Dux

The Dux ( Latin for " leader " of ducere " lead " actually "pull"; plural Duces ) originated in the Roman Empire, and was the official title of the commander of the border troops ( limitanei ).

Roman Empire

Development

During the Republic and early Principate dux designated no particular rank; only in the course of the 3rd century this changed. The Duce then increased in late antiquity in general, from the ranks of the comitatenses on ( Tribunat ). When they took their leave, tribunes were also very often discharged with the rank of Dux from the army. But originally designated this title an officer who received a command authority in extraordinary times of crisis, which went beyond his actual rank. You often hear about Primi pili as duces legionis or rank of officers in the Senate, which are called as Duce for land and naval units of a province, an army or individual vexillations. A prefect of the Misenum fleet was, for example, the rank of dux awarded by Africam, Numidiam et Mauretaniam. He was thus a command with extensive freedom of action to combat pirates in the western Mediterranean. These military leaders made ​​the transition to the Duce's the 4th to the 6th century.

Since the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine I. Empire in which military and civil administration were separated from each other ( cf. Late Antiquity ) could, the dux limitis be clearly defined as a military commander of a province, especially a border province. One reason for this was probably also the increasing unwillingness of Roman citizens, join the army, and subsequently associated barbarization the officer corps. It became increasingly difficult to find suitable military who maintain border security and at the same time nor the necessary legal knowledge to deal with the varied tasks should bring in the civil administration. But the main reason was probably the fear of the Emperor against further usurpations. The civil governor ( Praeses ) and the Dux had now share power over the province, were thus interdependent and mutually controlled. As a result, there was often a strained relationship between them.

In particularly troubled regions such as Isauria, Mauritania and Arabia the division between civil and military administration of Diocletian, however, was not carried out. Due to the constant threat of bandits and nomadic tribes united the Dux here still both skills in his office. The retention of the old system appeared to the rulers probably more practical. The governor of this inhospitable and less productive provinces would probably hardly been able to instigate a revolt against the central government.

In general, the Dux, however, was not responsible for the interests of the civil administration. Especially in the East, especially since the time of Justinian, there were again increasingly bundling power in the hands of the Duce, since the emperor the principle of separation partially lifted and the Dux had put in some cases even the governor. A fundamental change in the late antique system occurred for the Eastern Empire but only from the 7th century under Emperor Heraclius, in the course of the expansion of Islam and the conversion of the provinces in topics in force.

Functions

The most important task of Dux was to secure one or - less frequently - several provinces to the outside ( see Dux Pannoniae Primae et Norici Ripensis ) and the body, such military action against Christian heretics or "heathens". In addition to its location-based associations ( limitanei / Ripenses ) and naval units since the 5th century was a Dux, endowed with the powers of a Comes, sometimes through mobile units of the Army ( comitatenses ) feature (for example, Comes Litoris Saxonici by Britanniam ). Perhaps this is an explanation for that in the Western Notitia Dignitatum ( 425 ) appear quite a number of units that are both specified in the lists of the Duce and the Captains. 492 AD under the Eastern Emperor Anastasius I turned the mobile troops finally the Duce.

One of the tasks of a Dux further new construction, maintenance and repair of local fortifications included. Occasionally even had his men move out to capture animals for the elaborate games of the circus in Rome and Constantinople Opel. The right to leave ( commeatus ) grant, was only the Duce, lower-ranking officers flourished a fine if they acted arbitrarily here. The Dux also had the right to take direct contact with the Emperor, as there was no regular chain of command. The military justice was in his hands; up to 413, the governor or the Vicar, however, were responsible for the soldiers in civil law matters.

The recruitment and the allocation of food were duties of civil administration, since the position of recruits was considered an aspect of the tax burden on landowners. The Dux had they only receive and then allocate their respective units. Constantine the Great ordered that the Duce should take all newly enlisted recruits personally close look first in order to weed out the unfit right away. Whether this was actually implemented in practice is unclear.

On the civil administration of the Dux had to regularly submit statements of its material consumption. His officium also had to every four months, the Praetorian Prefect, the highest civilian office holders to account for the consumption of money and supplies goods. This allowed at least a rudimentary control and made the military by the civil authorities dependent. The Dux had so effectively two supervisors: the Praetorian Prefect and the Master of the Soldiers. All the money he needed to maintain military capability and infrastructure of his army, had to be pre-approved by the competent Prefecture. Added to this was that the applicable fees for the issuance of his certificate of appointment had to be paid to each of the offices of the Prefect and the army master.

