A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

GERMANUS. GERMANUS. 263
was of a rank inferior to that of his bride. Even nople. The emperor sent to drag him from his
this match was not effected without much oppo- sanctuary, but the resistance of his servants enabled
sition and grievous threats on the part of the: em- him to escape to the great church. Mamnice then
press. Germanus had another ground of dissatis- caused Theodosius to be beaten with rods, on
faction. His brother Borais or Boraides had on suspicion of aiding his father-in-law to. escape.
his death left his property to Germanus and his Germanus, it is said, would have given himself up,
children, to the prejudice of his own wife and but the malcontents in the city would not allow
daughter, to whom he bequeathed only so much as him to do so; and he, in anticipation of Maurice's
the law required. The daughter appealed against downfal, tampered with them to obtain the crown.
this arrangement, and the emperor gave judgment Meantime the army under Phocas approached, and
in her favour. Thus alienated from his uncle, Ger- Germanus, probably through fear, went out with
manus and his sons Justin and Justinian, the first others to meet him. Phocas offered him the crown,
of whom had been consul (he is probably the Fla- but he, suspecting the intentions of the rebel, devius Justinus who was consul A. D. 540), were clined it. Phocas having himself become emperor,
solicited to join in the conspiracy of Artabanes, and being apprehensive of Germanus, first made
who, after the death of the empress Theodora, was him a priest (A. D. 603), and afterwards (A. D. 605
plotting the murder of the emperor Justinian and or 606), feeling still insecure, put him to death,
his general, Belisarius. But their loyalty was together with his daughter. (Theophan. C/hronog.
proof against the solicitation, and they gave in- p. 388, 445-456, &c. ed. Bonn; Theophyl. Simoformation of the plot. Germanus was nevertheless catta, Hist. viii. 4, 8, 9, 10, and apud Phot.
suspected by the emperor of participation in it, but Bibl. cod. 65; Zonar. xiv. 13, 14; Cedren. vol. i.
succeeded in making his innocence clear. p. 710, ed. Bonn.)
In A. D. 550 Justinian appointed Germanus to 5. Governor of Edessa (A. D. 587) in the reign
the *command against the Goths in Italy. He of the emperor Maurice, was chosen general-by the
undertook the charge with great zeal, and expended troops who guarded the eastern frontier, and who
in the collection of a suitable force a larger amount had, by their mutinous behaviour, put their comfrom his private fortune than the emperor contri- mander, Priscus, to flight. During the reign of
buted from the public revenue. His sons Justin Phocas, we find a Germanus, apparently the same,
and Justinian were to serve under him, and he holding the military command on the same frontier.
was to be accompanied by his second wife, Mata- Narses, a Roman (or Byzantine) general, having
suntha (MaeraaovbOa), an Ostro-Gothic princess, revolted and taken possession of Edessa, Germanus
widow of the Gothic king Vitiges, and grand- was ordered to besiege the town, and was there
daughter of the great Theodoric. His liberality defeated and mortally wounded (A. D. 604) by a
and high reputation soon attracted a large army of Persian army, which Chosroes or Khosru II., whose
veterans; many soldiers formerly in the pay of the assistance the rebel had implored, sent to his relief.
empire, now in that of the Goths, promised to (Theophan. C'%ronog. vol. i. p. 451, ed. Bonn; Theodesert to him, and he had reason to hope that his phylact. Simocat. Hist. iii. 2, 3, and ap. Phot. Bibl.
connection with their royal family would dispose cod. 63; Zonar. xiv. 14; Cedren. vol. i..p. 710,
the Goths themselves to submit. The mere terror ed. Bonn.)
of his name caused the retreat of a Slavonic horde 6. A UTISSIODORENSIS, or ST. GERMAIN of
who had crossed the Danube to attack Thessa- AUXERRE, one of the most eminent of the early
loneica; and he was on his march, with the bright- saints of the Gallic church, lived a little before the
est prospects, into Italy, when he died, after a overthrow.of the western empire. He was born at
short illness, at Sardica in Illyricum. He had, Auxerre, about A. D. 378, of a good family, and at
beside the children above mentioned by his first first followed the profession of the bar. Having emwife, a posthumous son by Matasuntha, called, braced the Christian religion, and entered the church,
after him, Germanus. (Procopius, De Bell. JTandal. he was ordained deacon by Amator, bishop of Auxii. 16-19, De Bello Persico, ii. 6, 7, De Bello erre, and on his death shortly after was unanimously
Got/lico, iii. 12, 31-33, 37-40, Hist. Arcana, chosen his successor, and held the see from A. D.
c. 5, with the notes of Alemannus; Theophan. 418 to 449. He was eminent for his zeal against
CZironog. vol. i. p. 316, &c., ed. Bonn.) heresy, his success as a preacher, his holiness, and
3. One of the generals of the emperor Tiberius the miracles which he is said to have wrought.
II. The emperor manifested his esteem for him Among the remarkable incidents of his life were
by giving him his -daughter Charito in marriage his two visits to Britain, the first in or about A. D.
(A. D. 582), on which occasion he received the title 429.and 430; the second in A. D. 446 or 447,
of Caesar. Another daughter of Tiberius was shortly before his death, which, according to Bede,
married to Mauricius or Maurice, afterwards em- took place at Ravenna, in Italy, apparently in A.D.
peror. (Theophan. Chronog. p. 388, ed. Bonn; 448. His transactions in Britain were among the
Zonar. xiv. 11.) most important of his life, especially in his first
4. The patrician, contemporary with the emperor visit, when he was sent over by a council, with Lupus
Mauricius or Maurice, is perhaps the same as No. Trecasenus or Trecassinus (St. Loup of Troyes),
2. Theodosius, the son of Maurice, married his as his associate, to check the spread of Pelagianism.
daughter A.D. 602. During the revolt which closed He was successful not only in the main object of
the reign and life of Maurice, Theodosius and Germa- his mission, but also in repelling in a very remarknus left Constantinople on a hunting excursion, and able manner an incursion of the Saxons, who were
while absent had some communication with the re- struck with panic by the Britons (who, under the
volted troops under Phocas, who offered the im- guidance of Germanus, were advancing to repel
perial crown to either or both of them (A. D. 602). them), raising a shout of " Alleluia." This inciOn their return to Constantinople, Maurice accused dent occurred before the commencement of the
Germanus of conspiring against him, andGermanus Saxon conquest under Hengist, during the first
in alarm fled to one of the churches in Conlstanti- visit' of Germanus, The writings of Germanus
s 4