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Quintus Aurelius Symmachus | |
|---|---|
 Probable depiction of Q. Aurelius Symmachus from an ivorydiptych depicting hisapotheosis. | |
| Born | c. 345 |
| Died | c. 402 |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Notable work | Epistolae,Relationes |
Quintus Aurelius Symmachussigno Eusebius[1][2] (/ˈsɪməkəs/,Classical Latin:[ˈsʏmmakʰʊs]; c. 345 – 402) was a Roman statesman, orator, andintellectual. He held the offices of governor of proconsularAfrica in 373,urban prefect ofRome in 384 and 385, andconsul in 391. Symmachus sought to preserve the traditionalreligions of Rome at a time when the aristocracy was converting toChristianity, and led an unsuccessful delegation of protest against EmperorGratian's order to remove theAltar of Victory from thecuria, the principal meeting place of the Roman Senate in theForum Romanum. Two years later he made a famous appeal to Gratian's successor,Valentinian II, in a dispatch that was rebutted byAmbrose, thebishop of Milan. Symmachus's career was temporarily derailed when he supported the short-lived usurperMagnus Maximus, but he was rehabilitated and three years later appointed consul. After the death ofTheodosius I, he became an ally ofStilicho, the guardian of emperorHonorius. In collaboration with Stilicho he was able to restore some of the legislative powers of the Senate. Much of his writing has survived: nine books of letters; a collection ofRelationes or official dispatches; and fragments of various orations.
Symmachus was the son of a prominent aristocrat,Lucius Aurelius Avianius Symmachus, who had beenurban prefect of Rome twice.[3] His mother, whose name has not survived, was a daughter of Fabius Tatianus, consul in 337 and a two-termurban prefect. He had two brothers, bothconsulares (provincial governors) and one possibly a Christian, and a sister who may have been the family member that established a connection through marriage between the Symmachi and theAnicii, one of the first Roman families of the highest rank to convert to Christianity.[4]
Symmachus was educated inGaul, apparently atBordeaux orToulouse.[5]: IX. 83 In early life he became devoted to literature. In 369, he metAusonius, and their friendship proved mutually beneficial.[6]
Having discharged the functions ofquaestor andpraetor, he was appointedCorrector ofLucania and theBruttii in 365.[7] In 373, he wasproconsul ofAfrica.[8] Probably about the same time, he became a member of theCollege of Pontiffs. As a representative of the politicalcursus honorum, Symmachus sought to preserve theancient religion of Rome at a time when the senatorial aristocracy was converting to Christianity.
In 382, the EmperorGratian, a Christian, ordered theAltar of Victory removed from theCuria, theRoman Senate house in theForum, and curtailed the sums annually allowed for the maintenance of theVestal Virgins, and for the public celebration of sacred rites. Symmachus was chosen by the Senate on account of his eloquence to lead a delegation of protest, which the emperor refused to receive. Two years later, Gratian was assassinated inLugdunum, and Symmachus, now urban prefect of Rome, addressed an elaborate epistle to Gratian's successor,Valentinian II, in a famous dispatch that was rebutted byAmbrose, thebishop of Milan. In an age when all religious communities credited the divine power with direct involvement in human affairs, Symmachus argues that the removal of the altar had caused a famine and its restoration would be beneficial in other ways. Subtly he pleads for tolerance for traditional cult practices and beliefs that the Empire was poised to suppress in theTheodosian edicts of 391.
It was natural for Symmachus to sympathise withMagnus Maximus who had defeated Gratian. When Maximus was threatening to invadeItaly in 387, his cause was openly advocated by Symmachus, who upon the arrival ofTheodosius I was impeached for treason, and forced to take refuge in a sanctuary. Having been pardoned through the intervention of numerous and powerful friends, he expressed his contrition and gratitude in an apologetic address to Theodosius, by whom he was not only forgiven, but was received into favour and elevated to the consulship in 391. During the remainder of his life, he appears to have taken an active part in public affairs. The date of his death is unknown, but one of his letters was written as late as 402.[5]: VII.50
His leisure hours were devoted exclusively to literary pursuits, as is evident from the numerous allusions in his letters to the studies in which he was engaged. His friendship withAusonius and other distinguished authors of the era proves that he delighted in associating and corresponding with the learned. His wealth must have been prodigious, for in addition to his town mansion on theCaelian Hill and several houses in the city which he lent to his friends. He possessed upwards of a dozen villas in Italy, many detached farms, together with estates inSicily andMauretania.[5]: VII. 18, IX. 52
5th-century monk Gerontius of Jerusalem, citedOlimpiodorus when he wrote, "The orator Symmachus...had relatively but a modest income, possessed three magnificent palaces in Rome, as well as fifteen villas to which he could betake himself whenever he needed change."[9][10]
Symmachus, and his real-life associatesVettius Agorius Praetextatus andVirius Nicomachus Flavianus, are the main characters of theSaturnalia ofMacrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, which was written in the 5th century but set in 384. These three aristocratic intellectuals lead nine others, consisting of fellow noble and non-noble intellectuals, in a discussion of learned topics, dominated by the many-sided erudition of the poetVergil.
Of his many writings, the following have survived:
According to one of his letters (dated to 401), Symmachus also engaged in the preparation of an edition ofLivy'sAb Urbe Condita.[5]: IX. 13 Seven manuscripts of the first decade of Livy's extensive work (books 1-10) bear subscriptions including Symmachus' name along with Tascius Victorianus,Appius Nicomachus Dexter, and Nicomachus Flavianus. J.E.G. Zetzel has identified some of their effects to this tradition of the transmission of this portion of Livy's work.[11]
In other letters, Symmachus describes preparations for his shows in the arena. He managed to procure antelopes, gazelles, leopards, lions, bears, bear-cubs, and even some crocodiles. Symmachus also purchased Saxon slaves to fight and die in the games. He was annoyed when twenty-nine of the Saxons strangled each other in their cells on the night before their final scheduled appearance.[12]
One quote of Symmachus from "The Memorial of Symmachus,Prefect of the City" reads (in translation), "We gaze up at the same stars; the sky covers us all; the same universe encompasses us. Does it matter what practical system we adopt in our search for the Truth? The heart of so great a mystery cannot be reached by following one road only."[13]
The style of Symmachus was widely admired in his own time and into the early Middle Ages, but modern scholars have been frustrated by the lack of solid information about the events of his times to be found in these writings. As a consequence, little of his work has been translated into English.
Symmachus married Rusticiana, whose parents wereMemmius Vitrasius Orfitus, twice urban prefect of Rome (353-355; 357-359) and Constantia, possibly the daughter ofConstantina andHannibalianus.[14] Their children included:
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Roman consul 391 withEutolmius Tatianus | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Praefectus urbi of Rome 384–385 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Africa 373–374 | Succeeded by Paulus Constantius |
