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Search results for upsilon,169 in Adler number:
Headword:
*(/upatoi
Adler number: upsilon,169
Translated headword: consuls
Vetting Status: high
Translation: [Meaning] those administering the Romans' constitution; for when the constitution shook off slavery after the death of Tarquinius[1] it entrusted power to two generals holding an annual office; in the number of the men it kept at bay the fear of monarchy, and in the reduction of the power it created moderation in the protectors of commonwealth. For he who was now protected by bodyguards with axes and staffs, and was leading armies, being aware of his imminent change [in status], behaved moderately and democratically to those who were ruled. But if anyone used his power oppressively and arrogantly, this man could easily be stripped of his pride by the other one of the leaders, who had equal power. In this manner, therefore, the constitution, having escaped the burden of tyranny and the intemperance of democracy, elects two men as generals with full powers, naming them consuls, as some kind of guardians and advocates; the Greeks have named those
u(/patoi ["supremes"] because of the eminence of their authority.[2]
At the time of Honorius[3] and
Arcadius,[4] the sons of
Theodosius,[5], Eutropius,[6] the chamberlain of the king, was the first eunuch to become a consul. He travelled around the city in a chariot,[7] not failing to do anything dreadful, selling publicly government offices, falsely accusing people who had power, getting rid of the leading men through exile and bringing all manner of outrageous force against the members of the senate. Nor did he even hold himself back from alliances with foreigners, as if he was hoping to take over the position of the emperor. And, wanting to arrest those who had taken refuge in churches, he gave a command ordering these people to be dragged out of the altars. Not much later, after quarreling with the emperor and fleeing to the altar himself, he was pulled away from there.
Theodosius the Small,[8] after
Antiochus the praepositus was calumniated to him, relieved him of his office and appointed him among the priests, publicly revealing this, when he published a command that a eunuch could not be enrolled among the patricians.[9]
*(/upatoi: oi( th\n tw=n *(rwmai/wn politei/an dioikou=ntes: a)poseisame/nh ga\r th\n doulei/an h( politei/a meta\ qa/naton *tarkuni/ou du/o strathgoi=s e)niausiai/an e)/xousin a)rxh\n th\n e)cousi/an e)pe/treye: tw=| me\n a)riqmw=| tw=n a)ndrw=n to\n th=s monarxi/as diwqoume/nh fo/bon, tw=| de\ sunestalme/nw| th=s e)cousi/as metri/ous tou\s e)n th=| prostasi/a| tw=n koinw=n a)pergazome/nh. o( ga\r nu=n u(po\ pele/kesi/ te kai\ r(a/bdois doruforou/menos kai\ stratope/dwn e)chgou/menos, th=s met' o)li/gon metabolh=s ei)s e)/nnoian kaqesta/menos, me/trio/n te kai\ dhmotiko\n parei=xen e(auto\n toi=s a)rxome/nois. ei) d' a)/ra tis bare/ws te kai\ a)lazonikw=s xrw=|to th=| dunastei/a|, r(a|di/ws ou(=tos u(po\ qate/rou tw=n h(gemo/nwn, i)sopalh= du/namin e)/xontos, gumnou=tai tou= fronh/matos. tou/tw| dh\ ou)=n tw=| tro/pw| th=s politei/as fugou/shs turanni/dos baru/thta kai\ dhmokrati/as a)kolasi/an, proxeiri/zetai prw/tous strathgou\s au)tokra/toras a)/ndras du/o, konsou/las au)tou\s o)noma/sasa, oi(=a dh\ probo/lous kai\ prohgo/rous tina/s: ou(\s *(/ellhnes meta\ tau=ta dia\ th\n u(peroxh\n th=s e)cousi/as u(pa/tous proshgoreu/kasi. prw=tos de\ u(/patos eu)nou/xwn a)pedei/xqh e)pi\ *(onwri/ou kai\ *)arkadi/ou, tw=n ui(w=n *qeodosi/ou, *eu)tro/pios, o( pro/koitos tou= basile/ws. e)difroforei=to/ te dia\ th=s po/lews, ou)de\n tw=n deinw=n a)polimpa/nwn, ta\s me\n a)rxa\s dhmosi/a| pipra/skwn kai\ tou/s ti duname/nous sukofantw=n e)cori/ais te tou\s megista/nas u(poba/llwn kai\ pa=san u(/brin toi=s th=s sugklh/tou boulh=s e)pa/gwn. a)ll' ou)de\ th=s tw=n barba/rwn a)pei/xeto summaxi/as, w(s a)\n au)to\s e)lpi/zwn ei)s th\n tou= basile/ws metabai/nein a)ci/an. kai\ tou\s e)n e)kklhsi/ais pefeugo/tas sullamba/nein e)qe/lwn no/mon prou)/qhken, e)pitre/ponta kai\ tou\s e)k tw=n qusiasthri/wn a)fe/lkesqai. o(\s proskrou/sas tw=| basilei= kai\ katafugw\n ei)s to\ qusiasth/rion e)kei=qen a)fh|re/qh. *qeodo/sios de\ o( mikro\s diablhqe/nta au)tw=| *)anti/oxon to\n praipo/siton kaqei=le th=s timh=s kai\ dhmosieu/sas au)to\n e)n toi=s i(ereu=si kate/tace, dia/tacin e)kfwnh/sas, eu)nou=xon e)n toi=s patriki/ois mh\ telei=n.
Notes:
The entry is in three (unequal) parts, shown by Adler's three paragraphs (followed in translation here). The first and most substantial -- cf. John of
Antioch fr.37 FHG, now 70 Roberto -- gives the historical background on the institution of consuls; for a modern version see Peter Derow in OCD(4) s.v. Appended is material on the eunuch consul Eutropius and on the eunuch (but not consul!)
Antiochus.
[1] Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome;
tau 125 (q.v.)
[2] cf.
kappa 2051.
[3] Honorius (395-423 CE), first emperor of the West after the partition of the empire;
DIR entry by Ralph W. Mathisen at web address 1.
[4]
Arcadius (395-408 CE), first emperor of the East after the partition of the empire;
DIR entry by Geoffrey S. Nathan at web address 2.
[5]
Theodosius I (379-395 CE);
theta 144;
DIR entry by
David Woods at web address 3.
[6] On Eutropius see
epsilon 3777 with notes; see also
epsilon 3776.
[7] From this point on (up to
a)fh|re/qh), the entry is an almost verbatim repetition of
epsilon 3777 (q.v.); quoted from John of
Antioch fr. 189 FHG, now 283 Roberto.
[8]
Theodosius II (480-450 CE); son of
Arcadius;
DIR entry by Geoffrey S. Nathan at web address 4.
[9] See
alpha 2694; also under
epsilon 3604,
theta 145 (with notes 11 and 12) and
pi 793.
Web address 1,
Web address 2,
Web address 3,
Web address 4
Keywords: biography; Christianity; chronology; constitution; definition; economics; ethics; gender and sexuality; historiography; history; law; politics; religion
Translated by: Ioannis Doukas on 30 July 2009@08:48:29.
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