Stilicho

Flavius Stilicho (c. 359 – August 22, 408) was a high-ranking general (magister militum) and Patrician of the Western Roman Empire, notably of barbarian birth.

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He was born in what is today Germany. His father was a Vandal and his mother was a Roman citizen. He joined the Roman army and rose through the ranks during the reign of Theodosius I, who ruled the Eastern and Western Roman empires jointly. In 384, Theodosius sent him as an envoy to the court of the Persian king Shapur III to negotiate a peace settlement relating to the partition of Armenia. Upon his return to Rome at the successful conclusion of peace talks, Stilicho was promoted to general and was tasked with defending the West against attacks from the Visigoths, a role which he undertook for some twenty years. To create a blood tie with him, Theodosius married his niece, Serena to Stilicho, and appointed him guardian of his son, Honorius, in 394.

359: Events...

August 22: August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining....

Magister militum: Magister militum ("Master of the Soldiers") was a rank used in the later Roman Empire dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, it refers to the senior military officer (equivalent to a shogun or generalissimo) of the Empire. The Magister Militum was usually the power behind the throne and t...