List of governors of Roman Egypt
During the
.Egypt was established as a Roman province in consequence of the
equestrian order
.
As Egypt was a special imperial domain, a rich and strategic granary, where the Emperor enjoyed an almost pharaonic position unlike any other province or diocese, its head was styled uniquely Praefectus Augustalis, indicating that he governed in the personal name of the emperor, the "Augustus". The praefectus Aegypti was considered to hold the highest ranking equestrian post during the early empire. Later, the post would fall second to that of the praetorian command, but its position remained highly prestigious.
A prefect of Egypt usually held the office for three or four years.Philo of Alexandria described as "intricate and diversified, hardly grasped even by those who have made a business of studying them from their earliest years"—was incidental to his record of Roman service and the emperor's favor.[1]
Prefects during the Principate
Unless otherwise noted, governors from 30 BC to AD 299 are taken from Guido Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 17 (1975), pp. 263-321, 323-328
- 30–26 BC: Aemilius Rusticianus
- 298–299: Aelius Publius
- 299–300: Heraclius
- between 303 and 311: Apollonius
- circa 303: Eustratius (?)
- 303–306: Clodius Culcianus
- 307: Sossianus Hierocles[8]
- 308: Valerius Victorinus
- 308–309: Aelius Hyginus
- circa 310: Titinnius Clodianus
- 312: Aurelius Ammonius
- before 328: Aurelius Apion
- 328: Julius Julianus
Later Roman Diocese (330 – 395)
Prefects of the province of Egypt. Names and dates taken from the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 1, pp. 1084–1085.
- Magnilianus (330)
- Florentius (331)
- Hyginus (331–332)
- Paterius (333–335)
- Philagrius I (335–337)
- Antonius Theodorus ([337?–]338)
- Philagrius II (338–340)
- Longinus (341–343)
- Palladius (344)
- Nestorius (345–352)
- Sebastianus (353–354)
- Maximus (355 – 11 Feb. 356)
- Catafronius (10 Jun. 356 – 357)
- Parnassius (357–359)
- Italicianus (3 months in 359)
- Faustinus (359–361)
- Hermogenes (uncertain, before 361?)
- Himerius (early–mid 4th century?)
- Gerontius (30 Nov. 361 – 4 Feb. 362)
- Ecdicius Olympus (Oct. 362 – 16 Sep. 363)
- Hierius (364)
- Maximus (364)
- Flavianus (364 – 21 Jul. 366)
- Proclianus (366–367)
- Eutolmius Tatianus (27 Jan. 367 – 6 Oct. 370)[9]
- Olympius Palladius (370–371)
- Aelius Palladius (371–374)
- ??Publius (376?)
- ??Bassianus (379)
- ??Hadrianus (379)
- Julianus (17 Mar. 380)
- ??Antoninus (381[–382?])
- Palladius (14 May 382)
- Hypatius I (29 Apr. – 8 May 383)
- Optatus (4 Feb. 384)
- Florentius (20 Dec. 384 – 16 Jun. 386)
- Paulinus (25 Jul. – 30 Nov. 386)
- Eusebius (387)
- Ulpius Erythrius (30 Apr. 388)
- Alexander (388 – 18 Feb. 390)
- Evagrius (16 Jun. 391)
- Hypatius II (Apr. 392)
- Potamius (5 May – 30 Jul. 392)
- Damonicus (uncertain, late 4th century?)
- Theodorus (late 4th century)
First Byzantine Period (395 – 616)
Names and dates taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers (2006).[10]
Titles:
- Charmosynus (395 - 5 February 396)
- Gennadius (also known as Torquatus) (5 February 396 - 30 March 396)
- Remigius (30 March 396 - 17 June 397)
- Archelaus (17 June 397 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 403)
- Pentadius (403 - 404)
- Euthalius (404 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 415)
- Orestes (415 - ?)(614 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 422)
- Callistus (422 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 435)
- Cleopater (435 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 442)
- Charmosinus (442 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 451)
- Theodorus (451 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 453)
- Florus (453 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 468)
- Alexander (468 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 476)
- Boethus (476 - 477)
- Anthemius (477 - 478)
- Theoctistus (478 - 479)
- Theognostus (479 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 482)
- Pergamius (482 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 485)
- Eutrechius (485 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 487)
- Theodorus (487)
- Arsenius (487 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 501)
- Eustathius (501 - ?)
