Background
He belonged to the Symmachi, one of the richest and most influential senatorial families in Rome. His father, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, had been consul in 446.
historian politician Ancient Roman senator
He belonged to the Symmachi, one of the richest and most influential senatorial families in Rome. His father, Quintus Aurelius Symmachus, had been consul in 446.
He was a patron of secular learning, and became the consul for the year 485. Symmachus cultivated the ancient Roman culture, writing a Roman history in seven volumes. This work has been lost except for a section quoted by Jordanes in his Getica.
Symmachus" wealth enabled his patronage: he was involved in publication of the Commentarii in Somnium Scipionis by Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, and there is even a copy of the work corrected by his hand.
Foreign the most part, Symmachus maintained good relationships with the new rulers of Italy—both Odovacer and Theodoric the Great -- demonstrated by his appointment as praefectus urbi between 476 and 491, consul in 485, patricius within 510, and even reaching the influential rank of caput senatus (president of the Senate). His visit to Constantinople, after which Priscian dedicated him some poems, was likely on behalf of king Theodoric.
However, Symmachus contradicted the Ostrogothic king, who condemned him to death for treason in 526, one year after the execution of Boethius.
Memmius Symmachus" civil offices included being appointed sole consul for 485, the third known member of his family to hold this office.