472:
577:) in the great estates, "are most responsible for the impression that the Apion household, that Oxyrhynchus with its other great landlords, that late antique Egypt as a whole was 'feudal' in the medieval sense of the term, and that the great houses of Egypt were resistant to and in conflict with the imperial government". This belief has been modified in recent times towards an image of toleration and tacit approval by the imperial government of the great houses' local power, and cooperation between the two sides. For instance, the great landholding families assumed the maintenance of the irrigation works, from which depended not only the provincial economy, but also Constantinople's grain supply.
493:, of local aristocratic families using the opportunities opened up by the expansion of the state bureaucracy in the 4th century to secure positions with the imperial civil service. This new "aristocracy of service" derived from this association both prestige and wealth, which allowed it to out-compete local rivals and establish an economic and political predominance in its home localities. This was chiefly expressed in their acquisition of large estates, in which they were helped by the monetization of the economy and the introduction of the gold
214:
458:
Another important member of the family, from a collateral branch of the family resident in the
Heracleopolite and Arsinoite nomes, was another Strategius (known as "pseudo-Strategius III" in some sources). He is first attested in 591, and, like his contemporary Apion III, was an honorary consul and
438:
Flavia
Praeiecta, either the daughter of Apion II or his daughter-in-law (she appears to have been married to a Strategius), and her two sons, George and Apion III. George is last attested in 590 and Praiecta in 591, after which Apion III remained the sole heir of the Oxyrhynchus estates. Apion III
510:
nomes, as attested by hundreds of papyri relating to their administration. In the
Oxyrhynchite nome alone, the Apiones are held to have 75,000 acres (30,000 ha), or about two fifths of the available arable land. Lack of data for the estates in the neighbouring nomes, as well as the fact that
280:, dying before December of 469. He is known to have had one daughter, Isis, who may have married the man thought to be the first member of the family, Apion I, who descended from another prominent line of local aristocracy, the Septimii Flaviani of neighbouring
550:, staying in Constantinople in close proximity to the imperial court, rather than Egypt. Accordingly, the dispersed Apion estates were governed by an extensive "private bureaucracy" which included its own postal service, modelled after the imperial
542:(1931), believed that after the middle of the 6th century, the Apiones returned from Constantinople to Egypt, abandoning their imperial affiliations in favour of local offices, and even re-converting to Monophysitism. This view was rejected by
515:, does not permit a similar estimate, but their property must have been similarly extensive. Like other great land-holdings of the time, the Apion estates were divided in two categories: land directly exploited by the Apion household (
463:, as well as pagarch in the Heracleopolite and Arsinoite nomes. He was involved in the reconciliation of the Syrian and Egyptian Monophysite Churches in 616, but both he and his family disappear after the Persian conquest.
150:. Beginning as a local aristocracy, it rose to prominence in the 5th, 6th and early 7th centuries when several successive heads of the family occupied high imperial offices, including the
342:
Apion I had two sons, Herakleidas and
Strategius II. Herakleidas is an obscure figure; although possibly the elder of the two, he is known only to have served as city elder (
471:
434:
Apion II died in 578 or 579, and his inheritance was controlled collectively for eight years by mostly unnamed heirs, after which there were three named heirs: the
399:, received the ordinary consulship in the year 539 just shortly after he came of age, marking the family's political apogee. At the time, he also held the title of
415:. Earlier works considered him as having been—possibly by proxy, with Apion himself remaining at Constantinople—a provincial governor in Egypt (serving as
559:
Papyri also make clear that the
Apiones exercised extensive authority locally, possessing both a private jailhouse and a private police force (
431:
in the
Arsinoite nome ca. 556), but according to more recent research, these posts were most likely held by other members of the Apion family.
455:
in the same period. There is evidence that the Apion household existed under
Persian occupation until August 626, but not after this date.
489:), and rose to power and influence through imperial service. In this sense, the Apiones typify the phenomenon, attested across the
1250:
1231:
1179:
1076:
1021:
996:
1198:
546:
in 1985, and is no longer held. Instead, the
Apiones, or at least the heads of the family, are shown to have been mostly
1156:
1132:
1108:
1049:
1040:
328:
17:
1146:
1013:
1122:
1098:
1068:
452:
286:
171:
155:
1286:
165:, a series of manuscripts dating from 32 BC to 640 AD. Members of the family held the positions of
1291:
1094:
270:
167:
1065:
The
Cambridge Ancient History, Volume XIV - Late Antiquity: Empire and Successors, A.D. 425–600
323:. Subsequently, he was exiled and forcibly ordained as a priest in 510, only to be recalled by
320:
229:
224:
The origin of the Apion family is uncertain. There is no evidence that
Aurelius Apion, who was
1060:
451:
by 604/5, Apion III died in late 619 or early January 620, a fact possibly connected with the
1281:
1167:
512:
988:
186:
8:
983:
384:
in 535–538. Among his duties in the latter post was overseeing the reconstruction of the
281:
225:
147:
1142:
1118:
1086:
556:, with both an "express" courier service and a slower post, both by land and by river.