Diplomatic duties of the Dux had usually not, but probably to receive the obligation, foreign ( especially Persian ) missions and to ensure their smooth and safe onward journey to the Imperial residence, where he will take, inter alia, the imperial courier ( Cursus publicus ) to complete allowed. Otherwise, he had only limited rights to use the latter; in the Eastern Empire, he received per year for a well-defined number of scrip, which had to last for one year. Thus, the frequent misuse of the Cursus should be counteracted.

Posts and ranking

Commanded a Dux the troops a frontier province, as was his full titulary dux limitis provinciae Illius, he held another command, he was simply referred to as dux provinciae Illius. The name of the parish office of a late Roman Dux is similar to the one Comes: Most of posts going back to the provinces where a ducat was set up, such as the dux Belgicae secundae or dux Mesopotamiae. The dux Britanniarum made ​​an exception here, he was named after a whole diocese.

In the Roman military hierarchy of Dux was subordinate to the Comes in rank. But the title was multiple Comes to Duces additionally received, representing an increase of prestige and power meant its original functions are essentially not changed. Had he excelled in, he also led sometimes the title of Comes primi Ordinis and was allowed to comes et dux call what hinaushob him about the civil governor ( Praeses ). With the command of some of the most important provinces of the comitiva primi Ordinis was automatically linked. In this case, calling the respective incumbent comes limitis comes rei militaris or.

Under Constantine I. disappears from the title egregius 326, while the rank designation devalued perfectissimus now and used for holders of lower chivalrous offices. The Dux in the Roman aristocracy initially retains the title of vir perfectissimus, 368 a Dux is then testified for the first time as a vir clarissimus in an inscription and thus possessed senatorial rank. But not until the late period of Valentinian I, the rank of vir perfectissimus for a military commander province remains ( Dux Valeriae Ripensis ). This witness brick temple of up to 373 in the province of Valeria reigning Dux Frieridus. During the period of transition both titles were co-exist. It was not until 386 all Duces are generally called viri clarissimi.

Since Valentinian I. Dux was one of the newly created rank class of viri spectabiles. This rank was not a hereditary additional predicate of the now hereditary senator ( of so-called Clarissimats ) and made him equal rank with the vicar. However, the vir spectabilis stood in the dignity under a vir illustris. But by imperial decree a Dux could also be raised to illustris. Towards the end of the 6th century Duces are sometimes also mentioned as magnificus and gloriosus.

Ostrogothic

In the Ostrogothic kingdom of Theodoric the Dux acted as a largely self-responsible commander of an army banns. The Ostrogothic Duces were responsible as governor for the jurisdiction, but usually only on the gothic part of the population ( and in disputes between Goths and Romans ). They had, however, unlike hold about their Visigothic relatives, only a temporary command. Thus, they differed from one Limes commander in late antique tradition, as he was also under Theodoric still approximately represented by Dux Raetiae.

Byzantine Empire

With the end of the Late Antique structures disappeared in the 7th century in Byzantium / Byzantium the office of dux in its current form. In the Middle Byzantine themes Constitution of the dux was now the governor of Dukat, a subordinated military district of the subject, later, after the big themes were divided into smaller units in the 10th and 11th centuries, one of the strategists same significant rank designation. The office of megas dux ( roughly " Grand Duke " ) was introduced in 1090 and described the supreme commander of the Byzantine fleet. It existed until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Included in the term dux led the Byzantine ruling family of Dukas probably her name here.

Kingdom of the Franks

The Frankish Merovingian took many late Roman administrative structures and offices and modified them in the course of the 6th century. In the Frankish empire was dux a title for the senior comes ( count ) of a substantial or significant part of the country, while not initially linked not hereditary and the province itself. The linkage and the heritability of crystallized only in the course of the centuries, similar to the comites out. Unlike in Roman times the duces ( dukes ) thereby eventually were superior in rank than the comites ( Count ).

Other meanings

While in the German language for the title of the designation Duke prevailed ( and similar in other Germanic languages), the concept was further developed in the linguistically marked by the Latin language countries:

  • Duc ( Duke ) and Duchy ( Duchy ) in French
  • Duke ( Duke ) and Duchy or (rarely ) Dukedom ( Duchy ) in English
  • Duque in Spanish
  • Duca in Italian, including the Doge of Genoa and Venice - to describing Duce del Fascimo ( leader of fascism ) for the dictator Benito Mussolini.

The name Dukat for the first time the end of the 13th century in Venice, coins depends titled dux together, with the inscription on the back was eponymous here:

" Sit tibi Christe datus quem tu regis iste Ducatus "

"To you, O Christ, is this duchy which you rule something."

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