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'Marcellinus' (d.
31 September 351) was a
Roman Empire officer under
Roman Emperor Constans and
usurper Magnentius.
Marcellinus was ''
comes rerum privatarum'' of Emperor Constans. He played a major role in the election of Magnentius to the rank of ''
Augustus'' at
Augustodunum, on
January 18 350. Marcellinus organized a party for the birthday of his sons, and invited many of the superior officers: Magnentius, acting like interpreting a drama, vested the imperial robes, and was hailed ''Augustus'' by the officers; when the troops heard the cries, they supported Magnentius' election.
[1]
Magnentius raised Marcellinus to the rank of ''
magister officiorum''; after the usurpation of
Nepotianus (
3 June 350), Marcellinus was sent to
Rome to deal with the matter, and he succeeded in suppressing the revolt (
30 June), killing Nepotianus and his mother
Eutropia, half-sister of Emperor
Constantine I.
[2]
Marcellinus also met Emperor
Constantius II's messenger,
Flavius Philippus, and escorted him to Magnentius, in a failed embassy to avoid a battle between Constantius and Magnentius.
[3] Marcellinus disappeared in the following
Battle of Mursa Major (
31 September 351), in which Magnentius was defeated. Most likely, he was killed, and his body lost.
Notes
1. Zosimus, II.42.2-5; Aurelius Victor, 41.22.
2. Morris.
3. Zosimus, II.46.3.
References
Primary sources
★
Aurelius Victor, ''Epitome de Caesaribus''.
★
Zosimus, ''Historia Nova''.
Secondary sources
★
The prosopography of the later Roman Empire, , John, Morris, Cambridge University Press, 1992, ISBN 0-521-07233-6