547:
500:
358:
253:
189:, the family dominated the political scene in Byzantine Egypt, holding vast swathes of
177:
162:
1224:
L'archivio degli Apioni: terra, lavoro, e proprieta' senatoria nell'Egitto tardoantico
1246:
1227:
1175:
1152:
1128:
1104:
1072:
1045:
1035:
1031:
1017:
992:
978:
444:
202:
1009:
Wine, Wealth, and the State in Late Antique Egypt: The House of Apion at Oxyrhynchus
1210:
479:
475:
412:
396:
364:
252:). However, Strategius I, the family's earliest known ancestor, is referenced in a
182:
90:
54:
1266:
1007:
552:
316:
276:
1090:
974:
495:
490:
312:
291:
198:
103:
33:
569:) origin. As James G. Keenan writes, these facts, along with the existence of
1275:
503:, to which they, as salaried officials, had better access than their rivals.
336:
297:
From a local position in Oxyrhynchus in 492, Apion I rose to become honorary
194:
1214:
506:
The Apiones in particular came to hold very extensive properties in several
350:
at the time of his father's disgrace in 510. Strategius II is attested as a
507:
385:
332:
298:
265:
190:
151:
135:
132:
543:
485:
The Apion family originally belonged to the local municipal aristocracy (
377:
369:
249:
218:
139:
128:
80:
311:
by 503. He was responsible for provisioning the Byzantine forces in the
248:, belonged to the family, despite bearing its names (Strategius being a
627:
561:
389:
213:
307:
125:
368:
by 518. He served as augustalian prefect sometime before 523. Under
331:. Sometime between 525 and 532, he was converted with his family to
1148:
The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume III, AD 527–641
1063:. In Cameron, Averil; Ward-Perkins, Bryan; Whitby, Michael (eds.).
352:
324:
197:. Despite their influence in Egypt, the family largely remained in
1124:
The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume II, AD 395–527
1044:. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 130–131.
615:
1100:
The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire: Volume I, AD 260–395
570:
428:
420:
245:
240:
443:, and had at least one son, Strategius IV. From letters of Pope
1199:"Apion et Praejecta: hypothèses anciennes et nouvelles données"
861:
738:
440:
439:
married Eusebia, a scion of the Roman senatorial family of the
347:
143:
260:) in the 430s, eventually rising to head administrator of the
953:
951:
566:
447:, the family lived at Constantinople. An honorary consul and
256:. He served as an administrator in the imperial estates (the
234:
117:
111:
675:
605:
603:
601:
32:
This article is about the Roman family. For the weevil, see
849:
774:
395:
Strategius II was married to a certain Leontia. Their son,
948:
716:
714:
185:) obtaining the role of consul. After the collapse of the
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924:
810:
750:
598:
417:
902:
900:
839:
837:
762:
411:, which placed him among the senior-most members of the
822:
798:
726:
711:
29:
5th/7th century clan of landholders in Byzantine Egypt
1085:
912:
897:
885:
834:
786:
663:
633:
621:
161:
The history of the Apion family is chronicled in the
699:
687:
639:
873:
651:
586:
376:, was sent as an envoy to the Persians during the
1168:"Social Relations and the Land: The Early Period"
1273:
538:Earlier studies, based on Edward Rochie Hardy's
346:) at Heracleopolis, and to have been ordained a
44:
268:. Strategius later advanced to the title of
1243:Economy and Society in the Age of Justinian
466:
403:like his father. In later life he became a
284:. His father, Flavianus, had served as the
1141:
1117:
867:
855:
780:
744:
681:
1151:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
1127:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
1103:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
470:
362:in 497 and honorary consul and honorary
212:
1030:
609:
124:) was a wealthy clan of landholders in
14:
1274:
1165:
1058:
1005:
957:
942:
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879:
843:
828:
816:
804:
792:
768:
756:
732:
720:
705:
693:
669:
645:
592:
319:, but fell out of favour with Emperor
973:
657:
1174:. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 92–111.
540:The Large Estates of Byzantine Egypt
232:before 328, and Flavius Strategius,
193:property through the acquisition of
634:Martindale, Jones & Morris 1971
622:Martindale, Jones & Morris 1971
24:
1190:
1041:The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
25:
1303:
1260:
523:) leased to farmers of villages (
254:series of papyri from Oxyrhynchus
1226:(in Italian). Bari: Edipuglia.
388:, after its destruction in the
181:, with Apion II (also known as
1245:. Cambridge University Press.
329:praetorian prefect of the East
13:
1:
1172:A Social History of Byzantium
580:
424:
1267:Peter Sarris on Google Books
1014:University of Michigan Press
7:
1203:Revue des études byzantines
535:) belonging to the estate.
