The imperial order to arrest and execute Stilicho arrives in Ravenna. Stilicho attempts to take refuge in a church at night, but the next day, Honorius’s soldiers enter and swear before the bishop that Stilicho would be spared, only sentenced to prison. As proof, they present a letter from the Emperor, which they show to the general. This promise, however, is not kept. As Stilicho leaves the church, a second letter is read to him, ordering his execution. Heraclianus, commander of the garrison, takes charge of Stilicho and carries out the sentence, beheading the magister militum. Stilicho could have easily avoided the arrest and roused the troops loyal to him who accompanied him, who were merely waiting for a signal to intervene, but he does not do so, fearing the consequences such an action would have on the fate of the shaky Western Empire. Flavius Stilicho was of Vandal descent on his father’s side. He was a patrician, consul of the Western Roman Empire, and magister militum of the Roman army. He effectively exercised the regency of the western part of the Roman Empire from the death of Theodosius I, under the reign of Theodosius I’s young son, Honorius, but was unable to impose his authority on the Eastern Roman Empire. He led numerous military campaigns against the Barbarians and fought against the usurper Gildo in Africa. He repelled Alaric’s Visigoths and defeated Radagaisus’s Ostrogoths. However, to protect Italy, he left the Rhine frontiers unguarded, so much so that he was unable to stop the invasion of the Vandal and Alan armies. Finally, he failed to repress Constantine III’s usurpation in Gaul and Britain. During his reign, Stilicho pursued a policy consistent with that of Theodosius I: integrating the Barbarians into the army and society, and, in the religious sphere, promoting Nicene Christianity and opposing paganism and the Arian and Donatist heresies, thus attracting the hostility of the Roman elite. Upon his death, his troops sided with the Visigoths, who entered Italy to sack Rome.
