Flavius Arintheus was a Roman army officer who started his career in the middle ranks and rose to senior political and military positions.
16 Facts About Arintheus
1.
2.
Arintheus served the emperors Constantius II, Julian, Jovian and Valens.
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Arintheus died in 378 while serving as magister peditum, one of the two most senior military positions of the Roman Empire.
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Probably a Goth, Arintheus began his career as a military officer.
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Arintheus belonged to one of the legions which accompanied Emperor Constantius II on his campaign against the Alemanni, where Arintheus was instrumental in securing a victory against the enemy in difficult circumstances.
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Meanwhile, Arintheus rose through the ranks, becoming a civilian court official under Constantius.
7.
Arintheus accompanied Constantius, but shortly after setting out the forty-four-year-old Emperor died of natural causes and civil war was averted.
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Arintheus is next mentioned in AD 363, as a comes rei militaris, a senior military position.
9.
Arintheus was put in charge of the cavalry on the left wing during the advance into Mesopotamia, responsible for screening the main army from the Persians.
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Arintheus repulsed at least one attack by the Persians during this part of the campaign.
11.
Arintheus commanded an infantry force during Julian's victory outside the walls of the Persian capital Ctesiphon.
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Jovian kept much of Julian's senior staff intact, and Arintheus retained his position.
13.
Arintheus was transferred to the court of Valentinian's brother and co-emperor, Valens, at Constantinople.
14.
Arintheus then accompanied Valens during the First Gothic War from 367 to 369.
15.
Shapur II had invaded Armenia shortly before, but Arintheus was able to force him out with little fighting, and to curtail Papas's attempts to come to an agreement with the Sassanid emperor.
16.
Arintheus was a correspondent of Basil of Caesarea, called Saint Basil the Great.