Entry (Details):

Inscr. 1-13 Rome: 1-3) VI 1188; 1189 = D 797; 1190; 4-8) VI 1730 = D 1277; 1731 = D 1278; 1732 = 31914 = XV 7134; 1733 = XV 7133; 1734 = XV 7136; 9-11) VI 31987 = D 799; 31988 (= 3868); 31989 = XV 7135; 12) D 800; 13) AE 1926, 124. Inscr. 14) XIV 165a-c Ostia. Inscr. 15) IX 4051 = D 795 near Carsioli. Inscr. 16) V 6250 Milan.

Full name Inscr. 4, 6-8, 11, 13-14, Rossi I 484, 486-8, 490, 537, 541-2, 545, 547, 551, 552; to be restored Inscr. 3, 5, 9-10, 15; elsewhere Stilicho.

His father was a cavalry officer who served under Valens Claud. de cons. Stil. I 35-9; he was a Vandal Oros. VII 38.1 comes Stilicho, Vandalorum inbellis avarae perfidae et dolosae gentis genere editus, cf. Joh. Ant. fr. 187 τοῦ Σκυθικοῦ γένους; his mother was a Roman Jer. Ep. 123.16 scelere semibarbari accidit proditoris (sc. Stilichonis).

His career is given in part on Inscr. 4 (erected at Rome after the defeat of Gildo in a. 398 and before his first consulship in a. 400): Flavio Stilichoni, inlustrissimo viro; MAGISTRO EQVITVM PEDITVMQVE;^(d) COMITI DOMESTICORVM;^(c) TRIBVNO PRAETORIANO;^(a) et ab ineunte aetate per gradus clarissimae militiae ad columen gloriae sempiternae et regiae adfinitatis evecto, progenero divi Theodosi, comiti divi Theodosi Augusti in omnibus bellis atque victoriis, et ab eo in adfinitatem regiam cooptato, itemque socero d.n. Honori Augusti, Africa consiliis eius et provisione liberata ex s(enatus) c(onsulto); and more fully on Inscr. 5 (erected at Rome between his second consulship (a. 405) and his death (a. 408)): Flavio Stilichoni, inlustrissimo viro; BIS CONSVLI ORDINARIO;^(e) MAGISTRO VTRIVSQVE MILITIAE;^(d) COMITI DOMESTICORVM;^(c) ET STABVLI SACRI;^(b) adque ab ineunte aetate per gradus clarissimae militiae ad columen regiae adfinitatis evecto, socio bellorum omnium et victoriarum, adfini etiam divi Theodosi Augusti, itemque socero domini nostri Honori Augusti.

(a) TRIBVNVS PRAETORIANVS MILITARISiRole name: TRIBVNVS PRAETORIANVS MILITARIS c. 383 (cf. CJ XII 23.13-14, 49. 2); probably sent at this time on a diplomatic mission to Persia Claud. de cons. Stil. I 51-68 when Still ‘vix primaevus’. This mission was probably shortly before the Persian embassy to Constantinople of 384 Marcell. com. s.a. 384, Hydatius s.a. 384 (see Sporacius). On his return he was married to Serena (niece of Theodosius) Claud. de cons. Stil. I 69-83 and promoted to be comes stabuli

(b) COMES SACRI STABVLIiRole name: COMES SACRI STABVLI c. a. 384: this post is referred to in Claud. Laus Serenae 190-3 dilectus equorum quos Phrygiae matres Argaeaque gramina pastae semine Cappadocum sacris praesepibus edunt, primus honor.

(c) COMES DOMESTICORVMiRole name: COMES DOMESTICORVM, c. a. 385/92: cf. Claud. Laus Serenae 193-4 gemino mox inde e germine duxit agmina. According to Zos. V 34.6 he had served as general for 23 years when he was killed in 408 (τρεῖς δὲ πρὸς τοῖς εἴκοσιν ἐνιαυτοῦς ἐστρατηγηκώς) and as he was apparently not magister militum until c. a. 392 it seems likely that Zosimus reckoned from his appointment as comes domesticorum. He is not recorded among Theodosius’s generals in the war against Magnus Maximus, but probably accompanied the emperor as comes domesticorum (cf. Inscr. 4 comiti divi Theodosi Augusti in omnibus bellis atque victoriis, Inscr. 5 socio bellorum omnium et victoriarum, adfini etiam divi Theodosi Augusti); it was probably on this occasion that Symmachus introduced himself and recommended Flavianus 14 to him Symm. Ep. IV 1, 2. He was perhaps predecessor of Addaeus.

