Synesius' Egyptian Tale, names

Mosaic depicting an angel. Museum of Ptolemais

Synesius' Egyptian Tale, or, On Providence, looks like a retelling of a part of the myth of Isis and Osiris, but is more than just a myth, because it clearly refers to events in Constantinople during Synesius' stay in 397-400. However, it is hard to "decode" this ancient roman à clef.

Osiris

The identification of Osiris and Aurelian (a friend of Synesius) appears to be certain. In 1.3 and 2.4, his career is outlined, and it closely matches Aurelian's:

Osiris	Aurelian
"in charge of the audiences"	magister officiorum 392/393
prefect of the city	prefect of the city 393/394
president of the Council	praetorian prefect 399-400
"supreme office"	consul in 400
exile	exile
returns in eponymous year	return in 400

Typho

Typho, the brother of Osiris, can not be identified, although he obviously took power when Aurelian was sent into exile after a Germanic leader named Gainas had taken over power. (The story is told by Zosimus, New History, Book 5; and by J.B. Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire, 1923, chapter 5.4.) We can not identify Gainas' partner in Constantinople, who became military leader himself: Caesarius and Eutychianus have been mentioned, but they are not known to have been brothers. But perhaps, Aurelian's opponent was not really his brother, and perhaps he was not a Roman at all. Allowing for some artificial license - perhaps Gainas himself is the man behind Typho.

Scythians

Synesius' code name for Germanic warriors who had settled in the Roman Empire. Many of had them lived north of the Danube, in the country that had once been the land of the Scythians, to the name is apt.