Stilicho

Stilicho, Flavius Stilicho (c. 360–408), was a high-ranking Roman general who served as magister militum of the Western Roman Empire and, for a period, as the de facto regent for the young Emperor Honorius. His ethnicity is debated; antiquity often described him as of barbarian descent, possibly Vandal or Gothic, but modern scholarship emphasizes the uncertainty of his origins and frames him as a Roman military commander who rose through the imperial service.

He rose to prominence under Emperor Theodosius I and, after Theodosius's death in 395, became the chief military leader in the West. Stilicho directed the Western army against external threats and played a central role in defending the frontier, managing relations with various barbarian groups, and trying to preserve imperial authority during a period of dynastic transition. His influence extended to political affairs in Ravenna, where court factions often clashed with his policies.

In 408, Stilicho was accused of treason by opponents at the Eastern court and the imperial regime, and he was executed. His removal destabilized Western governance and precipitated a crisis that weakened the empire’s ability to respond to Gothic pressures in Italy. In 410, Alaric and the Visigoths sacked Rome, an event that underscored the fragility of the Western Empire after Stilicho’s death.

Stilicho's career remains a subject of historiographical debate, particularly regarding his origins and his approach to frontier policy. He is remembered as one of the era’s most capable Western generals, whose fortunes significantly influenced the late antique balance between imperial authority and the pressures from barbarian groups.