Augustamnica
ἐπαρχία Αὐγουσταμνικῆς
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Augustamnica (Latin) or Augoustamnike (Greek) was a Roman province of Egypt[1] created during the 4th century and was part of the Diocese of Oriens first and then of the Diocese of Egypt, until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 640s.
Some ancient episcopal sees of the province are included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees.[2]
Augustamnica
The province was instituted in tetrarchic times under the name of Aegyptus Herculia (for Diocletian's colleague Maximian), with ancient Memphis as capital (315-325), but later re-merged in Aegyptus. In 341 the province was reconstituted, but the name was changed into Augustamnica to remove pagan connotations. It consisted of the Eastern part of the Nile delta and the ancient Heptanomia, and belonged to the Diocese of Oriens.[3][4]
Augustamnica was the only Egyptian province under a corrector, a lower ranking governor.
Around 381 the provinces of Egypt become a diocese in their own, and so Augustamnica become part of the Diocese of Egypt. Between 386 and the end of the 4th century the new province of Arcadia Aegypti, named after Emperor Arcadius, was created with territory from Augustamnica, the Heptanomia;[4] Augustamnica's capital was moved to Pelusium.
From the military point of view, the province was under the Comes limitis Aegypti. According to the Notitia dignitatum, the province hosted several military units:[5]
- Ala secunda Ulpia Afrorum at Thaubasteos
- Ala secunda Aegyptiorum at Tacasiria,
- Cohors prima sagittariorum at Naithu
- Cohors prima Augusta Pannoniorum at Tohu,
- Cohors prima Epireorum at Castra Iudaeorum
- Cohors quarta Iuthungorum at Affroditus
- Cohors secunda Ituraeorum at Aiy
- Cohors secunda Thracum at Muson
- Cohors quarta Numidarum at Narmunthi
Augustamnica I and II
Before 539, Augustamnica was divided into two provinces: Augustamnica Prima (First - North) and Augustamnica Secunda (Second - South).[4]
Augustamnica Prima had Pelusium as metropolis (administrative centre) and was under a corrector, who governed the following cities: Pelusium, Setroithes (or Sethroitis), Tanis, Thmuis, Rhinocorura, Ostracine (or Ostracina), Pentaschoinon, Casium, Aphnaion, Hephaestus, Panephysis, the Tents outside Gerra, the Tents inside Gerra, Thennesus, Panephusis.[6]
Leontopolis was the capital of Augustamnica Secunda.
Episcopal sees
Ancient episcopal sees of Augustamnica I listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees:[2]
- Aphnaeum (ruins of Tell-Defenneh?)
- Casius
- Damiata
- Gera
- Hephaestus
- Ostracine
- Panephysis (near Lake Menzaleh)
- Pelusium, the Metropolitan Archbishopric
- Phacusa
- Rhinocorura (Arish)
- Shata
- Sela (near El Qantara)
- Sethroë (between San-El-Hagar and Tell-Farama)
- Tamiathis
- Tanis
- Thennesus
- Thmuis
Ancient episcopal sees of Augustamnica II listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees:[2]
- Arabia (Uadi-Tumilat)
- Athribis
- Babylon
- Bubastis
- Clysma
- Heliopolis in Augustamnica
- Leontopolis in Augustamnica, the Metropolitan archbishopric
- Pharbaetus
- Phelbes
Notes
- ^ Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, p. 102
- ^ a b c Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), "Sedi titolari", pp. 819-1013
- ^ Alan K. Bowman, Egypt after the pharaohs: 332 BC-AD 642. From Alexander to the Arab Conquest, University of California Press, 1996, ISBN 0-520-20531-6, p. 79.
- ^ a b c Keenan, p. 613.
- ^ Notitia Dignitatum In partibus Orientis, XXVIII.
- ^ Georgius Cyprius, 685-700; Hierocles, Synecdemos 726:3-727:6.
References
- Keenan, James K. (2000). "Egypt". In Cameron, Averil; Ward-Perkins, Bryan; Whitby, Michael (eds.). The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume XIV - Late Antiquity: Empire and Successors, A.D. 425–600. Cambridge University Press. pp. 612–637. ISBN 978-0-521-32591-2.
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History | |
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As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century. |
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Other territories | |
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- 1 Later the Septem Provinciae
- 2 Re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534 as the separate Prefecture of Africa
- 3 Later the Diocese of Illyricum
- 4 Placed under the Quaestura exercitus in 536
- 5 Affected (i.e. boundaries modified, abolished or renamed) by Justinian I's administrative reorganization in 534–536