Once again to the "uprising" of the goths of Alaric in 395 in the context of the confrontation between Stilicho and Rufinus

Yartsev Sergey Vladimirovich

The article is devoted to the complex topic of the "uprising" of the Goths of Alaric on the territory of the Roman Empire in 395. Based on a thorough analysis of the sources, the author reviews these events in the context of the confrontation between Stilicho and Rufinus, the actual rulers of the West and East of the Roman Empire. The author believes that one of the main reasons for the conflict between the Romans and the Goths who were currently in Italy was the unexpected news for the barbarians about the brutal destruction of their homes in Thrace by the Huns. All this led to the need to revise the Gothic and Roman treaty and the demand of the barbarians to provide them with safer territories for settlement. However, Rufinus' new treaty with Alaric, authorizing the settlement of the Goths in the strategically important western province of Illyricum, triggered Stilicho's retaliatory campaign to the East against Alaric. It was the justification of this invasion and the attempt to hide its true causes that led to the appearance in the sources of horror of the Gothic "uprising", which in fact did not go beyond the violent withdrawal of food from the local population by the barbarians. Most likely, Stilicho set himself the goal of breaking this treaty, and returning Alaric to his command. Apparently, for Stilicho, this was the most effective way to force Constantinople to accept his claim to primacy over the entire Roman Empire. Rufinus' subsequent attempt to oust Stilicho from the eastern part of the Roman Empire, forcing him to return the Eastern army to Constantinople, led to the plot and murder of the Praetorian prefect of the East. After the fall of Rufinus, Alaric again lost the post of master of the army, and it was decided to return his Goths back to Thrace under the command of the new regional master Gainas. According to the author, it was Gainas, by his subordination to the western Roman command and personally to Stilicho, who was supposed to ensure the establishment of the latter's control over all the armed forces of the empire, despite their division into the western and eastern armies. If successful, it would lead Stilicho to his ultimate goal of dominating the entire empire.

Keywords:Roman Empire, Goths, Alaric, Gainas, Stilicho, Rufinus, Eutropius.