorum wasn’t elected. His inauguration was merely witnessed by a comitia calata, an assembly called for the purpose. The rex was barred from a political & military command. After the overthrow of the Roman kings, the office of rex sacrorum fulfilled at least some of the sacral duties of kingship, with the consuls assuming political power & military command, as well as some sacral functions.

As the wife of the rex sacrorum, the regina sacrorum (“queen of the sacred things”) was a high priestess who carried out ritual duties only she could perform. On the Kalends of every month, the regina presided at the sacrifice of a sow (porca) or female lamb (agna) to Juno. The reginas were equal to their male partners. These 2 priesthood were gender-balanced & had shared duties.

While performing her rituals, the regina wore a headdress called the arculum, formed from a garland of pomegranate twigs tied up with a white woolen thread. The rex & regina sacrorum were required to marry by the ritual of confarreatio, originally reserved for patricians. But after the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC, it’s possible that the regina could’ve been plebeian. Plebeians/plebs were the general body of the free Roman citizens who weren’t patricians.

The office of Rex Sacrorum wasn’t a highly coveted position among the patricians. Although the rex sacrorum was technically superior to the pontiffs, the rank conferred no real political gain. Because of this, there would be some years without a rex sacrorum at all.

By the time of Antony’s civil war, the office was entirely in disuse. But seems to have been revived later by Augustus, as there was mention of it during the empire until it was probably abolished by Theodosius I.

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Rex Sacrorum

In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (“king of the sacred things,” sometimes called rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. The rex sacrorum was based in the Regia.

During the Roman Republic, the rex sacrorum was chosen by the pontifex maximus (the chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome) from a list of patricians (patricians were originally a group of ruling-class families in ancient Rome) submitted by the College of Pontiffs.

A further requirement was that he be born to parents married through the ritual of confarreatio. This was also the form of marriage he himself had to enter. His wife (the regina sacrorum) also performed religious duties specific to her role. Marriage was such a fundamental part of the priesthood that if the regina died, the rex had to resign. The rex sacrorum was above the pontifex maximus. Although he was more or less a powerless figurehead.

The rex sacrorum wore a toga, the undecorated soft “shoeboot” (calceus), & carried a ceremonial axe. As a priest of the archaic Roman religion, he sacrificed capite velato, with head covered.

The rex held a sacrifice on the Kalends of each month. Kalends is the 1st day of every month in the Roman Calendar. The word ‘calendar’ comes from this word. On the Nones (the Roman Calendar used by the Roman Kingdom & Roman Republic), he announced the dates of festivals for the month.

On March 24 & May 24, he held a sacrifice in the Comitium. The Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of ancient Rome & had major religious & prophetic significance. In addition to these duties, the rex sacrorum seems to have functioned as the high priest of Janus.

In Rome, the priesthood was deliberately depoliticized. The rex sacrorum wasn’t elected. His inauguration was merely witnessed by a comitia calata, an assembly called for the purpose. The rex was barred from a political & military command. After the overthrow of the Roman kings, the office of rex sacrorum fulfilled at least some of the sacral duties of kingship, with the consuls assuming political power & military command, as well as some sacral functions.

As the wife of the rex sacrorum, the regina sacrorum (“queen of the sacred things”) was a high priestess who carried out ritual duties only she could perform. On the Kalends of every month, the regina presided at the sacrifice of a sow (porca) or female lamb (agna) to Juno. The reginas were equal to their male partners. These 2 priesthood were gender-balanced & had shared duties.

While performing her rituals, the regina wore a headdress called the arculum, formed from a garland of pomegranate twigs tied up with a white woolen thread. The rex & regina sacrorum were required to marry by the ritual of confarreatio, originally reserved for patricians. But after the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC, it’s possible that the regina could’ve been plebeian. Plebeians/plebs were the general body of the free Roman citizens who weren’t patricians.

The office of Rex Sacrorum wasn’t a highly coveted position among the patricians. Although the rex sacrorum was technically superior to the pontiffs, the rank conferred no real political gain. Because of this, there would be some years without a rex sacrorum at all.

By the time of Antony’s civil war, the office was entirely in disuse. But seems to have been revived later by Augustus, as there was mention of it during the empire until it was probably abolished by Theodosius I.

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Rex Sacrorum

In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (“king of the sacred things,” sometimes called rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. The rex sacrorum was based in the Regia.

