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Die Erhebung Des Nepotianus in Rom Im Juni 350 N. Chr. Und Sein

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Die Erhebung Des Nepotianus in Rom Im Juni 350 N. Chr. Und Sein DieErhebungdesNepotianusinRomimJuni350n.Chr. undseinProgrammderurbsRomachristiana* vonKAYEHLING,Duisburg Zusammenfassung: Die Erhebung desNepotianus, eines Angehörigen derconstantinischen Dynastie,in RomimJuni 350 wurdevonTeilen desSenates und desStadtvolkes getragen. DieMünzendesGegenkaiserslasseneinezunehmendeConstantinisierungseinerSelbstreprä- sentationerkennen.DievonihmgeprägtenSolidimit demBildderchristlich interpretierten urbsRoma,sindals Ausdruckeineschristlichen Regierungsprogrammesaufzufassen.Auslö- serdergegenMagnentiusgerichtetenUsurpationwarvermutlichdieheidenfreundlichePolitik despraefectusurbisRomae des Magnentius,FabiusTitianus.Beider Revoltehandeltessich abernichtumeineverabredeteAktiondesconstantinischenHauses, sondernum einespon- taneReaktionder christlichen Oppositionin Rom. Dabei agierte Nepotianus sehrwahr- scheinlichausdemBewußtseinheraus,derbessereKaiseralsMagnentiuszusein. DasJahr350n. Chr.wareines der schwerstenKrisenjahre der constantini- schenDynastie.Am18.Januar350 ließsich dercomesrei militarisund Kom- mandeurdergallisch-germanischen Elitelegionen der Iovianiund Herculiani seniores,FlaviusMagnusMagnentius,inAugustodunum(Autun)zumKaiser ausrufen.1NachdessenEinmarschinItalien wurdeam1.Märzin Mursa oderSirmiumderalt gediente magisterpeditum Vetraniovonden illyrischen TruppenzumAugustusernannt. 2UndschließlichkamesimJuni350inRom zurErhebungdesFlaviusPopiliusNepotianus.3Derim Ostengegendie Per- serimFelde stehendeKaiserConstantius II. 4sahsichalsobinnen fünfMo- * DenHerausgebern,B.BleckmannundH.Leppin,dankeichfürdieDurchsichtdesManu- skriptesundverschiedeneHinweise.FürdieAnfertigungderPhotographiendankeichder StaatlichenMünzsammlungMünchen. 1 DervollständigeNameläßtsichausdenMünzenvonAquileiaerschließen:J.P.Kent,Ro- manImperialCoinage, London1981, VIIIS. 325 (imfolgenden RIC).Vgl.O. Seeck,Ge- schichtedesUntergangsderantikenWelt,Berlin1911,Bd.4S. 97ff.;E.Stein, Geschichte desspätrömischenReiches,Wien1928,Bd.IS. 215;W. Enßlin,Magnentius(1),RE 14,1, Stuttgart1928,Sp.445ff.; A.H.M.Jones/J.R.Martindale/J.Morris,TheProsopography oftheLater RomanEmpire,Cambridge 1971,Bd.IS.532 (imfolgenden PLREI);S.El- bern,UsurpationenimspätrömischenReich,Bonn 1984,S.19;96;P.Bastien,Le mon- nayagede Magnence (350−353),Wetteren 19832,S.7ff.;A.Demandt,Die Spätantike. RömischeGeschichtevonDiocletianbisJustinian284−565n. Chr.,München1989,S.83. Weiteressieheunten. 2 E.Stein,GeschichtedesspätrömischenReiches,Wien1928,Bd.IS. 215;S. Elbern,Usur- pationenimspätrömischenReich,Bonn 1984,S.19f.;A. Demandt,DieSpätantike.Rö- mischeGeschichtevonDiocletianbisJustinian284−565n.Chr.,München1989,S.83. 3 AblaufundHintergrundsieheunten. 