Connections in History: Flavius Stilicho and Benedict Arnold

Flavius Stilicho was a noble Roman general, perhaps the best of his time. Like Benedict Arnold, another brilliant general, Stilicho never received the respect that he truly deserved. Without his diplomatic skills, the Visigoths led by Alaric would have sacked Rome long before. The son of a Vandal father and Roman woman, Stilicho had to work very hard to the earn the respect of the Roman public. Unfortunately for both him and Rome, Stilicho was never quite able to truly earn the respect and admiration of the people he devoted his life to defend. Emperor Theodosius I entrusted the Western Roman army and care for his young son Honorius, the Western Roman Emperor, to Stilicho. Honorius was extremely fickle and cared more for the luxuries royal life had to offer him than his duties as Emperor. Despite his loyalty to the Roman people and his success as a military general, Stilicho was assassinated per the orders of Honorius. Honorius had been convinced to order the death sentence by his power-hungry aids who were Stilicho's political opponents. Stilicho could have contested his charges but refused to, therefore dying a noble death. Benedict Arnold was perhaps the greatest military general for the colonies during the early stages of the Revolution. Unlike Stilicho, Arnold's excessive pride got the best of him causing him to commit his infamous act of treason. Arnold was crucial to the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, though he was not recognized for his acts. The general felt as though he was not being appreciated by the Americans and this hurt him most of all. Stilicho and Arnold are connected by the simple fact that the stories of both figures have sad endings. Both figures were elite military figures of their time, but neither was truly treated as such. While Stilicho died a noble death, Arnold, the epitome of treachery and deceit, died alone and regretful.