Pannonia and Illyricum

[Lothia]

Ave Civitas,

The diocese of Pannonia was transferred to the Eastern Empire during the Gothic wars.  After the death of Theodosius the area was transferred back to the Western Empire.

There must have been a military force active in that diocese.  I can find a listing of the Magistri Militum per Illyricum that has a chronological listing of commanders beginning with Vetranio sometime before 350 and ending with Theognis in 582.  But there is a gap, from 375 to 395, which seems to be that time when Pannonia was in the Eastern Empire's control.

Does this mean that military control was placed under direct control of the emperor?  Or would it have been under the command of the Magister Militum per Thracias?  Or, is there something I am not seeing?

As always, thank you for your help.

[Robert Vermaat]

The diocese of Pannonia was transferred to the Eastern Empire during the Gothic wars.  After the death of Theodosius the area was transferred back to the Western Empire.

Ah.. it was a bit more complicated than that.

Created by the division of the Empire among Constantine's sons, the Illyrian praetorian prefecture included Pannonia, Macedonia and Dacia, taken from the prefectures of Illyricum, Italy and Africa. After the split (apparently necessary beause each of the three brother needed their own praetorian prefect) the new PP Illyricum fell to Constantius and included Africa and Italy and this continued in existence with Constantius as sole ruler as wel as Julian after him. The situation changed only when Valerian and Valens divided the Empire between them, and Valerian added all three dioceses (Pannonia, Dacia and Macedonia) to the West, leaving Valens only with Thrace in Europe.

After the disaster at Adrianople in 378, it was Gratian who promised the newly appointed Theodosius full control of Illyricom for the duration of the Gothic war, transferring it to the East from 379 to 382, when it was again transferred to the West. However, when Theodosius became sole ruler he decided to split the prefecture, adding Dacia and Macedonia to the East (Illyricum orientale) and Pannonia to the West (Illyricum occidentale), possibly just before the defeat of Maximus in 388, although he may have reunified it again later, adding it to the East this time. By 393 we have a praetorian prefect (Apodemius) ruling Illyricum as well as Africa, which is unique but shows the continued confused state of the region, which was also sometimes added in part to Italy.
However, by the time the Notitia Dignitatum was published (c. 394) Illyricum was split again, the Greek-speaking dioceses again belonging to the East and the Latin parts to the West. This time the division became permanent, although it remained a point of contention at least until the time of Stilicho. Valentinian III eventually recognised the status quo in 437.

The military presence would not have changed much I think, commanded by the comes Illyricum and the respective duces in Pannonia, Dacia and Macedonia. The comes may have switched from the Western to the Eastern army, and back, and back again. In the ND, the East has a Magister Militum per Illyricum which may have been created for this complicated situation.

[Lothia]

Robert,

Great information. Thanks.