Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/277

Rh GERMANUS. was of a rank inferior to that of his bride. Even this match was not effected without much oppo- sition and grievous threats on the part of the em- press. Germanus had another ground of dissatis- faction. His brother Borais or Boraides had on his death left his property to Germanus and his children, to the prejudice of his own wife and daughter, to whom he bequeathed only so much as the law required. The daughter appealed against this arrangement, and the emperor gave judgment in her favour. Thus alienated from his uncle, Ger- manus and his sons Justin and Justinian, the first of whom had been consul (he is probably the Fla- vins Justinus who was consul a. d. 540), were solicited to join in the conspiracy of Artabanes, who, after the death of the empress Theodora, was plotting the murder of the emperor Justinian and his general, Belisarius. But their loyalty was proof against the solicitation, and they gave in- formation of the plot. Germanus was nevertheless suspected by the emperor of participation in it, but succeeded in making his innocence clear. In A. D. 550 Justinian appointed Germanus to the command against the Goths in Italy. He undertook the charge with great zeal, and expended in the collection of a suitable force a larger amount from his private fortune than the emperor contri- buted from the public revenue. His sons Justin and Justinian were to serve under him, and he was to be accompanied by his second wife, Mata- suntha {MaTa<rovvda an Ostro-Gothic princess, widow of the Gothic king Vitiges, and grand- daughter of the great Theodoric. His liberality and high reputation soon attracted a large army of veterans ; many soldiers formerly in the pay of the empire, now in that of the Goths, promised to desert to him, and he had reason to hope that his connection with their royal family would dispose the Goths themselves to submit. The mere terror of his name caused the retreat of a Slavonic horde who had crossed the Danube to attack Thessa- loneica ; and he was on his march, with the bright- est prospects, into Italy, when he died, after a short illness, at Sardica in Illyricum. He had, beside the children above mentioned by his first wife, a posthumous son by Matasuntha, called, after him, Germanus. (Procopius, De Belt. Vandal. ii. 16—19, De Bello Persico, ii. 6, 7, De Bello Gothicoy iii. 12, 31 — 33, 37—40, Hist. Arcana, c. 5, with the notes of Alemannus; Theophan. Chronog. vol. i. p. 316, &c., ed. Bonn.) 3. One of the generals of the emperor Tiberius II. The emperor manifested his esteem for him by giving him his daughter Charito in marriage (a. d. 582), on which occasion he received the title of Caesar. Another daughter of Tiberius was married to Mauricius or Maurice, afterwards em- peror. (Theophan. Chronog. p. 388, ed. Bonn ; Zonar. xiv. 11.) 4. The patrician, contemporary with the emperor Mauricius or Maurice, is perhaps the same as No. 2. Theodosius, the son of Maurice, married his daughter a.d. 602. During the revolt which closed the reign and life of Maurice, Theodosius and Germa- nus left Constantinople on a hunting excursion, and wiiile absent had some communication with the re- volted troops under Phocas, who offered the im- perial crown to either or both of them (a. d. 602). (^n their return to Constantinople, Maurice accused (jermanos of conspiring against him, and Germanus in alarm fled to one of the churches in Constanti- GERMANUS. 2C3 nople. The emperor sent to drag him from his sanctuary, but the resistance of his servants enabled him to escape to the great church. Maurice then caused Theodosius to be beaten with rods, on suspicion of aiding his father-in-law to escape. Germanus, it is said, would have given himself up, but the malcontents in the city would not allow him to do so ; and he, in anticipation of Maurice's downfal, tampered with them to obtain the crown. Meantime the army under Phocas approached, and Germanus, probably through fear, went out with others to meet him. Phocas offered him the crown, but he, suspecting the intentions of the rebel, de- clined it. Phocas having himself become emperor, and being apprehensive of Germanus, first made him a priest (a.d. 603), and afterwards (a.d. 605 or 606), feeling still insecure, put him to death, together with his daughter. (Theophan. CArowo^r. p. 388, 445-456, «Scc. ed. Bonn ; Theophyl. Simo- catta. Hist. viii. 4, 8, 9, 10, and apud Phot, BiU. cod. Qh Zonar. xiv. 13, 14; Cedren. vol. i. p. 710, ed. Bonn.) 5. Governor of Edessa (a. d. 587) in the reign of the emperor Maurice, was chosen general by the troops who guarded the eastern frontier, and who had, by their mutinous behaviour, put their com- mander, Priscus, to flight. During the reign of Phocas, we find a Germanus, apparently the same, holding the military command on the same frontier. Narses, a Roman (or Byzantine) general, having revolted and taken possession of Edessa, Germanus was ordered to besiege the town, and was there defeated and mortally wounded (a. d. 604) by a Persian armj-, which Chosroes or Khosru II., whose assistance the rebel had implored, sent to his relief. (Theophan. Chronog. vol. i. p. 451, ed. Bonn ; Theo- phylact. Simocat. Hist. iii. 2, 3, and ap. Phot. Blbl. cod. Qb', Zonar. xiv. 14 ; Cedren. vol. i. p. 710, ed. Bonn.) 6. A UTissioDORENSis, or St. Germain of AuxKRRE, one of the most eminent of the early saints of the Gallic church, lived a little before the overthrow of the western empire. He was born at Auxerre, about A. D. 378, of a good family, and at first followed the profession of the bar. Having em- braced the Christian religion, and entered the church, he was ordained deacon by Amator, bishop of Aux- erre, and on his death shortly after was unanimously chosen his successor, and held the see from A. d. 418 to 449. He was eminent for his zeal against heresy, his success as a preacher, his holiness, and the miracles which he is said to have wrought. Among the remarkable incidents of his life were his two visits to Britain, the first in or about A. d. 429 and 430 ; the second in a. d. 446 or 447, shortly before his death, which, according to Bede, took place at Ravenna, in Italy, apparently in a.d. 448. His transactions in Britain were among the most important of his life, especially in his first visit, when he was sent over by a council, with Lupus Trecasenus or Trecassinus (St. Loup of Troyes), as his associate, to check the spread of Pelagianism. He was successful not only in the main object of his mission, but also in repelling in a very remark- able manner an incursion of the SaxonSj who were struck with panic by the Britons (who, under the guidance of Germanus, were advancing to repel them), raising a shout of " Alleluia." This inci- dent occurred before the commencement of the Saxon conquest under Hengist, during the first visit of Germanus. The writings of Germanus s 4