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Augustamnica

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Provincia Augustamnica
ἐπαρχία Αὐγουσταμνικῆς
Province of the Byzantine Empire
315–641
CapitalPelusium
Historical eraAntiquity
• Established 315
• Arab-Byzantine Wars 641
Preceded by Succeeded by
Roman Egypt
Rashidun Caliphate
Today part of Egypt

Augustamnica (Latin) or Augoustamnike (Greek) was a Roman province of Egypt 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.

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.

Map of the late Roman Diocese of Egypt, with Augustamnica in the East.

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; 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:

  • 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).

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.

Leontopolis was the capital of Augustamnica Secunda.

Episcopal sees

Ancient episcopal sees of Augustamnica I listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees:

Ancient episcopal sees of Augustamnica II listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees:

Notes

  1. Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, p. 102
  2. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), "Sedi titolari", pp. 819-1013
  3. 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.
  4. ^ Keenan, p. 613.
  5. Notitia Dignitatum In partibus Orientis, XXVIII.
  6. 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.
Late Roman and early Byzantine provinces (4th–7th centuries AD)
History
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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