Magister Militum

  • Magister Militum, meaning the ‘Master of the Soldiers’, was a term used from 324 CE onwards in the Late Roman Empire to describe the regional Military Commander of a Praetorian Prefecture.
  • The Title was later applied to the Supreme Military Commander of the Western Empire and his equivalent in the Eastern Empire. He was a powerful individual, subordinate only to the Emperor, making him the de facto Ruler if the Emperor was too young to rule himself.

History

  • The Office was created by Constantine I (324-337 CE), when he re-organised the Praetorian Prefectures.
  • He took away the military function from the Praetorian Prefect and divided it initially between the Magister Equitum (Master of the Horse) and the Magister Peditum (Master of the Soldiers).
  • Each of the Four Praetorian Prefectures held these two officials.
  • Later Emperors in the Western Roman Empire then consolidated these two positions into the office of Magister Militum.

Magister Utriusque Militiae (MVM)

  • This Title was later applied to the Supreme Military Commander of the Western Empire and his two equivalents in the Eastern Empire.
  • He was a powerful individual, subordinate only to the Emperor, making him the de facto Ruler if the Emperor was too young to rule himself.
  • Examples are:

 

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