Arintheus

Flavius Arintheus (or Arinthaeus; died AD 378) was a Roman army officer who started his career in the middle ranks and rose to senior political and military positions.

[2] He belonged to one of the legions which accompanied Emperor Constantius II on his campaign against the Alemanni, where Arintheus was instrumental in securing a victory against the enemy in difficult circumstances.

Arintheus accompanied Constantius, but shortly after setting out the forty-four-year-old Emperor died of natural causes and civil war was averted.

[8] Arintheus was put in charge of the cavalry on the left wing during the advance into Mesopotamia, responsible for screening the main army from the Persians.

[10] As the city was considered impregnable Julian moved north, aiming to join up with a large Roman detachment commanded by Procopius and Sebastianus.

[12][13] The army continued to retreat but ran short of supplies and was trapped by the Persians on the wrong bank of the Tigris at Dura.

On their way back from the east, Jovian dispatched Arintheus to Gaul, where he was ordered to confirm Jovinus as the magister equitum, or senior military commander.

Valens immediately moved east to make a show of force to any Persians tempted to take advantage of the imperial confusion.

Most of Valens's troops had already crossed into Syria, which allowed Procopius to gain control of the provinces of Asia and Bithynia, winning increased support for the insurrection.

[18] On the border of Bithynia and Galatia Arintheus confronted an army commanded by Hyperechius, an ally of Procopius, and convinced the rebellious soldiers to defect to Valens.

In 368 he was dispatched to harass the Thervingi in Gothia, with his soldiers rewarded with a gold coin for every barbarian head they brought back.

[20] The following year Arintheus was asked to negotiate a peace with King Athanaric of the Goths, and was then promptly dispatched to the Persian frontier.

Shapur II had invaded Armenia shortly before, but Arintheus was able to force him out with little fighting, and to curtail Papas's attempts to come to an agreement with the Sassanid emperor.