During the Roman Republic, the rex sacrorum was chosen by the pontifex maximus (the chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome) from a list of patricians (patricians were originally a group of ruling-class families in ancient Rome) submitted by the College of Pontiffs.

A further requirement was that he be born to parents married through the ritual of confarreatio. This was also the form of marriage he himself had to enter. His wife (the regina sacrorum) also performed religious duties specific to her role. Marriage was such a fundamental part of the priesthood that if the regina died, the rex had to resign. The rex sacrorum was above the pontifex maximus. Although he was more or less a powerless figurehead.

The rex sacrorum wore a toga, the undecorated soft “shoeboot” (calceus), & carried a ceremonial axe. As a priest of the archaic Roman religion, he sacrificed capite velato, with head covered.

The rex held a sacrifice on the Kalends of each month. Kalends is the 1st day of every month in the Roman Calendar. The word ‘calendar’ comes from this word. On the Nones (the Roman Calendar used by the Roman Kingdom & Roman Republic), he announced the dates of festivals for the month.

On March 24 & May 24, he held a sacrifice in the Comitium. The Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of ancient Rome & had major religious & prophetic significance. In addition to these duties, the rex sacrorum seems to have functioned as the high priest of Janus.

In Rome, the priesthood was deliberately depoliticized. The rex sacrorum wasn’t elected. His inauguration was merely witnessed by a comitia calata, an assembly called for the purpose. The rex was barred from a political & military command. After the overthrow of the Roman kings, the office of rex sacrorum fulfilled at least some of the sacral duties of kingship, with the consuls assuming political power & military command, as well as some sacral functions.

As the wife of the rex sacrorum, the regina sacrorum (“queen of the sacred things”) was a high priestess who carried out ritual duties only she could perform. On the Kalends of every month, the regina presided at the sacrifice of a sow (porca) or female lamb (agna) to Juno. The reginas were equal to their male partners. These 2 priesthood were gender-balanced & had shared duties.

While performing her rituals, the regina wore a headdress called the arculum, formed from a garland of pomegranate twigs tied up with a white woolen thread. The rex & regina sacrorum were required to marry by the ritual of confarreatio, originally reserved for patricians. But after the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC, it’s possible that the regina could’ve been plebeian. Plebeians/plebs were the general body of the free Roman citizens who weren’t patricians.

The office of Rex Sacrorum wasn’t a highly coveted position among the patricians. Although the rex sacrorum was technically superior to the pontiffs, the rank conferred no real political gain. Because of this, there would be some years without a rex sacrorum at all.

By the time of Antony’s civil war, the office was entirely in disuse. But seems to have been revived later by Augustus, as there was mention of it during the empire until it was probably abolished by Theodosius I.

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Rex Sacrorum

In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (“king of the sacred things,” sometimes called rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. The rex sacrorum was based in the Regia.

During the Roman Republic, the rex sacrorum was chosen by the pontifex maximus (the chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome) from a list of patricians (patricians were originally a group of ruling-class families in ancient Rome) submitted by the College of Pontiffs.

A further requirement was that he be born to parents married through the ritual of confarreatio. This was also the form of marriage he himself had to enter. His wife (the regina sacrorum) also performed religious duties specific to her role. Marriage was such a fundamental part of the priesthood that if the regina died, the rex had to resign. The rex sacrorum was above the pontifex maximus. Although he was more or less a powerless figurehead.

The rex sacrorum wore a toga, the undecorated soft “shoeboot” (calceus), & carried a ceremonial axe. As a priest of the archaic Roman religion, he sacrificed capite velato, with head covered.

The rex held a sacrifice on the Kalends of each month. Kalends is the 1st day of every month in the Roman Calendar. The word ‘calendar’ comes from this word. On the Nones (the Roman Calendar used by the Roman Kingdom & Roman Republic), he announced the dates of festivals for the month.

On March 24 & May 24, he held a sacrifice in the Comitium. The Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of ancient Rome & had major religious & prophetic significance. In addition to these duties, the rex sacrorum seems to have functioned as the high priest of Janus.

In Rome, the priesthood was deliberately depoliticized. The rex sacrorum wasn’t elected. His inauguration was merely witnessed by a comitia calata, an assembly called for the purpose. The rex was barred from a political & military command. After the overthrow of the Roman kings, the office of rex sacrorum fulfilled at least some of the sacral duties of kingship, with the consuls assuming political power & military command, as well as some sacral functions.

