Aluzja do rebelii Eugeniusza czy ukłon wobec aspiracji rzymskiej elity. Nowa interpretacja mowy Maeciusa Faltoniusa Nicomachusa (Hist. Aug. Tac. 6, 1–9)

Abstract

Historia Augusta is one of the most enigmatic literary sources of Late Antiquity. Although manuscripts suggests that it was written during the reign of Diocletian or Constantine the Great most modern historians believes that it is work of one author, who probably lived many decades later than he had described. Some of contemporary researchers think that Historia Augusta was written in the last decade of the fourth century. They claim that speech delivered by Maecius Faltonius Nicomachus in the senate in the live of Tacitus is allusion to the usurpation of Eugenius. According to them this is confirmed by the fact that the previously mentioned speech is completely inappropriate to the accession of Tacitus. Of course author contrary to what he claims does not care about historical truth. Personally I don’t belive in link between Nicomachus speech and usurpation of Eugenius. I consider it is more likely that descendants of Aurelian, Tacitus and Probus, whos we know from Historia Augusta may be reference to the roman senators in the fifth century who discerned their ancestry in the former roman emperors.