Rufinus

Rufinus ro͞ofīˈnəs [key], d. 395, Roman statesman, minister of Theodosius I and Arcadius. After Theodosius' death (395) he virtually ruled the Eastern Empire for Arcadius, but his attempt to marry his daughter to the young emperor was thwarted by Eutropius (d. 399). Rufinus was assassinated by Gothic mercenaries, who acted possibly on the orders of his rival Stilicho.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Ancient History, Late Roman and Byzantine: Biographies