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'''Censorius Datianus''' ([[floruit|fl.]] 337–365) was a politician of the [[Roman Empire]], very influential under the rule of Emperor [[Constantius II]] (337-361).

== Biography ==

Datianus was the son of a servant in the public baths, and he climbed the social ladder to the position of senator in [[Constantinople]] and ''[[Patrikios|patricius]]'' of the Empire.

He had some properties in [[Antioch]], where he built public baths, some gardens and some villas. He also exchanged letters with [[Libanius]], from whom he received, between 355 and 365, 20 letters still conserved.

After serving under Emperor [[Constantine I]], he became one of the main counsellors of his son [[Constantius II]]. As ''[[comes]]'' in 345, he wrote a letter to bishop [[Athanasius of Alexandria|Athanasius]] inviting him to return to his see in [[Alexandria]], after being deposed by the Arians. In 351 was a member of the tribunal that put bishop [[Photinus]] on trial at the synod of [[Sirmium]]. In 354 he allowed Libanius to return to Antioch. In 358 he held the [[Roman consul|consul]]ate, and he was still ''patricius'' as of 18 September of that year. After the death of Constantius and the rise to power of [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]] (361-363), he lost influence.

In 363, now elderly, he was in Antioch when Julian died. Datianus followed the new Emperor [[Jovian (Emperor)|Jovian]] to [[Ancyra]], where he passed the winter. When Jovian died in February 364, Datianus wrote from [[Galatia]] to [[Nicaea]], where the imperial court was gathered, to support the election of [[Valentinian I]]. That same month (February 364), the population of Antioch burned his house, and the city council was accused of doing nothing to fight the fire. The people of Antioch sent Datianus a letter asking for his pardon, through the intercession of Libanius; when Datianus gave his pardon, the people were so happy that Libanius, who brought the news, increased his prestige. Datianus is recorded as still alive in 365.

== Bibliography ==
* Scott Bradbury, ''Selected Letters of Libanius: From the Age of Constantius and Julian'', Liverpool University Press, 2004, {{ISBN|0853235090}}, pp. 80–82.
* [[Arnold Hugh Martin Jones]], [[John Robert Martindale]], [[John Morris (historian)|John Morris]], "Datianus 1", ''[[The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire]]'', Cambridge University Press, 1971, p. 246.

[[Category:Correspondents of Libanius]]
[[Category:4th-century Roman consuls]]

Censorius Datianus - Revision history

imported>Marcocapelle: /* Bibliography */removed parent category of Category:4th-century Roman consuls