(d) MVM (? per Thracias)iRole name: MVM (? per Thracias) a. 392?-3: 393 July 29 CTh VII 4.18 + 9. 3 dat. Cpli, addressed ‘Abundantio, Stilichoni et ceteris com(itibus) et mag(istris) utr(iusque) mil(itiae)’. He was probably not praesentalis since Abundantius and Timasius seem to have been praesentales at this date; since he is recorded by Claudian de cons. Stil. I 94-115, in Ruf. I 308-22, Laus Serenae 207-9 to have operated in Thrace and to have been ordered to spare the conquered barbarians through the influence of an ‘occultus proditor’ (i.e. Rufinus 18), he was perhaps MVM in Thrace in succession to Promotus. He and Timasius commanded Theodosius’s Roman troops in the war against Eugenius 6 Zos. IV 57.2. After Eugenius’s defeat Theodosius appointed him ‘στρατηγός’, i.e. magister utriusque militiae (praesentalis) in the West Zos. IV 59.1.

COMESiRole name: COMES ET MVM (PRAESENTALIS) (in the West)iRole name: MVM (PRAESENTALIS) (in the West) a. 394-408: Inscr. 15 consiliis inlustrisiRole name: inlustris et praeclari viri Fl. Stiliconis comitis et magistri utriusque militiae (date probably 398/9, see Quintilius Laetus 2); Inscr. 1-3 ex suggestione v.c. et inlustris com. et mag. utriusq. militiae Stiliconis (date probably a. 401/2); Inscr. 13 Fl. Stilichoni v.c. et inlustri magistro utriusque militiae et consuli ordinario (? a. 400); v.c. et inl. com. et mag. utriusque militiae (or similar) Inscr. 6-11; 398 Sept. 13 CTh I 7.3 (magistro militum) (on Africa); 398 Sept. 26 CTh VII 22.12 (com. et magistro utriusque militiae); 399 Sept. 13 CTh VII 5.1 (comiti et magistro utriusque mil.); 400 Jan. 30 CTh VII 20.12 (magistro utriusque mil.) (mentions laeti, Alamanni and Sarmatae as recruits); 400 March 19 CTh VII 1.18 (mag. mil.); 407 March 22 CTh VII 13.18 (com. et magistro militum); 407^S (MSS 409) March 22 CTh VII 20.13 (comiti et magistro utriusque militiae). It seems that Stilicho strengthened the powers of his office by putting all comites and duces under its disposition (as shown in Not. Dig. Occ. V 126-43) and also by appointing the principes, commentarienses and numerarii of comites and duces from the central officia (as in Not. Dig. Occ. XXV, XXVI, XXVIII-XXXVIII, XL-XLI, cf. CTh I 7.3 (398 Sept. 13) which applies the rule to Africa after the defeat of Gildo).

