Arbogast (general)

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Flavius Arbogastes (d. September 6, AD 394) known as Arbogast or Flavianus was of Frankish origin and the son of Flavius Bauto, Valentinian II's former magister militum and protector before Arbogast.

1 Life
2 Rise to power
3 The Battle of Frigidus
4 Rumors
5 Related links
6 External links

[edit] Life

Little is known of Flavius Arbogastes other than his career as the Western Roman Empire's magister militum following his father's death in 385. He was appointed magister militum of the Western Roman Empire by Theodosius I under the reign of Emperor Valentinian II in 388 following the death of Emperor Magnus Maximus. Arbogast was the de facto ruler of the Western Roman Empire, and Valentinian II, age 20, had little say in any matters. Arbogast is personally credited as the mastermind of pagan senatorial uprising in Rome following the academic debates between Christian and pagan senators for generations regarding abandoning Christianity and returning to paganism.

[edit] Rise to power

Following Valentinian II's death on May 15, 392,a new leader of the Western Roman Empire was needed. Arbogast, a Frank, was not a pure blooded Roman, and could not be an Emperor.

On August 22, 392, Arbogast, with the support of the Rome Senate, elected Eugenius, a Christian administrator of Rome with pagan sympathies, as his puppet emperor to appeal to Theodosius I. At the same time of Valentinian II's death, Theodosius named his son Honorius as emperor of the Western Roman Empire. After numerous efforts by the Western Roman Empire to appease Theodosius I following Eugenius's appointment, Theodosius I begun preparing to retake the West from Aborgast and Eugenius.

[edit] The Battle of Frigidus

On September 5, 394, Theodosius attacked Arbogast in the Battle of the Frigidus on the banks of the Frigidus (Wippach) River. The battle lasted two days with heavy losses on both sides. On September 6, Arbogast committed suicide immediately following his defeat in the Julian Alps. Co-Ruler Emperor Eugenius was killed in his camp on the same day.

This civil war ultimately ended pagan Roman senatorial opposition to the Christianization of the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the most important battles in the history of Western Civilization and Christianity.

[edit] Rumors

It is widely speculated that Flavius Arbogastes hanged Valentinian II in his villa, however, it was deemed a suicide. Both Valentinian II and Arbogastes frequently disputed rulership over the Western Roman Empire. Likely these allegations were propaganda used by Theodosius I to justify a hostile takeover of the Western Roman Empire for treason and heresy.