Magister pecoris camelorum

[Dickonbard]

Here in the province of Cyprus, our generally quiet life under Roman rule was disturbed (earthquakes aside) by only two events. One was the Jewish massacre led by Artemio in 115-6. The other was in 333, when an official named Calocaerus, with the bizarre title of Magister pecoris camelorum proclaimed himself emperor. Constantine had no difficulty quashing this implausible sounding revolt, and Calocaerus was hauled off to Tarsus in 334, and tried and executed there.

 

Two questions:

 

(1) How should I translate Magister pecoris camelorum? Wiki has 'Lord of the sheep and camels'. Is that right? Or would 'Master of Cattle and Camels' be better?

 

(2) Has anyone come across a job title like this in any other context or elsewhere in the empire? Does it sound like a job in charge of pasturage? Or transport? And how could a Magister pecoris camelorum realistically imagine he had even an outside chance of sustaining a bid for the purple?

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Magister Pecoris is more often found, being the title of the chief herdsman of a domain, agricultural treaties also say they would be acting as veterinaries, with a knowledge of the ailments of the animals under their care and of the cures.

 

Magister Camelorum does not seems to have been much in use, google does not find it.

 

Unfortunately my OCD does not have entries for either Calocaerus or Magister Pecoris/Magister Camelorum so I can't tell you much more at the present time but the reference to camels might and cattle might well be linked to army logistics. It would explain how a man in such a position could have some forces, some ressources, some credence and some (misguided) hope...

[Dickonbard]

Thanks, the idea of a military logistics job (I/C Ox & Camel Corps) makes sense. But the poor chap must have had serious delusions of grandeur if he thought that he could make a jump from such a post to Emperor.

 

I traced a reference to Calocaerus in Aurelius Victor (41.11): "Quorum cum natu grandior, incertum qua causa, patris iudicio occidisset, repente Calocerus magister pecoris camelorum Cyprum insulam specie regni demens capessiverat". There must be some other source, mentioning the suppression of his revolt and his trial and execution in Tarsus, but I can't track that down via the internet.

[Melvadius]

There seems to be some discussion of the references for the passage from Aurelius Victor on page 244 of a book by George Hill 'A history of Cyprus' which is available on Google Books.

 

Although not specifically referring to the 'Magister' in question you may find this item on Hierarchy in the Late Roman army, 300-550 AD by Robert Vermaat, posted on the Vortigern Studies website, of interest as it discusses the development High Command of the magister titles used in the later Empire.

[Dickonbard]

Many thanks, Melvadius. Two very helpful references. Don't know how you found the Hill book, but well done!

[Melvadius]

I must confess I Googled it probably as "magister pecoris camelorum" and maybe added Calocaerus outside quotes then just scrolled through the result screens until something more interesting came up than the usual repititions of Wiki.