Flavius Bauto

Who was Flavius Bauto?

Flavius Bauto was a Romanised Frank who served as a magister militum of the Western Roman Empire.

When the usurper Magnus Maximus invaded Italy in an attempt to replace Valentinian II, Bauto led the forces of the Eastern Emperor Theodosius I and defeated the rebel. He died soon after, likely of natural causes. His daughter, Aelia Eudoxia married Emperor Arcadius in 395, becoming one of the more powerful empresses of Late Antiquity. He was succeeded by his son, Arbogastes.

Bauto opposed Ambrosius when the latter proposed to remove the pagan Altar of Victory from the senate of Rome. He lost the case and the Altar of Victory was removed. After his death, Arbogastes became the leader of a short pagan revival.