ABSTRACT

Both the sons of Theodosius the Great were young when they succeeded their father, Arcadius being seventeen or eighteen, Honorius only ten. Both proved feeble and lazy characters when they grew up. The government was as a result exercised in their name by others. In the west the actual ruler was for thirteen years the Vandal general Stilicho, who was in the last months of Theodosius’ reign in supreme command of the bulk of the field army of the whole empire, both the eastern force which had subdued Eugenius and the defeated army of the west. He had married Serena, a niece of Theodosius, and had been appointed guardian of both his sons by the dying emperor. In the west Stilicho strengthened his position by centralizing the army command. He held both the posts of magister peditum and magister equitum praesentalis, being styled magister utriusque militiae, and the other magistri were de facto if not de iure subordinate to him. All comites rei militaris and duces were put under his disposition and the chief clerks of their offices were supplied from the offices of the praesentales.