Thalassius

(Τάλασσιος), or Tala'ssio, a Roman senator of the time of Romulus. At the time of the rape of the Sabine women, when a maiden of surpassing beauty was led away for Thalassius, the persons conducting her, in order to protect her against any assaults from others, exclaimed " for Thalassius." Hence, it is said, arose the wedding shout with which a bride at Rome was conducted to the house of her bridegroom. (Liv. 1.9; Serv. ad Aen. 1.651 ; Catull. 61, 134.) Others connect the name with the Greek ταλασία (spinning of wool), expressing the chief occupation of a newly married woman (Fest. p. 351, ed. Müller; Plut. Quaest. Rom. 31, Romul. 15); or regard it as the name of the god presiding over marriage. (Dionys. A. R. 2.31; Martial, 12.42. 4, 3.93. 23.) [L.S]

1. Praefectus Praetorio of the East, under Constantius II., possessed great influence with this emperor. He had previously enjoyed the title of Comes, and as such was sent by Constantius on an embassy to his brother Constans at Petobio in Pannonia, in A. D. 348 (Athanasius, Apol. ad Constant. init.). As praefect of the East he did all in his power to excite the bad passions of Gallus, and to inflame Constantius against him. Thalassius died in A. D. 353, and was succeeded by Domitian (Amm. Marc. 14.1, 7; Zosim. 2.48). Godefroy maintains that Thalassius could not have died earlier than A. D. 357 because he is said to have been at the conference at Sirmium, which is usually placed in this year, and because the name of Thalassius, praefectus praetorio, occurs in a law dated A. D. 357. But Tillemont has shown that the conference at Sirmium ought probably to be referred to the year 351; and as Ammianus expressly places the death of Thalassius in A. D. 353, the Thalassius mentioned in the law may have been praefectus praetorio of Illyricum. The matter is discussed by Tillemont, Histoire des Empereurs, vol. iv. note xxix. sur Constance.

This Thalassius appears to have written some work on the history of his own times, as Suidas (s. v. Θεόφιλος) quotes his testimony respecting his contemporary Theophilus.

2. A monk, lived in the deserts of Libya, about A. D. 662. Works Four Hecatontades

There are extant four hecatontades of Thalassius addressed to the presbyter Paulus, and entitled Περὶ ἀγαπῆς καὶ ἐγκρατείας καὶ τῆς κατὰ νοῦν πολιτείας, De caritate, vitae continentia et mentis regimine. Editions

These are printed in all the Bibliothecae Patrum. Further Information

Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. xi. pp. 113, 114.