Alaric and the defense of Illyricum

[Lothia]

Ave, Civitas,

I am back with another question.

In my novel series "The Bandit King" I am at the point where Alaric is given a military position in the Eastern Empire.

Making sense of that though is becoming a bit confusing.
Was he made Magister Militum per Illyricum?

This presents a problem.  The ND has a Duke of Pannonia, (Western Empire) but that is only along the Danube Frontier.  It also has a master of the soldiers in Illyria (Eastern Empire) and that seems more likely the one given to Alaric.
However, http://lukeuedasarson.com/MagisterMilitumIllyricum.html lists 26 units under that command.
Would they then come under the control of Alaric?  The ND lists them but, unlike other entries, does not give a posting location.
So, were those units there when Alaric was given that title?  Does the ND show a troop disposition and command that did not exist in 395?

I do appreciate all your help.

Thanks in advance.

[Nathan Ross]

It also has a master of the soldiers in Illyria (Eastern Empire) and that seems more likely the one given to Alaric.

It seems quite likely, according to Claudian In Eutrop II 214-18: "The ravager of Achaea and recent devastator of defenceless Epirus is lord of Illyria; he now enters as a friend within the walls to which he was laying siege, and administers justice to those whose wives he has seduced and whose children he has murdered."

In de Bello Gothico Claudian has Alaric claim that the people of Illyricum have supplied his men with arms, which is usually assumed to mean that he gained access to the imperial fabricae.

However, we don't know if he was Magister. These positions didn't necessarily stay the same, and the ND just provides a snapshot of the situation at one point. He could have been appointed temporary Comes Illyricum for the eastern provinces, or even just Dux.

So, were those units there when Alaric was given that title?  Does the ND show a troop disposition and command that did not exist in 395?

Unlikely, I would think. The dispositions for Illyricum would have been totally confused by the movements back and forth during the civil war of 394-5 and the barbarian depredations that followed. Honorius referred in a letter to Arcadius of AD404 to "the destruction of dying Illyricum". Whether the ND records the situation before this, or after it, or a combination of both, we have no way of telling.

So the district probably had little if any regular military garrison during the period that Alaric was supposedly in charge of it (which could have been why he was given the post?).

[Lothia]

Nathan,

Thank you very much for your reply. Very helpful.