Bucellarii (the Latin plural of Bucellarius; literally "biscuit–eater",[1] Greek: Βουκελλάριοι) were formations of escort troops used in the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity.
[2] The creation of the bucellarii reflected an increase in the "use of armed retinues by public officials" in the Roman Empire.
[2] The recruitment of soldiers of barbarian origin is well-documented as evidenced in the description of the army inherited by Constantius' widow Galla Placidia.
[6] The poet Claudian also described the bucellarii as an army of barbarians under the employ of military figures, politicians, and warlords such as Stilicho, Aetius, and the praetorian prefect Rufinus.
[5] The bucellarii generally received the highest salaries and were armed with the best equipment from the empire's factories.