Alaric - 'Roman Officer'?

[Robert Vermaat]

Alaric operated within the framework of the Roman state after he gave up his defiance in the marshes. The status of such men in charge of large non-Roman military forces, equipped and paid by the Roman state can be debated of course: Federate commander or Roman general? I doubt the Romans saw it either or. I doubt Alaraic became frustrated by a lack of promotion (do we even have a source for this?) but he certainly was frustrated by a lack of 'recognition' of his force as a regular Roman army instead of a group under a foedus - recognitiuon would have given him unlimited resources and a fixed position as a leader. That's why he can never have been a 'regular Roman general' in command of a 'regular Roman army', because we know his demands to Honorius in that area.

I think he could have been a general to secure regular payment but forever without command of an army. The most intruiging period for me would be after Stilicho contracts him to invade Illyria and appoints Alaric as magister militum per Illyrium!