4.  Stil’icho, a general of superior abilities, and a statesman of profound wisdom, acted as the guardian of Hono’rius.  He was descended from the perfidious race of the Vandals, and unfortunately possessed, in an eminent degree, the cunning, treachery, and cruelty that characterised his nation.  The administration of the Eastern empire was entrusted by Arca’dius, to Rufi’nus, who possessed all the bad qualities of Stil’icho without his redeeming virtues.  The ministers of the two empires hated each other most cordially, and each secretly sought to remove his powerful rival; but the superior craft of Stil’icho, and his great influence over the soldiers, made him conqueror. 5.  He was ordered to lead into the East a fair proportion of the army which Theodo’sius had assembled, and in obedience to the requisition, he marched towards Constantinople, at the head of the Gothic legions.  The approach of his great rival with a powerful army alarmed the timid Rufi’nus; he obtained a peremptory edict from Arca’dius, commanding Stil’icho to return to Italy, and the promptitude with which the order was obeyed lulled the Eastern minister into fatal negligence.  The troops arrived near Constantinople, under the guidance of Gai’nas a Gothic leader, and the emperor, accompanied by his minister, came out to welcome and review the soldiers.  As Rufi’nus rode along the ranks, endeavouring to conciliate favour by studied courtesy, the wings gradually advanced, and enclosed the devoted victim within the fatal circle of their arms.  Before he was aware of his danger, Gai’nas gave the signal of death; a soldier rushing forward plunged his sword into his breast, and the bleeding corpse fell at the very feet of the alarmed emperor. 6.  His mangled body was treated with shocking indignity, and his wife and daughter would have shared his fate, had they not placed themselves under the protection of religion, and sought refuge in the sanctuary.

7.  Stil’icho derived no advantage from this crime which he had planned, but not executed; Arca’dius chose for his new minister, Eutro’pius, one of his servants, and Gai’nas declared himself the determined enemy of his former general.

8.  The national hatred between the Greeks and the Romans was excited by the rival ministers, and thus at a moment when union alone would delay ruin, the subjects of Arca’dius and Hono’rius were induced to regard each other not only as foreigners, but as enemies. 9.  The revolt of Gil’do, in Africa, under the pretence of transferring his allegiance from the Western to the Eastern empire, was sanctioned by the court of Constantinople.  Such an event was peculiarly alarming, as Italy at the time imported most of the corn necessary to the subsistence of the people, from the African provinces.  The vigour of Stil’icho warded off the danger; he sent a small but veteran army into Africa, before which Gildo’s hosts of unarmed and undisciplined barbarians fled almost without a blow.  The usurper was taken and executed; his partizans were persecuted with merciless impolicy.