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Marcian
–
Roman Emperor
: 450-457 A.D. –
Bronze AE4 10mm (0.83 grams) Constantinople mint: 450-457 A.D.
DNMARCIANVSPFAVG – Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
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Flavius Marcianus (392 – 27 January
457), commonly known as Marcian, was
Eastern Roman Emperor
from 450 to 457.
Marcian’s rule marked a recovery of the Eastern Empire, which the emperor
protected from external menaces and reformed economically and financially. On
the other side, the isolationistic policies of Marcian left the
Western Roman Empire
without help against
barbarian attacks, which materialized in the Italian campaigns of
Attila
and in the
Vandal
sack of Rome (455)
.
Solidus
of Emperor Marcian
Flavius Marcianus, known in English as Marcian, (396 – January 457) was the
emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 450 until his death. Marcian’s rule marked
a recovery of the Eastern Empire, which the emperor protected from external
menaces and reformed economically and financially. On the other side, the
isolationistic politic of Marcian left the Western Roman Empire without help
against barbarian attacks, which materialized in the Italian campaigns of Attila
and in the Vandal sack of Rome (455).
Marcian was born in Thrace or Illyria. He spent his early life as an obscure
soldier. He subsequently served for nineteen years under Ardaburius and Aspar,
and took part in the wars against the Persians and Vandals. In 431, Marcian was
taken prisoner by the Vandals in the fighting near Hippo Regius; brought before
the Vandal King Geiseric (428–477), he was released on his oath never to take up
arms against the Vandals.
Through the influence of these generals he became a captain of the guards, and
was later raised to the rank of tribune and senator. On the death of Theodosius
II (408–450) he was chosen as consort by the latter’s sister and successor,
Pulcheria, and called upon to govern an empire greatly humbled and impoverished
by the ravages of the Huns.
Rise
to power
Marcian was born in 392 in
Illyricum
or
Thracia
. The son of a soldier, he spent his
early life as an obscure soldier, member of a military unit located at
Philippopolis
. Marcian was dispatched with his
unit for a war against the
Sassanids
(probably the
Roman-Sassanid war of 421–422
), but along the
road East he fell ill in
Lycia
; at this time he might have already been
tribunus and commander of his unit.
After recovering from his illness, he went to
Constantinople
, where he served for fifteen
years as
domesticus
under the generals
Ardaburius
and
Aspar
. In 431/434, while fighting in Africa
under Aspar, Marcian was taken prisoner by the
Vandals
; according to a later legend, he was
brought before King
Geiseric
(428–477), who knew by an omen that
Marcian was to be emperor and was released on his oath never to take up arms
against the Vandals.
Through the influence of these generals he became a captain
of the guards, and was later raised to the rank of
senator
. On the death of
Theodosius II
(450) he was chosen as consort by
the latter’s sister and successor,
Pulcheria
, and called upon to govern an empire
greatly humbled and impoverished by the ravages of the
Huns.
Rule
Upon becoming emperor, Marcian repudiated the embarrassing
payments of tribute to
Attila the Hun
(434–453), which the latter had
been accustomed to receiving from Theodosius II in order to refrain from attacks
on the eastern empire. Aware that he could never capture the eastern capital of
Constantinople
, Attila turned to the west and
waged his famous campaigns in Gaul 451 and
Italy
(452) while leaving Marcian’s dominions
alone.
Marcian reformed the finances, checked extravagance, and
repopulated the devastated districts. He repelled attacks upon
Syria
and
Egypt
(452), and quelled disturbances on the
Armenian
frontier (456). The other notable
event of his reign is the
Council of Chalcedon
(451), in which Marcian
endeavoured to mediate between the rival schools of
theology
.
Marcian generally ignored the affairs of the
Western Roman Empire
, leaving that tottering
half of the empire to its fate. He did nothing to aid the west during Attila’s
campaigns, and, living up to his promise, ignored the depredations of Geiseric
even when the Vandals sacked Rome in 455. It has recently been argued, however,
that Marcian was more actively involved in aiding the western Empire than
historians had previously believed and that Marcian’s fingerprints can be
discerned in the events leading up to, and including, Attila’s death.
Shortly before Attila’s death in 453, conflict had begun
again between him and Marcian. However, the powerful Hun king died before
all-out war broke out. In a dream, Marcian claimed he saw Attila’s bow broken
before him, and a few days later, he got word that his great enemy was dead.
Marcian died on January 27, 457 of disease, possibly gangrene
contracted during a long religious journey. He was buried in the
church of the Holy Apostles
in Constantinople,
together with Pulcheria.
Despite his short reign and his writing off of the west
Marcian is considered one of the best of the early Eastern Roman emperors. The
Eastern Orthodox Church
recognizes him and his
wife Pulcheria as saints
, with their feast day on February 17.
Marriages
Marcia Euphemia
was the only known daughter of
Marcian, and she was married to
Anthemius
, later Western Roman Emperor. The
identity of her mother is unknown.
Pulcheria
was his second wife. Pulcheria had
taken a
religious vow
of
chastity
. The second marriage was a mere
political alliance, establishing Marcian as a member of the
Theodosian dynasty
by marriage. The marriage of
Marcian to Pulcheria was never
consummated
, consequently Euphemia never had
younger half-siblings.
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