Add to or Edit this information
Dux (plural Duces) is Latin for "leader", mainly in a military context.

History & Nobility

in Classical Antiquity & Byzantium

  • In Latin, Dux was originally a generic name for a military commander; such as a Roman general who commanded one or multiple legions without being a governor.

It was often used, with our without such specification, for a dux bellorum (literally, "leader of wars", a common description for various -mainly tribal- barbarian leaders) or dux provinciae (literally, "leader of a province") and the likes.

  • But one specific use became the 'absolute' one (not needing any specification) : in the late Roman empires (east and west), it was the less senior (contrary to the later nobiliary ranks) of the military Comes (hence Count, but below Duke) among the new military commanders, alongside the provincial governors, to whom was entrusted the permanent care of the border guard, especially in garrisons -on the limes (systematical fortications) along the Rhine, Danube, tribal deserts and rival Persia- in a specific military resort, usually corresponding to one ore more civilian Roman provinces, often sharing names or about. See for example Dux Britanniarum.

They are listed in the authentic early Vth century Notitia Dignitatum, which enumerates their assigned troops as well as their officium (staff) circa 405AD; for a map ('circa 408AD') see The Friesia project

Here is the list, by major administrative divisions; each time followed by the Comites (more mobile troops) :

    • 11 Duces in the (eastern) Pretorian PREFECTURE of (the EAST =) ORIENS :
      • 2 Dukes in the diocese of AEGYPTUS (EGYPT) : in Libya (two numbered provinces) and in Thebais (province, i.e. Upper Egypt); also 1 Count : Comes Aegypti (in Lower Egypt)
      • 6 Dukes in the diocese of ORIENS : Arabia (also?at another time? a Count), Mesopotamia, Osrhoene, Palestina, (Eufratensis &) Syria; also a Count in Isauria
      • 1 Dux in the diocese of PONTUS : the Duke of Armenia (2 numbered provinces); no Comes
      • neither Duke nor count in the equally Anatolian diocese of Asiana)
      • 2 Dukes in the -European- diocese of THRACIAE (THRACE) : in Moesia Secunda and in Scythia (each one border province); no Count

      2 duces in the (eastern) Pretorian PREFECTURE of ILLYRICUM :
both these Dukes in the diocese of ILLYRICUM : in Dacia ripensis and in Moesia prima (each one province); no Count

    • (western) Pretorian PREFECTURE of ITALIA (ET AFRICA) :
      • neither Dux nor Comes in Rome's own diocese of ITALIA SUBURBICARIA;
      • one Dux in the diocese of ITALIA ANNONARIA : Duke of Raetia (two numbered provinces); no Count
      • 3 Dukes in the diocese of PANNONIAE : in Pannonia prima & Noricum ripense, in (ripuarian) Valeria, in ; only later also a Count called of Illyricum (disputed prefecture, see above)
      • 2 Dukes in the diocese of AFRICA : in Mauritania (Caesariensis) and in Tripolitania; also a Count of (all?) Africa

      (western) Pretorian PREFECTURE of GALLIAE :
      • 5 Dukes in the diocese of GALLIAE (i.e. northern Gaul & Roman Germany) : in Armorica (i.e. Britanny), in Belgica (secunda), in Mogontiacensis, in Sequanica; also a Comes of the Tractus Argentoratensis; (later abolished?) in Germania prima; no Comes
      • neither Dux nor Count in the neighbouring diocese of VIENNENSIS (i.e. southern Gaul)
      • one Dux in the diocese of BRITANNIAE, called Duke of Britain, in northern England, on Hadrian's wall; also two Counts : one called of Britain and one of the (southern) Saxon shore
      • no Dux in the diocese of HISPANIAE; also a Count of (Mauritania) Tigitana and -shortly later- a Count of (all Iberia=) Spain

    In the Byzantine empire after the fall of Rome, the title was, according to one (erroneous, generalizing?) Wikipedia-article, made the regular one for the commanding officers -but another says these were styled Strategos, as in Hellenistic times-(military governors in modern terms) of the Themes, new territorial circonscriptions that would gradually replace the provinces as pivotal sub-empire level. cfr. Exarch

- See also Grand duke for the Byzantine high admiral styled Megas doukas

Aristocracy

  • Dux is also the etymological root of the feudal and modern nobiliary title duke (generally ranking below prince but above marquess and count), and is often Anglicized as such.

  • The same goes of course for the equivalents in various (mainly romance) languages, including the Italian doge (of two maritime city states with colonies, Venice or Genua) and duce (fascist leader Benito Mussolini) which both entered English and other languages in their own right.

  • And of course it applies to derived titles : Archduke, Grand Duke (both higher in rank, though below King)

modern uses

academic

Dux is an honorary title awarded to the top graduate in some schools, particularly in Scotland, Australia and New Zealand.

business

Dux was a Swedish subsidiary of Philips, originally an independent company that produced radios in the 1970s.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.