Astyrius

Flavius Astyrius or Asturius^[1] (floruit 441-449) was a general and a politician of the Western Roman Empire.

Biography

Astyrius was the father-in-law of Merobaudes and belonged to an aristocratic family.^[2]

He followed a military career: between 441 and 443 he is attested as dux or magister utriusque militiae. In 441 he was in Tarraconensis (Spain), where he defeated the Bagaudae.^[3] In 443 he was succeeded by this son-in-law Merobaudes.^[4]

He was appointed consul for the year 449. At the beginning of his office he was in Gaul (probably in the capital city of the praetorian prefecture, Arelate), and Nicetius delivered a panegyric in his honour.^[5]

A consular diptych produced by Astyrius in 449 is preserved at Liège. The diptych shows Astyrius seated on a curule chair wearing complete consular regalia and the inscription Flavius Asturius vir clarissimus^[6] and inlustris^[7] comes^[8] ex magistro ustriusque militiae consul ordinarius.^[9]

Notes

1. ↑ As spelled on his consular diptych (CIL XIII, 10032.2).
2. ↑ As shown by the vir clarissimus rank.
3. ↑ Hydatius, 125 (sub anno 441).
4. ↑ Hydatius, 128 (sub anno 443).
5. ↑ Sidonius Apollinaris, Epistulae III.6.5.
6. ↑ The vir clarissimus rank was bestowed to aristocracy members since their birth.
7. ↑ The vir inlustris rank was awarded by the Emperor to a few high officers, among whom the magister utriusque militiae.
8. ↑ The rank of comes was probably conferred to Astyrius at the end of his office as magister utriusque militiae.
9. ↑ Mathisen.

Bibliography

• "Fl. Astyrius", Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Volume 2, pp. 174-175.
• Ralph W. Mathisen, People, Personal Expression, and Social Relations in Late Antiquity, University of Michigan Press, 2003, ISBN 0-472-11246-5, pp. 18-19.