Page 104 - Envoys and Political Communication in the Late Antique West 411 - 533

Envoys and Political Communication,411–533

Table 1 A list of embassies in Hydatius’ Chronicle

The embassies recorded by Hydatius are tabulated below with commentary. As above,
Mommsen’s chapter numbers are followed by Burgess’ in square brackets. For dates after
455, cf. Muhlberger, The Fifth-Century Chroniclers, 308–11; Burgess, ‘Hydatius’, 274–7,
and Chronicle, 70–122 (noting that the marginal ad dates in the translation refer to
Hydatius’ chronology, not necessarily actual dates of events, e.g. Hyd., c. 148 [140]).
Entries from Fredegar, Chron. ii, 50–6 (based primarily on Hydatius) which appear to
contain information not preserved in the fullest MS of Hydatius are included; see nos.
11, 17–20, 22, 41 and notes. 1
Cross references to other embassies are shown thus: (5). Groups of related embassies
are indicated thus: 1–4. The sign †† indicates doubt whether the entry refers to a formal
embassy.
384 c. 11 Persian legates sent to Theodosius I at Constantinople ( from
Consularia Constantinopolitana, s.a. 384)
1–4 431–3
1 431 cc. 96, 98 [86, 88] Bishop Hydatius undertakes an embassy to the magister
utriusque militiae Aetius in Gaul, concerning the Suevic
breach of a pax made with the Gallaecian provincials the
previous year; he returns to Gallaecia with the comes
Censorius (3).
†2 431 c. 97 Vetto comes to Gallaecia from the Goths dolose, and
returns to Gaul ‘without effect’.
[87] (Cf. ‘Note on Legatus and Legatio’ below.)
3 432–3 cc. 98, The comes Censorius is sent by Aetius to the Sueves in
100 [88, 91] response to (1); he returns ad palatium, apparently without
resolving the conflict between the Sueves and the
Gallaecians, because of Aetius’ conflicts with Boniface and
Sebastian in Italy.
4 433 c. 101 [92] King Hermeric re-establishes the pax with the Gallaecians,
under episcopal mediation, having received hostages.
Bishop Symphosius is sentby Hermeric ad comitatum (n.
95 above); the purpose of his mission, unstated, is not
achieved.
5 437–438 cc. 111, The comes Censorius is sent on a second mission to the
cf. 113 [103, 105] Sueves, presumably by Aetius, in the company of
Fretimund (despite his name, an imperial rather than a
Gothic envoy, since at this time the Goths and Aetius were
engaged in the prolonged war of 436–9; cf. Hyd., cc. 107,
108, 110, 112, 116, 117 [98, 99, 101, 104, 108, 109]). The
pax between the Sueves and pars plebis Callaeciae (c. 113
[105]) appears to result from this mission.
Beginning of Suevic expansion under Rechila: conquests of Lusitania,Baetica,and
Carthaginiensis (438–441; cc. 114,119,123 [106,111,115])

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