Stilicho, Alaric, Attila, and the Changing World of the Ancient Roman Empire
In the late fourth century, a man born of a Roman noblewoman and an East-Germanic Vandal father served as a Roman cavalry officer. Stilicho served Rome with distinction by embracing the Empire and all it stood for, and would go on to become the most powerful man in the Western Roman Empire. However, this position would not save him from his fate, nor would it stop the fall of the very empire he sought to protect.
Stilicho, Master of the Soldiers
The ivory diptych of Stilicho (right) with his wife Serena and son Eucherius, ca. 395 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Stilicho got his break early in life when his parents placed him on the roster of the guards of the court, where he perhaps made contact with the future emperor Theodosius. Later, Stilicho served on an imperial delegation to the Sassanid king Shapur III. Once returned from the Sassanid court, he married Theodosius' niece, Serena and was given the promotion “master of the stable”.
Painting of Theodosis (in red). (Public Domain)
By 385 AD, he was promoted to general and chief of the guard. In 391, Stilicho was promoted to an even higher post as master of both services, the commander and chief of the army, and it was during this time he met Alaric, Visigoth warlord, and they became comrades in battle.
- King Alaric: His Famous Sacking of Rome and Secretive Burial
- Exploring the Origins of the Vandals, The Great Destroyers
While his promotions are recorded, little is known of his early military career. However, it is with certainty that Stilicho was involved with defeating the pretender Eugenius of the Western Roman Empire and his commander Arbogast in 394.
Alaric, King of the Visigoths (Public Domain)
