Merobaudes (general)

Flavius ​​Merobaudes († 383 or 388 ) was a Roman officer of Frankish origin.

Merobaudes already served under the Emperor Julian, and was involved in the transfer of his body. Probably in the year 375, he was the Roman Emperor Valentinian I to the army master ( magister militum ) appointed. After his death the same year Merobaudes was instrumental in the proclamation of the Emperor's son Valentinian II. The Frankish army had masters. Well as to the other emperors of the Western empire, Valentinian's older brother Gratian, big impact Twice, 377 (together with Gratian ) and 383 (along with Flavius ​​Saturninus ), he held the consulate (see the list of Roman consuls ). This represented a huge favor from, as repeated consulates were since the time of Constantine usually reserved to the imperial house. In the trial of the corrupt governor Romanus he sat at home for this one, Romanus was eventually acquitted.

Although Merobaudes served with success under Gratian, he was possibly 383 by the Emperor and ran over to the usurper Magnus Maximus, but the modern research is not unanimous, the role played Merobaudes in connection with the collection of Magnus Maximus. There is also over the life of that Merobaudes no clarity: An inscription mentions a third consulate for the year 388, but had died before his inaugural Merobaudes. Perhaps he has been driven to suicide, as the panegyric of Pacatus reported ( what some researchers but projected to the year 383 ). He was (modern Trier) buried possibly in Augusta Treverorum.