Victor (consul 369)

Victor (died after AD 383) was a Roman military officer and politician, who served the emperors Constantius II, Julian, Jovian and Valens. He was appointed consul in AD 369, alongside Valentinianus Galates.

Born into a Sarmatian family, Victor served at the court of the emperor Constantius II as a palace official. Under Julian the Apostate, Victor was appointed Comes rei militaris, a position he held from AD 362 – 363. In anticipation of the campaign against the Sassanid Empire, Julian had Victor march the Roman army from Constantinople to Antioch. When Julian arrived to take command of the expedition, Victor was placed in charge of the rearguard. On the road to Ctesiphon, he scouted ahead to ensure there were no traps laid by the Persians, and at the Battle of Ctesiphon, he led the vanguard across the river, scattering a force of Persians led by the son of king Shapur II.

Victor and his fellow generals then tried to convince Julian not to cross the river Naarmalcha, but Julian ordered him to cross and to engage the enemy, whereupon he Victor was forced to pull back after meeting stiff resistance. A second engagement forced the Persians back to the walls of Ctesiphon, during which Victor was wounded in the shoulder. He prevented his soldiers from entering the city in pursuit of the retreating Persians.

After Julian’s death following the Battle of Samarra, Victor and a number of other court officials who had served under Constantius began looking among their number for a replacement, but were opposed by Julian’s Gallic officers. Eventually Victor and the rest agreed to the elevation of Salutius, who refused to accept the imperial nomination, and they were forced to accept the elevation of Jovian. Jovian promoted Victor to the rank of Magister equitum in AD 363, a post he held until AD 379.

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