Nepotianus | |||||
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Roman emperor | |||||
Reign | 3–30 June 350 (in competition with Magnentius) [1] | ||||
Died | 30 June 350 Rome | ||||
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Dynasty | Constantinian | ||||
Father | Virius Nepotianus | ||||
Mother | Eutropia |
Nepotianus (died 30 June 350 AD), sometimes known in English as Nepotian, [1] was a member of the Constantinian dynasty who reigned as a short-lived usurper of the Roman Empire. He ruled the city of Rome for twenty-eight days, before being killed by his rival usurper Magnentius' general Marcellinus. [1]
Nepotianus was the son of Eutropia, half-sister of Emperor Constantine I, [4] and of Virius Nepotianus. On his mother's side, he was the grandson of Emperor Constantius Chlorus and Flavia Maximiana Theodora. [5]
After the revolt of Magnentius, Nepotianus proclaimed himself emperor and entered Rome with a band of gladiators [4] on 3 June 350. [1] After attempting to resist Nepotianus with an undisciplined force of Roman citizens, the defeated praefectus urbi Titianus (or Anicius, or Anicetus), a supporter of Magnentius, fled the city.
Magnentius quickly dealt with this revolt [4] by sending his trusted magister officiorum Marcellinus to Rome. According to Eutropius, Nepotianus was killed in the resulting struggle (on 30 June), his head put on a lance and borne around the city. [4] In the following days, his mother Eutropia was also killed alongside the supporters of Nepotianus. [5]