4 ConstantiusII.warimFrühjahr/Frühsommer350mitderBelagerungvonNisibisbeschäf- tigt:D.Kienast, Römische Kaisertabelle. Grundzügeeinerrömi schenKaiserchronologie, Darmstadt1996 2,S.314. Zu denmilitärischenAuseinandersetzungenanderPerserfront vgl.O.Seeck,GeschichtedesUntergangsderantikenWelt,Berlin1911,Bd.4 S. 95ff.;W. GöttingerForumfürAltertumswissenschaft4(2001)141-158 http://www.gfa.d-r.de/4-01/ehling.pdf 142 KayEhling natendreiAugusti gegenüber,die praktischdengesamtenWestendes Rei- chesvonBritannienundAfrikabiszumPaß vonSucciunterihrerKontrolle hatten.5DieHintergründe derErhebungendesMagnentiusunddesVetranio sindinzweijüngstpublizierten,umfangreicherenAufsätzenmitweiterfüh- rendenErgebnissenuntersuchtworden.6UmdiesesBildabzurunden,scheint esmirlohnend,einmal diestadtrömischenEreignissezwischen Februarund Juni350intensiverzubeleuchten.Auchwennessichdabeinurumeinenre- lativkurzenZeitabschnitthandelt,unddieErhebungdesNepotianusletztlich nicht vielmehr alseineEpisodewar, verdientdieseRebelliondoch unsere Aufmerksamkeit,weilessich beidemUsurpatorumeinenAngehörigendes Kaiserhauseshandelte, 7dessenMachtergreifung vor demprekären Hinter- grundderBesetzungItaliensdurchTruppenundAmtsträgerdesMagnentius zusehenist.ZunächstmöchteichimfolgendendaheraufdieUsurpationdes Magnentiusunddierasche InbesitznahmeItalienseingehen,um anschlie- ßendden historischenAblauf derErhebungdesNepotianuszurekonstruie- renund vorallemderFrage nachzugehen,warumesimJuni350n. Chr.zu dieserErhebunginRomgekommenist. Portmann,Die59.RededesLibanios unddasDatum derSchlacht vonSingara, ByZ83, 1989,S.1ff.undK.Mosig-Walburg,ZurSchlachtbeiSingara,Historia48,1999,S.330ff. 5 DerPaß bildetedie Grenze zwischenderdakischen und derthrakischenDiözeseund damitzwischendenReichsteilendesConstansunddesConstantius II.EineBeschreibung desOrtesgibtAmm.XXI10,3f. 6 B.Bleckmann, Constantina,Vetranio undGallus Caesar, Chiron 24,1994,S.29ff.und J.F.Drinkwater,TheRevoltandEthnicOriginoftheUsurperMagnentius(350−353),and the Rebellionof Vetranio (350), Chiron 30,2000,S.131ff. Bleckmanndiskutiertden QuellenwertderÜberlieferungbeiPhilostorgius (S.33ff.), arbeitetdie Stellung derCon- stantinaschärfer heraus(S.36ff.) undzeigt,daßVetranio sehrviel unabhängigeragierte unddabeidurchausselbständigeZieleverfolgte, alsdies bislangangenommenwurde(S. 44f.). Darüberhinausmachter aufdie Bedeutung des praefectuspraetorio desVetranio, VulcaciusRufinus, unddessen vermittelndeRollebei derKonferenzvon Heraclea auf- merksam(S.50ff.).DurchdieAusführungenvonDrinkwaterwirddeutlich,daß Magnen- tius'Usurpation vonlangerHandgeplant (S.132f.), und auchderOrtder Erhebung − Augustodunum−mit Bedacht gewähltworden war(S. 134ff.). Drinkwaterstelltdiege- samteÜberlieferung,nachderMagnentiusvon barbarischerAbstammunggewesen sei,in Frage,und machtdagegenwahrscheinlich,daßsowohldie ethnischeHerkunft als auch dersozialeStatusdes Magnentiusbeiweitem 'besser'war, als uns diespätere,aufdie PropagandadesConstantiusII.-Hofes zurückgehendeÜberlieferungglauben machenwill (S.138ff.). 7 Erwarmütterlicherseitsmitden Flaviern verwandt:Aurel. Vict.42,6; Eutrop.X 11,2; Oros.VII29,11;Soz.h.e.4,1. SeineMutter EutropiawardieTochterdesConstantiusI. Chlorusund derTheodora undsomiteine HalbschwesterConstantinsd.Gr.:Ps. Aurel. Vict.42,3; Zos.II 43,2. VermutlichistihrEhemannVirius Nepotianus,der Konsuldes Jahres336, derVaterdes Gegenkaisersgewesen.S. Elbern,Usurpationenim spätrömi- schenReich,Bonn1984,S.91;PLREI624. DieErhebungdesNepotianusinRomimJuni350n.Chr. 143 1) ErhebungdesMagnentiusundEinmarschinItalien WährendKaiserConstanssichaufeinemJagdausflugbefand,wurde Magnentiusam18.Januar 350inAugustodunumzumAugustus erhoben.8 DerVorgangwird beiPs.Aurelius Victor,ZosimusundZonarasgeschildert: