Fravitta facts for kids

Flavius Fravitta was an important leader of the Goths, a powerful group of people in ancient times. He was also a high-ranking officer in the army of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Fravitta was from a noble family of the Visigoths. He followed the old pagan religions, which meant he worshipped many gods. A historian named Eunapius thought highly of him for this.

Fravitta and the Goths

In 382, the Visigoths made a deal with the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. This agreement allowed the Visigoths to live in Roman lands near the Danube River. In return, they became foederati, which meant they would provide soldiers for the Roman army.

However, not all Goths agreed on how to live with the Romans. There were two main groups:

• One group was mostly Arian Christian Goths. They were led by Eriulf and did not want to become like the Romans.
• The other group was led by Fravitta. They wanted to stick to the treaty and become part of Roman society.

A Dinner and a Duel

In 391, Eriulf and Fravitta were having dinner with Emperor Theodosius. They started to argue, and Fravitta ended up killing Eriulf. The emperor's guards had to protect Fravitta from Eriulf's angry followers. After this event, Fravitta's standing with the Goths went down. But his position at the Roman court became stronger. Later, he married a Roman woman from a high-ranking family. This helped him, and his people, fit into Roman society even more.

Military Career and Achievements

Fravitta was always loyal to the Roman Empire. He moved up through the army ranks. Eventually, he became a Magister militum, which was a top military commander. In 395, he was given the job of stopping rebellions in the eastern parts of the Empire.

A historian named Zosimus wrote about Fravitta's success. He said that Fravitta "freed the entire East" from robbers. This included areas like Cilicia, Phoenicia, and Palestine.

Victory Against Gainas

In the year 400, Fravitta led the navy of Emperor Arcadius of the Eastern Roman Empire. He fought against the rebel Goth leader Gainas. Gainas was an Arian Christian and was trying to move his forces into Asia Minor. Fravitta's fleet won a major victory against Gainas's fleet in Thrace.

As a reward for his victory, Fravitta asked the Emperor for something special. He wanted to be allowed to worship his pagan gods freely. The Emperor agreed to his wish. Fravitta was also chosen to be a consul for the year 401. This was a very important political position.

Later Life and Death

Later, Fravitta lost the Emperor's favor. This happened because of political problems in the Eastern Roman court. The Empire's approach to the Goths changed after Gainas's rebellion. Fravitta was wrongly accused of being a traitor. He was then put to death around 404 or 405 AD.

See also

In Spanish: Fravitta para niños

• Gento (Goth)