Arbogast (general)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
*
Battle of the Frigidus*
Valentinian II*
Theodosius I*
Eugenius*
Flavius Stilicho*
Magnus Maximus*
Article on Valentinian II relating to Arbogast*
Arbogaste History from Teodosio's L'ultima sfida*
Walter E. Roberts of Emory University lectures on Aborgast*
Flavius Stilicho