- Unknown (? - c. 510)
- Theodosius (c. 510 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 520)
- Licinius (520 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 527)
- Hephaestus (527 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 535)
- Dioscorus (535 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 537)
- Rhodon (537 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 539)
- Petrus Marcellinus Felix Liberius (539 - 542)
- Ioannes Laxarion (542 - ?)
- Unknown (? - c. 560)
- Flavorinus (c. 560 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 566)
- Iustinus (566 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 582)
- Ioannes (582 - ?)
- Unknown (? - c. 585)
- Paulus (c. 585 - ?)
- Unknown (? - c. 588)
- Ioannes (c. 588 - ?)
- Unknown (? - c. 592)
- Constantinus (c. 592 - ?)
- Unknown (? - c. 595)
- Menas (c. 595 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 600)
- Petrus (also known as Iustinus) (600 - 603)
- Unknown (603 - c. 606)
- Ioannes (c. 606 - ?)
- Unknown (? - 614)
- Nicetas
- Unknown (? - 616)
Sassanian Occupation
| # | Governor | Start | End | Termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Benjamin (Patriach-Prefect)[10] |
616 | 628 | |
| 1 | Shahrbaraz | 618 | before 621 | |
| 2 | Sahralanyozan
|
ca. 621 | 625? | |
| 3 | Shahrbaraz | ca. 626? | ca. 628 | Egypt recorded as being under Shahrbaraz's control when he concluded his agreement with Heraclius on withdrawal of Persian troops |
Second Byzantine Period (628-642)
| # | Governor | Start | End | Title as governor | Termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown[10] | 628[10] | 629[10] | Military Prefect[10] | - |
| 2 | Anastasius[10] | 629[10] | 641[10] | Military Prefect[10] | - |
| Cyrus of Alexandria | 630s | 630s | Patriarch and Pope | recalled by the emperor | |
| 3 | Theodorus[10] | 641[10] | 17 September 642[10] | Military Prefect[10] | - |
| Cyrus of Alexandria | 630s | 642 | Patriarch and Pope | surrendered to Umar |
References
- ^ a b c Alan K. Bowman, Egypt After the Pharaohs 332 BC-AD 642: From Alexander to the Arab Conquest (University of California Press, 1986, 1996), p. 66.
- ^ Following here Magioncalda Andreina, "La carriera di l. Iulius Ursus e le alte prefetture equestri nel I sec. D.C.", Cahiers du Centre Gustave Glotz, 23 (2012), pp. 118f
- ^ O.W. Reinmuth disagrees, dating Quadratus between 180 and 190. ("A Working List of the Prefects of Egypt, 30 B.C. to 299 A.D.", in Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, 4 (1967), p. 104)
- ^ Guido Bastianini ("Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p: Aggiunte e correzioni", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 38 (1980), p. 83) found a document from his term dated to 179
- ^ Bastianini ("Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p: Aggiunte e correzioni", p. 86) found a document from his term dated to 214
- ^ Added from Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p: Aggiunte e correzioni", pp. 75-89
- ^ Guido Bastianini ("Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p: Aggiunte e correzioni", p. 86) found a document from his term dated to 291
- Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte, 23 (1974) p. 248)
- ^ First governor to be styled "Augustal prefect". PLRE 1, p. 876
- ^ ISBN 0-7864-2562-8.
Further reading
- Heinz Hübner: Der Praefectus Aegypti von Diokletian bis zum Ende der römischen Herrschaft. Filser, München-Pasing 1952.
- Oscar William Reinmuth: The Prefect of Egypt from Augustus to Diocletian. Leipzig 1935.
- Arthur Stein: Die Präfekten von Ägypten in der römischen Kaiserzeit. Francke, Bern 1950.
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