Rufinus (consul) facts for kids

Flavius Rufinus (born around 335 – died November 27, 395) was an important statesman in the Eastern Roman Empire. He came from a region called Aquitania (which is now part of France). Rufinus worked for Emperor Theodosius I and later for his son, Emperor Arcadius. He was very powerful and had a lot of influence over the government.

A poet named Claudian wrote a poem against Rufinus called In Rufinum.

Who Was Flavius Rufinus?

Rufinus was described as a tall man who was always busy. He was very smart and ambitious, meaning he always wanted to achieve more. Some people also said he was greedy and didn't always follow strict rules, even though he was a strong Christian. He found the Greek language difficult, which was noted by people at the time.

Rufinus's Rise to Power

In 388, Rufinus became a high-ranking official called magister officiorum. This job involved managing the emperor's offices and staff.

In 392, he became a Roman consul, which was a very important position. In the same year, he was also made the Praetorian prefect of the East. This meant he was in charge of a large part of the empire's administration and military. To get this job, Rufinus convinced the emperor that the previous prefect, Eutolmius Tatianus, and his son were involved in bad dealings. This led to them losing their powerful positions.

Emperor Theodosius trusted Rufinus a lot. Rufinus used this trust to deal with people who disagreed with him at court.

Conflicts and Influence

Rufinus had disagreements with other powerful military leaders, Promotus and Timasius. During one meeting, Rufinus insulted Promotus, who then slapped him. Rufinus complained to the emperor, and Theodosius joked that he would make Rufinus a co-emperor if things didn't change.

With the emperor's support, Rufinus suggested that Promotus be sent away to train troops. Sadly, Promotus was attacked and killed by some barbarians in September 392. Some people believed Rufinus might have been involved in this.

After Emperor Theodosius died in January 395, Rufinus became almost like the real ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire. This was because he had a lot of influence over the young Emperor Arcadius. Rufinus tried to make his daughter marry Emperor Arcadius to become even more powerful. However, another important official named Eutropius stopped this plan. Eutropius, who was the emperor's chamberlain, arranged for Arcadius to marry Aelia Eudoxia instead. She was the daughter of one of Rufinus's rivals.

Rufinus also strongly disliked Flavius Stilicho, who was a powerful military leader in the Western Roman Empire.

The End of Rufinus's Power

During the time when Alaric and his Visigoths were rebelling, Rufinus had different ideas from Stilicho. Stilicho claimed that Emperor Theodosius had asked him to protect both Arcadius and the Western Emperor Honorius. Rufinus disagreed with Stilicho's power and kept his strong influence over Arcadius.

Rufinus's influence stopped Stilicho from defeating Alaric when he had the chance. Stilicho had trapped Alaric and his Goths in Greece in 395. But Emperor Arcadius, following Rufinus's advice, called back the Eastern troops that Stilicho was using. This forced Stilicho to move his forces away.

However, Rufinus's power did not last long. On November 27, 395, he was killed by the same Gothic soldiers who had been called back by Arcadius, under the command of a leader named Gainas.

Rufinus had a sister named Silvia, who was a very religious traveler. Her story is mentioned in a book called Lausiac History.

See also

In Spanish: Rufino (prefecto) para niños