As the wife of the rex sacrorum, the regina sacrorum (“queen of the sacred things”) was a high priestess who carried out ritual duties only she could perform. On the Kalends of every month, the regina presided at the sacrifice of a sow (porca) or female lamb (agna) to Juno. The reginas were equal to their male partners. These 2 priesthood were gender-balanced & had shared duties.

While performing her rituals, the regina wore a headdress called the arculum, formed from a garland of pomegranate twigs tied up with a white woolen thread. The rex & regina sacrorum were required to marry by the ritual of confarreatio, originally reserved for patricians. But after the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC, it’s possible that the regina could’ve been plebeian. Plebeians/plebs were the general body of the free Roman citizens who weren’t patricians.

The office of Rex Sacrorum wasn’t a highly coveted position among the patricians. Although the rex sacrorum was technically superior to the pontiffs, the rank conferred no real political gain. Because of this, there would be some years without a rex sacrorum at all.

By the time of Antony’s civil war, the office was entirely in disuse. But seems to have been revived later by Augustus, as there was mention of it during the empire until it was probably abolished by Theodosius I.

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De Maronitische Wereldkroniek (2) Arcadius

[Dit is het tweede van tien blogjes met de vertaling van de Maronitische Wereldkroniek. Een inleiding, literatuur en een waarschuwing de vertaling niet al te letterlijk te nemen, vindt u hier.]

706 SE. ≡ okt. 394/sept. 395

…… terwijl de keizer [Theodosius] met het Romeinse leger in de westelijke gebieden was en Eugenius zich … (?).

In de oostelijke gebieden van het Romeinse Rijk veroorzaakten de Hunnen onrust en staken … en Sofene en Mesopotamië over, waarna ze naar Galatië trokken. Deze ramp vond plaats in … in de tijd van Theodosius in zijn tweede regeringsjaar, dat was het jaar 706.

Theodosius regeerde zeventien jaar en enkele maanden, waarna de regering werd overgenomen door zijn zonen Arcadius en Honorius.

Commentaar
In september 394 had Theodosius I zijn rivaal Eugenius aan de rivier de Frigidus verslagen; met het leger bevond hij zich in Milaan. Daar overleed hij begin januari 395, na een regering van zeventien jaar minus twee dagen. Desondanks klopt de bewering dat hij zeventien jaar en enige maanden regeerde, want de samensteller neemt als Theodosius’ eerste jaar het hele jaar waarin zijn regeringsbegin viel, d.w.z. de periode van 1 oktober 377 tot en met 30 september 378. Zijn zeventiende jaar loopt dus tot en met 30 september 394, en daar voegde Theodosius dus nog wat maanden aan toe.

Ik vermoed dat de keizer wiens tweede regeringsjaar het was, feitelijk Honorius was. De leiders van de Hunse invasie van Anatolië waren Basich en Kursich.

693 SE. ≡ okt. 381/sept. 382

Arcadius regeerde sinds het jaar 693 en regeerde dertien jaar samen met zijn vader, waarna hij na de dood van zijn vader alleen regeerde. Zelf bestuurde hij het oosten en zijn broer het westen.
………
Tijdens het bewind van Arcadius was het bisdom van Johannes …… Ook Theodosius, de bisschop van …, daarna was er een bisschop ……
………
Toen Arcadius acht jaar na zijn vader had geregeerd, besteeg ook zijn zoon Theodosius II de troon. Hij was nog een kleine jongen …… Honorius was nog in leven en regeerde nog in de westelijke gebieden. Honorius regeerde achtentwintig jaar.

Commentaar
De keizer die achtentwintig jaar regeerde, kan alleen Arcadius zijn. De slecht bewaarde kerkelijke informatie zou kunnen verwijzen naar Johannes Chrysostomos, de patriarch van Constantinopel, en naar Theodotus van Antiochië, de patriarch van Antiochië.

[Wordt vervolgd]

In september organiseer ik een reis Algerije en waarom die de moeite waard is leest u hier. Deze blog kunt u ook volgen via een Whatsapp-kanaal.

