Q. Aurelius Symmachus: A Political Biography

Conclusion

87 Conclusion This book begins with Symmachus’ embassy to the imperial court in Trier in the winter of 369 and ends with his embassy to the besieged court in Milan in the winter of 402. These two embassies mark the beginning and end of Symmachus’ political career (and, presumably, of his life), and other embassies are crucial in shaping it. That journey and the residence of the young Roman senator at the court of the Emperor Valentinian I not only resulted in his appointment to the proconsulship of Africa a few years later, but allowed him to establish enduring friendships with important members of Valentinian’s court. At Trier he began the patient weaving of a web of connections that ultimately determined the survival and success of his political career. The embassy to the court of Gratian (383), concerning the request of the repealing of Gratian’s antipagan legislation, marked Symmachus ’ final disillusionment with the emperor whose praises he had once sung; the following embassy to the court of Valentinian II (384) with regard to the same matter marked an early turning point in his tenure as urban prefect. Symmachus’ embassy to the court of the usurper Maximus to deliver a panegyric in his honor caused him much embarrassment and some troubles, leaving him socially isolated and vulnerable to attacks in the aftermath of the usurpation (388–90). The rehabilitation and full reintegration of Symmachus into political life was much less the consequence of his speech of apology than it was the result of his connections at the court of Theodosius, most notably with Nicomachus Flavianus, then imperial quaestor.1 The fact that Symmachus was chosen to lead the senatorial embassy to the court in Milan under ostensibly delicate circumstances (402) attests his preeminence in the senate in the last period of his life. The fundamental importance of the interaction with the imperial court even for a strictly senatorial political career, like the one pursued by Symmachus , shows how the two worlds of senate and court, however distant, were still very much dependent upon each other. Especially in times of crisis and internal weakness emperors relied quite heavily on the Roman senate. In 384, the contemporary appointments of Praetextatus and Symmachus, the first to the praefectura praetorii, the second to the praefectura urbis, can be interpreted as the attempt of Valentinian II and his mother, the regent Justina, to secure the collaboration of the senate through two of its most prominent members. Later on, the policy of reconciliation rather than prosecution adopted by Honorius in the aftermath of Eugenius’ usurpation (395), is a direct consequence of Stilicho’s need to strengthen his regency.2 As well the intrinsic weaknesses and insecurities of Stilicho’s position favored a close collaboration between court and senate. Capitalizing on his reputation and vast range of connections, Symmachus was able to consolidate his own position of political (and social) preeminence by acting as mediator between senate and court, either orchestrating or actively participating in frequent embassies. Conversely, the senators formally depended on the emperors for the advancement of their careers. Even less careerist senators, with ambitions limited to a purely “Roman” cursus honorum, were well aware of the importance of court connections. Friends and relatives at court were crucial in granting advancement,3 increasing one’s prestige,4 and helping in time of need. In this respect, Symmachus’ experience is exemplary, though hardly unique. Symmachus’ political career was an active, long-lasting, and ultimately successful one. His restricted tenures of office should not deceive: they are typical of the cursus honorum of the late Roman senatorial aristocracy.5 Moreover, tenure of office is not the only form of political activity, and success in politics cannot be measured by it alone. Symmachus’ activity as orator, especially in connection with his role as ambassador, is political and illustrates well the importance of his role as mediator between the Roman senate and imperial court. Letter writing is also a fundamentally political activity. It is not the pastime of a rich landowner with too much leisure and some literary pretensions, but, as Symmachus practiced it, an important resource for a skilled politician to secure a prestigious career for himself and his family members. Symmachus’ Epistulae are not vacuous; they are allusive. The purpose of letter writing is not primarily the communication of information but the formation and preservation of ties of friendships in a world where distances made visits if not impossible then certainly difficult . The relatively rare references...