Stilicho, Flavius
Stilicho, Flavius
(flā`vēəs stĭ`lĭkō), d. 408, Roman general, a Vandal. He was the chief general of Theodosius ITheodosius Ior Theodosius the Great,
346?–395, Roman emperor of the East (379–95) and emperor of the West (394–95), son of Theodosius, the general of Valentinian I.
..... Click the link for more information. , whose niece he married. By order of Theodosius, he served after Theodosius' death (395) as the regent for HonoriusHonorius,
384–423, Roman emperor of the West (395–423). On the death (395) of Theodosius I, the Roman Empire was divided; Arcadius, the elder son, received the East, and Honorius, the younger son, received the West. This division proved to be a permanent one.
..... Click the link for more information. in the West. In 395 he was summoned from Italy to defend the Eastern Empire against the Visigoths under Alaric IAlaric I
, c.370–410, Visigothic king. He headed the Visigothic troops serving Emperor Theodosius I. After the emperor's death (395) the troops rebelled and chose Alaric as their leader (see Visigoths). Alaric devastated Thrace, Macedonia, and Greece.
..... Click the link for more information. ; but after his arrival in Greece he withdrew without fighting, under orders from ArcadiusArcadius
, c.377–408, Roman emperor of the East (395–408), son and successor of Theodosius I. His brother, Honorius, inherited (395) the West. Henceforth the division between the Eastern and Western empires became permanent.
..... Click the link for more information. , who was influenced by his enemy and rival, RufinusRufinus
, d. 395, Roman statesman, minister of Theodosius I and Arcadius. After Theodosius' death (395) he virtually ruled the Eastern Empire for Arcadius, but his attempt to marry his daughter to the young emperor was thwarted by Eutropius (d. 399).
..... Click the link for more information. . In 397 he returned and drove Alaric into the mountains but permitted him to escape. His position was strengthened by the marriage of his daughter to Honorius. He was responsible for putting down a revolt (397) in Africa. Subsequently he campaigned in Rhaetia against the Vandals and other barbarians (401–2), fought Alaric at Pollentia (402) and at Verona (403), and crushed Radagaisus near Fiesole (405). In 408, Honorius, influenced by an ambitious favorite, had Stilicho arrested and executed for high treason. Stilicho did not resist, although it was in his power to do so. Rumor accused him of planning the assassination of Rufinus, of plotting to make his son emperor, of making secret agreements with Alaric, and of inviting (406) the barbarians into Gaul; but evidence to support the charges is lacking. Stilicho is highly regarded in the verse of the poet ClaudianClaudian
(Claudius Claudianus) , c.370–c.404, last notable Latin classic poet. Probably born in Alexandria, he flourished at court under Arcadius and Honorius. Besides panegyrics, idylls, epigrams, and occasional poems, he wrote several epics, the most ambitious of which
..... Click the link for more information. .
Stilicho, Flavius
Born circa 360; died 408. Roman military commander and state figure.
A Vandal, Stilicho advanced in the military and diplomatic service under Emperor Theodosius I. After the death of Theodo-sius in 395, Stilicho was appointed guardian of the young emperor Honorius and became the de facto ruler of the western part of the empire. He waged a successful struggle against the barbarians in Britain and along the Rhine and the Danube. In 402, Stilicho won victories over Alaric I at Pollenzo and Verona. In 406 he won a victory at Fiesole over the barbarian tribes headed by Ra- dagaisus. Stilicho was killed on orders of Honorius as a result of palace intrigues.