Zelfde tijdvak

Het missorium van Theodosius

Als er ooit een expositie komt over de Franken, dan zou die kunnen beginnen met het missorium van Theodosius I, het voorwerp dat u hierboven ziet. Het illustreert het meervoudige keizerschap in het Laat-Romeinse Rijk. De naam van het voorwerp is, zoals zo vaak, even ingeburgerd als onjuist: een missorium is een schaal om je handen te wassen, maar dit is een schijf. De doorsnede is 75 centimeter en het voorwerp weegt ruim vijftien kilo. Het is gemaakt van zilver, met een vergulde rand.

Een inscriptie op de rand, zeg maar van 9:00 tot 3:00, helpt de interpretatie op weg:

D(ominus) N(oster) Theodosius perpet(uus) aug(ustus) ob diem felicissimum X;

Onze heer Theodosius, altijd keizer, wegens zijn gelukkige 10e verjaardag (van zijn troonsbestijging)

Het is een relatiegeschenk geweest, door de keizer aan een rijksgrote overhandigd, net zoals de zilveren schaal van Licinius en Constantijn en de Leidse Constantijncamee. Omdat keizer Gratianus Theodosius als medeheerser aanwees op 19 januari 379, en omdat de Romeinen inclusief telden, is het voorwerp dus aan iemand geschonken op 19 januari 388. Die iemand zou best eens een verwant of familievriend van Theodosius kunnen zijn geweest, want de keizer stamde uit Spanje en de zilveren schijf is gevonden in de buurt van Mérida.

Iconografie

Er is veel te zien op het missorium van Theodosius. Middenin zit een door een nimbus omgeven keizer, die iets overhandigt aan iemand, die van links komt aanlopen en een knieval lijkt te maken. Hij neemt het voorwerp aan met zijn mantel over de handen geslagen, want het gold in de Late Oudheid als onbeleefd om iets met blote handen van de vorst aan te nemen. De vijf putti die op verschillende plekken rondfladderen en bloemen naar de keizer brengen, hebben hun handen eveneens bedekt.

De keizerlijke troon – eigenlijk meer een sofa – staat in de centrale nis van een tempelachtig gebouw; dit is de voorkant van een paleis. In Split in Kroatië is werkelijk zo’n façade te zien (kijk maar). Aan weerszijden van de keizer zitten zijn medekeizers: links Valentianus II, rechts Arcadius. Helemaal links en rechts staan soldaten in paradetenue: geen helm, wel een torque. Het is voor ons prettig dat ze geen helm dragen, want zo kunnen we zien dat ze lang haar hebben. Het zijn Germanen. Denk aan de Hariulf over wie ik eens eerder heb geblogd. Let overigens niet alleen op hun kapsels, maar ook op de weergave van de stiksels op hun kleding, de met spiralen beschilderde speren en de decoratie op de schilden.

De dwarsbalk in de paleisfaçade en de horizontale bodem verdelen de afbeelding in drie zones. Het onderste derde toont Tellus, de godin van de aarde. Theodosius was officieel christelijk, en nog behoorlijk orthodox ook, en zal Tellus wel hebben beschouwd als een personificatie. Ze draagt een hoorn des overvloeds en ze ligt er nogal wulps bij, wat grappig contrasteert met de statigheid van drie geportretteerde heersers.

Textiel

Wat ik het mooiste vind, is de weergave van de textiel. Ik noemde de Germanen al, maar kijk ook eens naar de plooien en de voering van de jurk van Tellus; naar de geborduurde mouwen en de mantelplooien van de drie vorsten; naar de geborduurde vierkante, geblokte weefsels die ze op schoot hebben liggen; naar de stiksels op de sofakussens; en naar de orbiculus op het bovenkleed van de man die iets van de keizer aanneemt.

Ik neem aan dat ik zo een half uur kan kijken naar het missorium van Theodosius, maar het is nog nooit zo ver gekomen, want het is in Madrid en ik zie zo snel nog geen Franken-expositie in een Nederlands museum. De foto hierboven is van een replica uit het museum van Mérida.

[Dit was het 479e voorwerp in mijn reeks museumstukken.]

Ik organiseer in het voorjaar van 2025 een reis naar de vernieuwde musea van Beieren. Door mee te gaan helpt u deze blog gratis te houden. Maar u kunt natuurlijk ook een van mijn boeken kopen (en lezen), een cursus doen, of doneren. U kunt de blog ook volgen via het Whatsapp-kanaal.

#Arcadius #Gratianus #Hariulf #Mérida #missorium #nis #RomeinseKleding #Spanje #Tellus #TheodosiusI #ValentinianusII