According to Zos. IV 59.1 Theodosius appointed Stilicho guardian of Honorius (Στελίχωνα στρατηγόν τε ἀποφήνας ἅμα τῶν αὐτόθι ταγμά­των καὶ ἐπίτροπον καταλιπὼν τῷ παιδί), cf. Oros. VII 37.1 interea cum a Theodosio imperatore seniore singulis potissimis infantum cura et disciplina utriusque palatii commissa esset, hoc est Rufino orientalis aulae, Stiliconi occidentalis imperii, Eun. fr. 62 τὸ μὲν ὄνομα ἦν τῶν βασιλέων, τὸ δὲ ἔργον τῶν μὲν κατὰ τὴν ἑῴαν Ῥουφίνου, τὰ δὲ ἑσπέρια Στελίχωνος εἰς ἅπασαν ἐξουσίαν⸱ οὕτω γοῦν οἱ μὲν βασιλεῖς ἐπετάττοντο παρὰ τῶν ἐπιτροπευόντων τὰς ἀρχάς, οἱ δὲ ἐπιτροπεύοντες ἀεὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐπολέμουν ὥσπερ βασιλεύοντες, Joh. Ant. fr. 188 ὅτι οἱ ἐπίτροποι Ἀρκαδίου καὶ Ὁνωρίου Ῥουφῖνος καὶ Στελίχων ἄμφω τὰ πάντων συνήρπαζον. He was thus after Theodosius’s death virtual ruler of the Western empire, cf. also Philost. HE XI 3, Zos. V 1.1-4; moreover at Theodosius’s death, he was de facto in command not only of the western but of most of the eastern army. He thereupon claimed that the emperor had left him guardian of both his sons Zos. V 4.3 ἔλεγε γὰρ ἐπιτετράφθαι παρὰ Θεοδοσίου τελευτᾶν μέλλοντος τὰ κατ’ ἄμφω τοὺς βασιλέας ἔχειν ἐν πάσῃ φροντίδι, cf. V 34.6 ἀμφοῖν αὐτοῦ τοῖν παίδοιν τὰς βασιλείας ἐπιτραπείς, Olymp. fr. 2 καταστὰς ἐπίτροπος τῶν παίδων Ἀρκαδίου καὶ Ὁνωρίου ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν Θεοδοσίου τοῦ μεγάλου, a claim mentioned not only by Claudian (in Ruf. II 4-6 iamque tuis Stilicho Romana potentia curis et rerum commissus apex. Tibi credita fratrum utraque maiestas geminaeque exercitus aulae, de III cons. Hon. 157-8, de IV cons. Hon. 430-3, de cons. Stil. II 53-5, 59-60) but also by Ambrose (de ob. Theod. 5 de filiis enim nihil habebat novum quod conderet, quibus totum dederat, nisi ut eos praesenti commendaret parenti). Acting upon it, he marched his armies in 395 into Greece to suppress Alaric’s Visigoths, and was on the point of crushing them, according to Claudian, when he received orders from Arcadius, inspired by Rufinus 18, to withdraw to the West and send back the eastern army Claud. in Ruf. II 101 ff. He obeyed but instructed Gainas, who led the eastern regiments back to Constantinople, to kill Rufinus Claud. in Ruf. II 202 ff. Zos. V 7, Joh. Ant. fr. 190, Philost. HE XI 3. He was in Milan early in 396 Paulin. V. Amb. 34 and later visited the Rhine frontier Claud. de cons. Stil. I 189-231, de IV cons. Hon. 439-59. In 397 he led a seaborne expedition to the Peloponnese, which Alaric had invaded, but was again ordered by Arcadius, inspired this time by Eutropius (Vol. II), to withdraw, and he obeyed again Claud. de IV cons. Hon. 459 ff., cf. de bello Get. 513-17, Zos. V 7. Perhaps as a result of this incident Eutropius had Stilicho declared a public enemy by the senate of Constantinople Zos. V 11.1. In the same year (a. 397) Stilicho was faced with the rebellion of Gildo (MVM in Africa) and he sent Gildo’s brother Mascezel with a small force against him; Mascezel was victorious, but on his return (in 398) was drowned, apparently by accident, but possibly on Stilicho’s orders Claud. de bello Gild. passim, Zos. V 11.2-5, Oros. VII 36.2-13.

(e) CONSVL prioriRole name: CONSVL prior a. 400 with Aurelianus 3: Fasti, Rossi I 484-93, SB 9359, AE 1905, 83, 1930, 69, Inscr. 13.

In the autumn of 401 Alaric invaded Italy, but Stilicho defeated him in 402 at the battles of Pollentia and Verona Claud. de bello Get., de VI cons. Hon. 127 ff., Oros. VII 37.2, Prud. c. Symm. II 711 ff., Jord. Get. 154.

(e) CONSVL II prior a. 405 with Anthemius PPO (Vol. II): Fasti, Rossi I 537-42, cf. 543-53, AB 1905, 85, 1924, 100, 1948, 99, Inscr. 5.

