Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus
Quintus Aurelius Memmius Symmachus (died 526) was a rich and influential Roman aristocrat, a historian, and a supporter of Nicene Christianity. He served as consul in 485 and used his wealth to support learning and literature. He backed Pope Symmachus in a church dispute over the pope’s election and was later executed for treason along with his son-in-law Boethius.
Symmachus came from the powerful Symmachi family, one of Rome’s leading senatorial clans; his father, also named Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, had been consul in 446. He is the last known member of his family to have used an old Roman first name (praenomen). He had three daughters—Rusticiana, Galla, and Proba—and he adopted the young Boethius when Boethius’s father died. Boethius later married Rusticiana, and their two sons would both become consuls in 522.
In public life, Symmachus held several high offices. He was the sole consul in 485, served as urban prefect around 476–491, was named patricius around 510, and even acted as head of the Senate. He remained allied with the rulers Odovacer and Theodoric The Great, and he likely traveled to Constantinople on behalf of Theodoric.
Though his family had pagan roots, Symmachus was a committed Christian and participated in theological and political debates, including supporting Pope Symmachus against his rival Laurentius. He was a patron of letters and wrote a seven-volume history of Rome; most of this work is lost, but a portion is quoted by Jordanes.
His wealth funded scholarly work, such as Macrobius’s Commentarii in Somnium Scipionis, and a copy corrected by Symmachus survives. He enjoyed generally good relations with Theodoric, but in 526 Theodoric condemned him for treason, one year after Boethius’s execution, ending his life.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:50 (CET).