like almost all the children of
the Roman Emperors, vain and weak, spoiled by growing up as princes.
Arcadius, who was eighteen, had the East, and was under the charge of a
Roman officer called Rufinus; Honorius who was only eleven, reigned at
Rome under the care of Stilicho, who was by birth a Vandal, that is to
say, of one of those Teutonic nations who were living all round the
northern bounds of the empire, and whose sons came to serve in the Roman
armies and learn Roman habits. Stilicho was brave and faithful, and
almost belonged to the imperial family, for his wife Serena was niece to
Theodosius, and his daughter Maria was betrothed to the young Honorius.

Stilicho was a very active, spirited man, who found troops to check the
enemies of Rome on all sides of the Western Empire. Rufinus was not so
faithful, and did great harm in the East by quarrelling with Arcadius'
other ministers, and then, as all believed, inviting the Goths to come
out of their settlements on the Danube and invade Greece, under Alaric,
the same Gothic chief who had been a friend and companion of Gratian,
and had fought under Theodosius.

They passed the Danube, overran Macedon, and spread all over Greece,
where, being Arian Christians, they destroyed with all their might all
the remaining statues and temples of the old pagans; although, as they
did not attack Athens, the pagans, who were numerous there, fancied that
they were prevented by a vision of Apollo and Pallas Athene. Arcadius
sent to his brother for aid, and Stilicho marched through Thrace;
Rufinus was murdered through his contrivance, and then, marching on into
the Peloponnesus, he defeated Alaric in battle, and drove him out from
thence, but no further than Epirus, where the Goths took up their
station to wait for another opportunity; but by this time Arcadius
had grown afraid of Stilicho, sent him back to Italy with many gifts and
promises, and engaged Alaric to be the guardian of his empire, not only
against the wild tribes, but against his brother and his minister.

[Illustration: COLONNADES OF SAINT PETER AT ROME.]

This was a fine chance for Alaric, who had all the temper of a great
conqueror, and to the wild bravery of a Goth had added the knowledge and
skill of a Roman general. He led his forces through the Alps into Italy,
and showed himself before the gates of Milan. The poor weak boy Honorius
was carried off for safety to Ravenna, while Stilicho gathered all the
troops