GradyEdwardLoy

I was sharp with editor Llywrch but only used the same expression he used. Llywrch should be more careful than to make such an obvious error when he is a Administrator in Wikipedia and has the right to display the Platinum editor star. The error in question is his reinstatement of wording to the effect that Tonantius Ferreolus (Senator) was Pratorian Prefect of Gaul. Since Tonantius was born between 440 and 450, he could just barely have been old enough to have held the office in an honorary sense. In fact however the last known Praefectii Praetorio Galliarum from the time of Tonantius Ferreolus majority were Magnus Felix (his father in law's brother) 469; Eutropius in 470; Polemius (married into Magnus Felix's family) 471-472; and Aurelius or Protadius (again same family) 473. From 473 Rome was bartering away pieces of Gaul to the Visigoths and the office lapsed. It was briefly revived by Theodoric when he managed the Gallic territories of the recently defeated and killed Alaric II but he gave the office to Petrus Marcellinus Felix Liberius (again one of the Magni) between 510 and 534. It is not certain that the Senator Ferreolus who met Apollinaris in 517 was this Ferreolus or his son.

It is entirely possible that Tonantius Ferreolus, whose family had established ties with the Goths, played a role similar to that of the Patrician or Rector of Provincia though no record of such a position has been discovered. Ferreolus was located in Narbo which was an important city for the Goths after Tolosa. Ostrogothic records do indicate that Ferreolus may have been appointed defensor civiatis of the city of Pedena in Istria after the defeat of the Visigoths.

As to the reference to Ferreolus as vir clarissimus, he had a consular ancestor in Syagrius. Syagrius was also probably brother to Empress Aelia Flacilla, wife of Theodosius I (citation probably needed). Tonantius Ferreolus' father had been pratorian prefect as noted in 451 and his grandfather, who Sidonius pointedly does not name, may have been the usurper Iovinus, himself probably son (based again on Sidonius' writings) of the consul Iovinus of 367. In the 460's Sidonius was busy repairing his families relations with the Theodosian house (or more particularly Emperors Majoran and Anthemius who had married into it)following the collapse of Avitus' brief rule of the western empire and he was careful about praising a usurper who, though quite popular among some of the Gallo Romans, had nonetheless been put to death by order of Emperor Honorius and his Gothic ally Ataulf. Sidonius' marked sidestepping of any clear mention of the younger Jovinus (the Usurper) when he praised another descendant, Consentius, is an example of his equivocation when it came to the Iovini. Sidonius' grandfather, Apollinaris, may have been one of those executed for serving the usurper so his feelings are likely to be complex in that regard as well. He appears to have combined the honors and qualities of the two Jovini (the father, magister militum and consul of 367 and the son, commander at Mainz and usurper) in his praise of the former and perhaps the latter as ancestors and kin of his friend Consentius (See R Mathisen 1979 for a discussion of this).

In the case of the elder Tonantius Ferreolus (prefect), Sidonius skipped the name of the father altogether though some mention of paternal honors is made. Given the consular rank of Syagrius and Ferreolus' own prefecture, he probably did not need to mention the usurper to provide what he considered a minimum of compliment for one whose rank he so esteemed. On his mothers side he was of the Avici which meant he had the same Patrician descent as the Avici. His father was also said to be of Patrician descent but it is not known which Patrician he descends from. Any of these connections, but particularly his father's rank as praetorian prefect during the empire, was sufficient justification for him to bear the title in Gaul after the fall of the empire. Tonantius Ferreolus (the senator) was the scion of the most powerful Roman family in southern Gaul save the Magni and through his wife was related to them as well. Given that the Magni appear in some degree to have thrown in their chips with the Ostrogoths, the Ferreoli may have indeed replaced them in preeminence following the fall of the Western Empire. Ferreolus' survival through the fall of the empire and the Visigothic and Ostrogothic kingdoms and his family's continued eminence and office holding into the Frankish kingdom ensured that the family remained powerful for generations through occupancy of the churches of Uzes, Auch, Autun and Limoges and the patriciate of Provincia which generally fell to a relative. GradyEdwardLoy (talk) 12:49, 15 April 2012 (UTC)

Re: Your old account

As there's nothing negative with it, the easiest way to claim it is to put a notice on your user page, and optionally your talk page, that you previously edited under the old account, and then redirect them here. A good edit summary would likely preempt a reversion by admins or well-intentioned passersby. Dru of Id (talk) 14:07, 14 June 2012 (UTC)

Thank you for that advice.GradyEdwardLoy (talk) 14:15, 14 June 2012 (UTC)