Conflict: Roman Civil Wars
Combatants: Western Romans (Eugenius) vs. Eastern Romans (Theodosius)
Location: Italy
Outcome: Theodosius victory
Following the pacification of Gaul, the Frankish General Arbogast turned on and murdered the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian II and installed Eugenius in his stead. Theodosius, the Emperor of the East, refused to accept Eugenius and assembled an army to invade Italy.
On September 5th, Theodosius engaged in a failed attack on the defensive positions of Eugenius at Aquileia. Theodosius then spent the night re-organizing his men and praying. The next day, he rallied his troops and, aided by a windstorm, smashed the forces of Eugenius. Eugenius himself was killed and the civil war was over.
Points of Interest:
Arbogast took his own life two days after the defeat at the Frigidus.
Theodosius died the following year plunging the Empire into chaos once more.
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Sources:
Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).
Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.
Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
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