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Emperors 
Battle of Frigidus |
year: 3946 September 394 |
| Victory of Theodosius against the usurpers of the throne of the West | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
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enemy: Romans (Civil War)
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location: Near Frigidus river (Vipava river?) in modern Slovenia, near the village Sanabor
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accuracy:
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battle type: Pitched Battle |
war: Later Roman Military Civil Wars |
modern country:
Slovenia |
| ▼ The Byzantines(emperor: Theodosius I the Great) | ▼ The Enemies | |
| Commander: | Emperor Theodosius I (& Stilich, Alaric) | Eugenius & Arbogast |
| Forces: | 20,000-30,000 Romans & 20,000 Goths | 35,000 to 50,000 |
| Losses: | Heavy + 10,000 Goths | Heavy |
| Background story: |
| In May of 392, the Western Emperor Valentinian II was found dead at his residence in Gaul. Arbogast, who was the magister militum and the de facto ruler of Western Empire, informed the Eastern Emperor Theodosius that the young emperor had committed suicide. Theodosius apparently did not believe him. Arbogast, being a barbarian, did not dare to make himself emperor. Instead, he elevated Flavius Eugenius, chief secretary of the Western court, to the throne. Eugenius was a well-respected scholar of rhetoric and he was supported by the majority of the pagan members of the Roman Senate. The new emperor promoted the return to Roman pagan religion, restoring pagan ceremonies and privileges and important shrines such as the Altar of Victory. |
The Battle: |
 Battle of Frigidus by Johann Weikhard von Valvasor (1689) The first day of the battle, the western forces seemed to win. But the next day a fierce storm –a bora– blew along the valley. The high winds blew clouds of dust towards the Western troops. Legend says, that the strong winds even blew the Western troops' own arrows back at them. Buffeted by the winds, Arbogast's lines broke and Theodosius won the decisive victory. Eugenius was captured and beheaded. Arbogast escaped and fled into the mountains, but after a few days committed suicide. |
Noteworthy: |
| Before the battle, the usurpers placed a statue of Jupiter on the edge of the battlefield, and images of Hercules on the army banners.This however might be a fake story by the Christian historians of the era in their effort to justify the attack by Theodosius. |
Aftermath: |
| The whole empire was again under a single emperor, for the last time in Roman history. It was also the terminal defeat of the last Roman pagans. |
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