Hannibalianus

Hannibalianus († 337 ), full name Flavius ​​Hannibalianus ( on coins: Hanniballianus ), officiated by 335/36 until his death as king ( rex ) in the east of the Roman Empire.

Contemporary background

The Roman Empire went through at the beginning of the 4th century a profound change. Hannibalianus ' uncle Constantine the Great had in the succession struggles that erupted at the end of founded by the Emperor Diocletian Tetrarchy, enforced and thus founded the Constantinian dynasty, who was also Hannibalianus.

Significant was his reign mainly for two reasons: First, he promoted Christianity and thus began the Christianization of the Roman Empire. Although the traditional gods cults were not abolished, but they lost in strength and influence. Secondly, Constantine moved the central power with the new capital of Constantinople Opel in the eastern part of the empire, who had already gained more and more importance. The decision for the new capital fell last but not least from foreign policy considerations, because Constantine Opel was about the same distance from the threatened frontiers of the empire on the Danube and the Euphrates. However, while the situation on the eve of Huns storm and mass migration was largely secured on the Danube, the situation in the east remained dangerous, as the Persians again went on the offensive after an uneasy peace towards the end of the reign of Constantine under Shapur II.

Life

Hannibalianus was the son of Flavius ​​Dalmatius, the half-brother of Constantine, and the brother of Dalmatius. He was (now Toulouse) raised together with his brother in Tolosa from the rhetorician Exsuperius. In the 330s, he moved with his family to Constantinople Opel at the court of his uncle Constantine.

This Hannibalianus appointed to the vir nobilissimus and gave him his daughter to wife Constantina. Constantine gave Hannibalianus also the dignity of rex and gave him probably the ( diplomatic ) control over the client states in the Roman frontier region in the east, which he should exercise of Caesarea in Cappadocia from. Maybe Hannibalianus should have been expressed himself up as client king in Armenia or even as a pretender to the throne of Persia, in order in case of victory over the Persians formally take over as rex regum ( United Kingdom ) power in Ctesiphon.

After the death of Constantine in May 337, the trace of the Hannibalianus loses. To all appearances he was like his brother, his father and the other two half-brothers Constantine the purge after Constantine's death to the victim. His wife Constantia later married his cousin Constantius Gallus.