Praetorian prefecture of Italy

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Praetorian prefecture of Italy
Praefectura praetorio Italiae
Praetorian prefecture of the Roman Empire
324–584

Praetorian prefectures of the Roman Empire in 395 AD.
CapitalRavenna from 476[citation needed]
Historical eraLate antiquity
• Established
324
476
493
• Start of Gothic War
535
568
• Foundation of Exarchate of Ravenna
584
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Roman Italy
Kingdom of Italy
Exarchate of Ravenna
Kingdom of the Lombards

The praetorian prefecture of Italy (

Italian peninsula, the western Balkans, the Danubian provinces and parts of North Africa. The Prefecture's seat moved from Rome to Milan and finally, Ravenna
.

Structure and history

The prefecture was established in the division of the Empire after the death of

Diocese of Moesia
). Eventually the Diocese of Italy was split in two, the
Diocese of Annonarian Italy
(Italia annonaria: "provisioning Italy").

In 347, the

Diocese of Illyricum
.

Despite the end of the Western Empire in 476, the Germanic successor states under

Gothic War. However, with the Lombard invasion in 568, Roman rule became reduced to fragmented and isolated territories, and the Prefecture gave its place to the Exarchate of Ravenna, established by the emperor Maurice
.

Prefects continue however to be attested until well into the 7th century. The last attested holder occurs in 639, and a couple of seals bearing the title eparchos ("prefect" in Greek) survive from the late 7th century, although it has been suggested that they are a misprint for exarchos ("exarch").[1]

List of known praefecti praetorio Italiae et Africae

Western Empire

Germanic rule

Under Odoacer:

Under the

Ostrogoths
:

East Roman rule

References