Cyriacus the Elder
| Cyriacus the Elder Ⰽⱏⰹⱃⰹⰰⰽⱆⱄ ⰽⰵⰾ Ⰱⱐⱅⱃⰻⱀ Cyriacus cel Bătrân | |
|---|---|
 Mosaic of Domnitor Cyriacus the Elder in the Church of Saint Alexander, Arciluco | |
| Dux of the Diocese of Amathia Domnitor of the Empire of Arciluco | |
| Reign | 8 May 423 – 10 February 468 |
| Coronation | 8 May 423 |
| Predecessor | Callistus Caedonius (as Dux of the Diocese of Amathia) |
| Successor | Zoe |
| Born | c. 403 Solaria |
| Died | 10 February 468 (aged 65) Acmonia |
| Burial | |
| House | Cyriacan Dynasty |
| Father | Callistus Caedonius |
| Religion | Sotirianity |
Cyriacus the Elder (Amathian: Ⰽⱏⰹⱃⰹⰰⰽⱆⱄ ⰽⰵⰾ Ⰱⱐⱅⱃⰻⱀ tr., Cyriacus cel Bătrân; Solarian: Flavius Cyriacus Caedonius), was the last military governor of the Solarian province of Amathia, and the first ruler of the Solarian rump state known as the Empire of Arciluco. He was born in the capital of Solaria and moved with his family to Arciluco when his father was named as the new Dux of the province by one of the last Solarian Emperors. After the death of his father in 418, due to the communications with the capital having been already disturbed by barbarian raids, he took over the position.
Under his rule, the territories led from Arciluco managed to retain a certain degree of Solarian authority, repelling several barbarian incursions and defending Arciluco against several sieges. Following a brilliant policy of diplomacy and military force, Cyriacus is credited with saving his realm - a realm that outlived the fall of the empire itself. After news of the Fall of Solaria reached Arciluco, he was proclaimed Emperor by his soldiers, although historians still disagree about whether he used that title or not, as very few evidence from that period has survived. The survival of Arciluco turned him into a near-mythical figure, and it is often incredibly difficult to discern between legend and fact. As an example, it is known that the young Cyriacus was a Solarian pagan - due to records of him having performed a pagan ritual with his father surviving. Most historical evidence points to him retaining his beliefs - but in the tradition of the Episemialist Church, Cyriacus is considered to have been a Sotirian in secret, and to have saved countless Sotirians from the pagan persecutions that followed the collapse of the empire, leading to his canonization in 1854.