Dercomesrerum privatarumMarcellinusveranstalteteanläßlichdesGeburts- tagesseinesSohneseinFestbankett(Ps. Aurel.Vict. 41,22),andemneben Magnentius„vieleherausragendePersönlichkeitendesHeerlagers“ teilnah- men(Zos.II42, 3).UmMitternachtverabschiedete sichMagnentiusunterei- nemVorwandund kehrtedannkurzeZeitspäterimkaiserlichen Ornat(Ps. Aurel.Vict.41,23;Zos.II42,3)inBegleitungeinerLeibwache(Zon. XIII6C) indenFestraumzurück,woihndieAnwesenden zumAugustus prokla- mierten(Zos.II42,4).Als„Drahtzieher“ der Verschwörungwerden Marcel- linusundeingewisserChrestusgenannt. 9DieSoldaten,darunter auch nach GallienabkommandierteillyrischeKavallerie,unddie BevölkerungvonAu- gustodunum begrüßten MagnentiusanschließendebenfallsalsAugustus (Zos.II42,4f.).Magnentius bezogden kaiserlichenPalastund verteilteGeld- geschenke(Zon.XIII6C).AlsConstans vonder Erhebungerfuhr,flüchteteer nachSüden,wurdeabervonGaiso10eingeholtundbeidemKastellHelenaam Fußder Pyrenäenerschlagen (Eutrop.X9,4;Ps.Aurel Vict. 41,23; Oros.VII 29,7;Zos.II42,5;Zon.XIII6D). DaConstansin derAbwehrder Germanendurchaus erfolgreichwar,11dürf- tendie Ursachenfürdie ErhebungdesMagnentiusunddieErmordungdes legitimenKaisersinnenpolitischeGründe gehabthaben.ImLaufeseiner 13jährigenAlleinherrschaftimWestenscheintConstansunbeliebtgeworden 8 DasDatum nenntChron. min.I 237. DieQuellensind:Ps. Aurel.Vict. 41,22; Oros.VII 29,8; Zos.II 42,4; Zon.XIII6B. Vgl.auchW.Enßlin, Magnentius(1),RE14,1, Stuttgart 1928,Sp.446;J.F.Drinkwater, TheRevoltandEthnic Originof theUsurper Magnentius (350−353),andtheRebellionofVetranio(350),Chiron30,2000,S.131ff. 9 Ps.Aurel.Vict. 41,22.M.Cl auss,Der magisterofficioruminder Spätantike(4. −6.Jahr- hundert).DasAmtundseinEinflußaufdiekaiserlichePolitik,München1980,S.168. 10 M.Waas,GermanenimrömischenHeerdienstim4.Jh.n.Chr.,Bonn1971,S.84. 11 BiszuseinemTodeherrschteRuheamRhein,dasichdieBarbaren vorConstans fürchte- ten:Amm.XXX7,5. Vgl.A. Demandt,DieSpätantike. RömischeGeschichtevon Diocle- tianbis Justinian284−565n. Chr.,München1989,S.82. AuchderMünztypmitKaiser undGefangenemvoreinerHütteausderMaiorinaserieder Jahre346/348 deutetdarauf hin:K.Kraft,DieTatenderKaiserConstans undConstantiusII.,JNG9, 1958,S. 141ff., wiederabgedrucktin:GesammelteAufsätzezurantikenGeldgeschichteundNumismatik, Darmstadt1978,Bd.IS.87ff.KritischgegenüberderKraft'schenDeutungist W.Weiser, FeliciumTemporum Reparatio.KaiserConstans führtgefangeneFrankenaus ihren Dör- fernab,SchwNumRu66,1987,S.161ff.mitTaf.28 −30. Eineandere DeutungderMünz- bilderhatjetztW. Portmann,DiepolitischeKrisezwischendenKaisernConstantiusII. undConstans,Historia48,1999,S.307ff.vorgeschlagen. 144 KayEhling zusein. 12MilitärundZivilbevölkerungwaren gegen ihneingestellt;inden Quellenwerdenzahlreiche Gründegenannt:NebenadministrativenFehlent- scheidungenwie derEr nennungungeeigneterBeamter (Aurel.Vict. 41,23) wurde Constans dieUnterdrückung der Provinzialen (Oros. VII29,7)und eineVerachtungdesMilitärischen zum Vorwurfgemacht(Aurel.Vict. 41,23). AlspersönlicheSchwächen werdeneinhitzigerCharakter,Geldgier(Aurel. Vict.41,23)undLaster (Oros.VII29,7)kritisiert,gemeintsind homosexuelle Neigungen (Aurel.Vict. 41,24;Zos.II42,1)undeinHangzumAlkohol (Artemiipassio10).AußerdemscheinteranRheumagelittenzu
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