g joint emperor with Arcadius.

This ambition of Rufinus placed him at once in an attitude of opposition
to Stilicho, who was himself not above the suspicion of entertaining
similar schemes, not, however, in the interest of his own person, but
for his son Eucherius. The position of the Vandal, who was connected by
marriage with the imperial family, gave him an advantage over Rufinus,
which was strengthened by the generally known fact that Theodosius had
given him his last instructions. Stilicho, moreover, was popular with
the army, and for the present the great bulk of the forces of the empire
was at his disposal; for the regiments united to suppress Eugenius had
not yet been sent back to their various stations. Thus a struggle was
imminent between the ambitious minister who had the ear of Arcadius, and
the strong general who held the command and enjoyed the favor of the
army.

Before the end of the year this struggle began and concluded in an
extremely curious way; but we must first relate how a certain scheme of
Rufinus had been checkmated by an obscurer but wilier rival nearer at
hand.

It was the cherished project of Rufinus to unite Arcadius with his only
daughter; once the Emperor's father-in-law, he might hope to become
speedily an emperor himself. But he imprudently made a journey to
Antioch, in order to execute vengeance personally on the Count of the
East, who had offended him; and during his absence from Byzantium an
adversary stole a march on him. This adversary was the eunuch Eutropius,
the lord chamberlain, a bald old man, who with oriental craftiness had
won his way up from the meanest services and employments. Determining
that the future Empress should be bound to himself and not to Rufinus,
he chose Eudoxia, a girl of singular beauty, the daughter of a
distinguished Frank, but herself of Roman education.

Her father, Bauto, was dead, and she lived in the house of the widow and
sons of one of the victims of Rufinus. Eutropius showed a picture of the
Frank maiden to the Emperor and engaged his affections for her; the
nuptials were arranged by the time Rufinus returned to Constantinople,
and were speedily celebrated (April 27, 395). This was a blow to
Rufinus, but he was still the most powerful man in the East.

The event which at length brought him into contact with Stilicho was the
rising of the Visigoths, who had been settled by Theodosius in Moesia
and Thrace, and were bound in return for their la