Nepotianus
Flavius Iulius Popilius Nepotianus Constantinus (d.
30 June 350) was a member of the
Constantinian dynasty, and short-lived
usurper of the
Roman Empire.
 |
Nepotianus on a coin bearing his claimed title of Augustus. He ruled on the city of Rome for twenty-eight days, before being killed by usurper Magnentius' general Marcellinus. |
Nepotianus was the son of
Eutropia, half-sister of Emperor
Constantine I, and of
Virius Nepotianus. On his mother's part, he was grandson of Emperor
Constantius Chlorus and
Flavia Maximiana Theodora.
After the revolt of
Magnentius, Nepotianus proclaimed himself emperor and entered
Rome with a band of gladiators on
3 June 350, which caused the urban prefect Titianus (or Anicius, or Anicetus), allied to Magnentius, to flee, after being defeated at the head of an undisciplined force of Roman citizens.
Magnentius quickly dealt with the situation by sending his trusted
magister officiorum Marcellinus to Rome. Nepotianus was killed in the resulting struggle (30 June 350), his head put on a lance and brought around the city (Eutropius). In the following days, Eutropia was killed too, within the persecution of the supporters of Nepotianus, most of senators.
*
DiMaio, Michael, "Nepotian (350 A.D.)", DIR*
Aurelius Victor De Caesaribus 42.6,
Epitome 42.3*
Eutropius x.11*
Zosimus,
ii.59