In 405 Radagaisus (Vol. II) invaded Italy, but in 406 Stilicho defeated him at Faesulae Zos. V 26.3-5, Oros. VII 37.4-16, Marcell. com. s.a. 406, Jord. Get. 154, Prosp. Tiro s.a. 406 ( = Chron. Min. I 299), Aug. Civ. Dei V 23, Olymp. fr. 9. According to Zosimus, Stilicho had already before Radagaisus’s invasion planned to annex Illyricum and had reached agreement with Alaric to this end Zos. V 26.2; in 407 he appointed Alaric magister militum (Vol. II) and Iovius PPO in Illyricum, intending to march there, but he was deterred by a rumour that Alaric was dead and by the news that the usurper Constantine had crossed from Britain to Gaul Zos. V 27.2-3, Soz. VIII 25 = IX 4, cf. Olymp. fr. 3. In the following year (a. 408) Alaric marched into Noricum and demanded 4,000 lb. of gold as compensation for his expenses while awaiting Stilicho’s arrival in Epirus, and Stilicho persuaded the senate to consent to the payment Zos. V 29.1.5-9, cf. Olymp. fr. 5. When the news of Arcadius’s death reached Italy, Honorius wished to go to Constantinople himself, but Stilicho persuaded him to remain in Italy, sending Alaric with his Visigoths and other generals with Roman troops to attack Constantine in Gaul, and to entrust Stilicho with settling the affairs of the East Zos. V 31. Olympius Mag. Off. (Vol. II) suggested to Honorius that Stilicho was planning to make away with Theodosius II and install his own son Eucherius (Vol. II) in his place, and he spread the same story among the troops assembled at Ticinum for the invasion of Gaul; while being reviewed by the emperor there, they mutinied and lynched many high officers of state who were present (presumably regarding them as nominees of Stilicho) Zos. V 32 (the date was 408 Aug. 13. Cons. Ital. (= Chron. Min. I 300)). A warrant for the arrest of Stilicho was then issued by Honorius, on Olympius’s advice, and Stilicho took sanctuary in a church, but was persuaded to surrender and was promptly executed (on 408 Aug. 22) Zos. V 34; his executioner was Heraclianus (Vol. II) Zos. V 37.6. Stilicho’s fall is briefly described in Soz. IX 4, Philost. HE XI 3, XII 1, Oros. VII 38, Jord. Rom. 322, Olymp. fr. 2; the date is given by Cons. Ital. ( = Chron. Min. I 300). His property was confiscated CTh IX 42.21 (408 Oct. 25); he was declared a public enemy and the blockade begun by him against the Eastern parts was ended CTh VII 16.1 (408 Dec. 10). His supporters were persecuted Zos. V 35.

His wife was Serena Zos. IV 57.2, V 4.1, V 28.1, V 30.3, V 38, Inscr. 12, 16, Joh. Ant. fr. 187, Olymp. fr. 2, Claud. de cons. Stil. I 69-94, Laus Serenae. His two daughters were Maria (Vol. II), who married Honorius in 395 Zos. V 4.1, 12.1, V 28 (she died in 407/8), Inscr. 12, Claud. Epithal., Jord. Get. 154, Rom. 322; and Thermantia (Vol. II), who married Honorius in 408 but was divorced after her father’s murder Zos. V 28, 35, 37, Inscr. 12, Jord. Get. 154, Rom. 322, Olymp. fr. 2. His son was Eucherius (Vol. II) Zos. V 32 (whose death is described in Zos. V 34, 35, 37; he was a tribune and notary Zos. V 34.7); cf. Inscr. 12, Jord. Rom. 322, Oros. VII 38.1.6, Philost. HE XII 1, Soz. IX 4.

His initiative in public works is acknowledged in Inscr. 1-3, 15. Symmachus testifies to his predominance in many letters; Ep. IV 1-14 are addressed to him, and there are allusions to him in VI 10, 12, 36, VII 13, 14, 48, 59, 93, 104, 105, 106, 110, 122, VIII 29. The penal laws of Honorius against pagans and heretics were attributed to him Aug. Ep. 97.2 quo noverint inimici Ecclesiae leges illas, quae de idolis confringendis et haereticis corrigendis vivo Stilichone in Africam missae sunt, ex voluntate imperatoris piissimi et fidelissimi constitutas; quo nesciente vel nolente factum sive dolose iactant, sive libenter putant.

Stilicho was violently attacked by Eunapius for avarice and corruption Eun. fr. 62, followed by Zos. V 1.1-3, 12. 2, Joh. Ant. fr. 188, cf. Phot. Bibl. 98; but he is praised by Zosimus, probably following Olympiodorus, in his obituary notice V 34 for his financial honesty. Zosimus also (V 34) rejects his alleged treasonable ambitions for his son Eucherius, who rose only to be tribune and notary; this story is reproduced in many later authorities Soz. IX 4, Oros. VII 38, Philost. HE XI 3, XII 1, Jord. Rom. 322. He was also accused of collusion with Alaric Oros. VII 38, Philost. HE XII 2, cf. Rut. Nam. de red. suo II 41-60, Jer. Ep. 123.16 and of inviting the barbarians to invade Gaul Jord. Get. 115, Oros. VII 38.

He is implied by Aug. Ep. 97 to have been a zealous Christian.