AETIUS (d. 454)

This article appears in Volume V01, Page 298 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: ADA-AIZ

AETIUS (d. 454) , a Roman general of the closing period of the Western empire, born at Dorostolus in Moesia,

late

LATE

in the 4th century. He was the son of Gaudentius, who, although possibly of barbarian family, rose in the service of the Western empire to be master of the horse, and later

count

COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

of Africa. Aetius passed some years as

hostage

HOSTAGE (through Fr. ostage, modern otage, from
Late
- LATE
Lat. obsidaticum, the state of being an obses or hostage; Med. Lat. ostaticum, ostagium)

, first with Alaric and the Goths, and later in the camp of Rhuas, king of the Huns, acquiring in this way the knowledge which enabled him afterwards to defeat them. In 424 he led into Italy an army of 6o,000 barbarians, mostly Huns, which he employed first to support the primicerius Joannes, who had proclaimed himself emperor, and, on the defeat of the latter, to enforce his claim to the supreme command of the army in Gaul upon Placidia, the empress-

mother

MOTHER

and regent for Valentinian III. His calumnies against his rival,

Count

COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

Boniface

BONIFACE (Bonifacius)
BONIFACE, SAINT (680-754)

, which were at first believed by the emperor, led

Boniface

BONIFACE (Bonifacius)
BONIFACE, SAINT (680-754)

to revolt and

call

CALL (from Anglo-Saxon ceallian, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch kallen, to talk or chatter)

the Vandals to Africa. Upon the discovery of the truth, Boniface, although defeated in Africa, was received into favour by Valentinian; but Aetius came down against Boniface from his Gallic wars, like another

Julius

JULIUS

Caesar, and in the battle which followed wounded Boniface fatally with his own javelin. From 433 to 450 Aetius was the dominating personality in the Western empire. In Gaul he won his military reputation, upholding for nearly twenty years, by combined policy and daring, the falling fortunes of the empire. .His greatest victory was that of Chalons-sur-

Marne

MARNE

(September 20, 451), in which he led the Gallic forces against Attila and the Huns. This was the last

triumph

TRIUMPH (triumphus)

of the empire. Three years later (454) Aetius presented himself at court to claim the emperor's daughter in

marriage

MARRIAGE

for his son Gaudentius; but Valentinian, suspecting him of designs upon the crown, slew him with his own hand.
See T. Hodgkin, Italy and her Invaders, vols. i. and ii. (188o).

End of Article: AETIUS (d. 454)

If you wish, you can link directly to this article.

<a href="http://jcsm.org/StudyCenter/Encyclopedia/ADA_AIZ/AETIUS_d_454_.html">
AETIUS (d. 454)
</a>

(Previous)
AETIUS

(Next)
AETIUS (fl. 350)

JCSM was founded in 1997 and exists to help the community and bring people into a life-changing and productive relationship with Jesus Christ. JCSM offers over 200,000 free web pages, including its weekly inspirational emails that were sent continuously for over a decade.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
1-888-887-0417 or Email