264:in the entire Oxyrhynchite
10:
1308:
1069:Cambridge University Press
966:
565:), often of foreign (e.g.
453:Sassanid conquest of Egypt
382:comes sacrarum largitionum
287:comes sacrarum largitionum
208:
172:comes sacrarum largitionum
158:, the family disappeared.
156:Sasanian conquest of Egypt
112:
31:
1197:Beaucamp, Joëlle (2001).
1170:. In Haldon, John (ed.).
1059:Keenan, James G. (2000).
107:
86:
76:
68:
60:
50:
41:
511:their holdings were not
467:Social position in Egypt
392:. He died in early 542.
1222:Mazza, Roberta (2001).
1215:10.3406/rebyz.2001.2241
984:The Coptic Encyclopedia
271:comes sacri consistorii
168:comes sacri consistorii
1241:Sarris, Peter (2006).
1166:Sarris, Peter (2009).
482:
221:
1006:Hickey, Todd (2012).
870:, pp. 1203–1204.
747:, pp. 1034–1036.
474:
216:
1071:. pp. 612–637.
1034:(1991). "Apion". In
989:Macmillan Publishers
960:, pp. 631, 633.
335:orthodoxy, abjuring
187:Western Roman Empire
131:, especially in the
1143:Martindale, John R.
1119:Martindale, John R.
1087:Martindale, John R.
945:, pp. 629–630.
933:, pp. 100–104.
819:, pp. 627–628.
759:, pp. 626–627.
684:, pp. 110–112.
636:, pp. 858–859.
612:, pp. 130–131.
575:coloni adscripticii
519:), and allotments (
282:Heracleopolis Magna
226:augustalian prefect
148:Heracleopolis Magna
1036:Kazhdan, Alexander
1032:Kazhdan, Alexander
979:Atiya, Aziz Suryal
771:, pp. 14, 16.
548:absentee landlords
483:
401:comes domesticorum
359:comes domesticorum
315:(502–506) against
305:) by 497 and then
222:
203:absentee landlords
178:comes domesticorum
163:Oxyrhynchus Papyri
1252:978-0-521-86543-2
1233:978-88-7228-332-5
1181:978-1-4443-0591-3
1078:978-0-521-32591-2
1023:978-0-472-11812-0
998:978-0-02-897036-3
858:, pp. 98–99.
831:, pp. 17–18.
807:, pp. 16–17.
783:, pp. 96–98.
735:, pp. 12–14.
723:, pp. 10–14.
445:Gregory the Great
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87:Connected members
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1097:, eds. (1971).
1091:Jones, A. H. M.
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958:Keenan 2000
943:Keenan 2000
931:Sarris 2009
919:Sarris 2009
907:Keenan 2000
892:Sarris 2009
880:Hickey 2012
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829:Hickey 2012
817:Keenan 2000
805:Hickey 2012
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544:Jean Gascou
378:Iberian War
370:Justinian I
344:principalis
303:apo hypaton
250:maiden name
219:Roman Egypt
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81:Oxyrhynchus
1276:Categories
658:Frend 1991
581:References
562:bucellarii
513:contiguous
390:Nika riots
152:consulship
110:, plural:
69:Final head
517:autourgia
461:patrikios
449:patrikios
436:hypatissa
421:Thebaidos
405:patrikios
374:patrikios
308:patrikios
126:Byzantine
977:(1991).
501:currency
487:curiales
397:Apion II
353:curialis
325:Justin I
1061:"Egypt"
1038:(ed.).
981:(ed.).
967:Sources
529:epoikia
521:ktemata
496:solidus
429:pagarch
246:Thebais
241:praeses
217:Map of
209:History
144:Arsinoe
122:Apiones
113:Ἀπίωνες
64:Apion I
61:Founder
51:Country
1249:
1230:
1178:
1155:
1131:
1107:
1075:
1048:
1020:
995:
567:Gothic
525:choria
441:Anicii
348:deacon
299:consul
175:, and
571:serfs
533:komai
531:, or
235:comes
230:Egypt
136:nomes
129:Egypt
118:Latin
108:Ἀπίων
104:Greek
45:Ἀπίων
42:Apion
1247:ISBN
1228:ISBN
1176:ISBN
1153:ISBN
1129:ISBN
1105:ISBN
1073:ISBN
1046:ISBN
1018:ISBN
993:ISBN
407:and
266:nome
238:and
146:and
98:The
1211:doi
478:of
418:dux
294:.
290:in
244:of
228:of
201:as
138:of
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1207:59
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1093:;
1089:;
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1016:.
1012:.
991:.
950:^
899:^
836:^
713:^
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527:,
425:c.
339:.
205:.
170:,
142:,
120::
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106::
1255:.
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1217:.
1213::
1184:.
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20:)
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