Flavius Afranius Syagrius

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For other uses, see Syagrius (disambiguation).

Flavius Afranius Syagrius (b. ca 345) was a Roman politician and administrator and was the father of Syagria, the mother of Tonantius Ferreolus. He was of paternal Roman descent as a Gallo-Roman Senator. He became proconsul of Africa in 379, praefectus Urbis Romae in 381, praefectus praetorio Italiae in 382 and was consul with Flavius Claudius Antonius in 382.

Flavius was his given name, Afranius was the family name, and Syagrius was a cognomen meaning "wild boar." He was buried in Lyon, France, then Lugdunum, beneath an imposing monument at the city gate, "not quite a full bowshot" from the church, and a statue of him was erected in the city.

He was the father of Syagria, clarissima femina (?), born c. 390, married to Ferreolus, born c. 390, and thus maternal grandfather of Tonantius Ferreolus.

He was also most likely the ancestor of Afranius Aegidius and his son Afranius Syagrius, as well as a relative of his predecessor Flavius Syagrius, Consul in 381, who was a friend and correspondent of Symmachus, the noted orator and vigorous defender of the pagan religion.

At present, Flavius Afranius Syagrius is the earliest known ancestor of any of the royal houses of Europe. His descendants almost certainly number in the millions and include most of the past and future kings and nobles of Europe. For an example, see Descent of Elizabeth II from the Romans.

[edit] Sources

• Christian Settipani, Les Ancêtres de Charlemagne (France: Éditions Christian, 1989).
• Christian Settipani, Continuité Gentilice et Continuité Familiale dans les Familles Sénatoriales Romaines l'Époque Imperiale, Mythe et Realité, Addenda I - III (juillet 2000- octobre 2002) (n.p.: Prosopographica et Genealogica, 2002).