STILIHON Flavius (Flavius Stilicho)

(ca. 359-408 BC)
Vandal origin, Stilihon in his youth joined the Roman army, where his father had served. When Emperor Theodosius I reached high positions in the 384 was sent to the embassy to Persia to make peace. He was married to the niece of Theodosius Serena. Around 393 he was appointed commander of the troops of the Empire and remained so until the end of life. In 395 Theodosius died, appointing a regent at Stilihona young Honorius, was to become emperor of the Western Roman Empire. In 396 Stilihon drove Alaric and the Visigoths from Greece, he again defeated them, when they invaded Italy in 402 and 403. Then Honorius and Stilihon diverged on the question of what policies should be undertaken in respect of the Visigoths. Stilihon hired the Visigoths to counter the eastern Emperor Arcadia, which enabled him to keep them out of Italy. When Honorius Stilihona accused of treason, he could raise a rebellion, but did not use, and he was beheaded by order of Pope Honorius in Ravenna.