Eucherius

Eucherius was the son of Stilicho, the of the Western Roman Empire, and Serena, a Roman noblewoman who was the niece of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I. He was born in 388 in Rome, Italy. Despite being the son of the , Eucherius did not rise farther than the modest rank of tribune of the notaries. Stilicho was accused by his political opponents of plotting to install Eucherius as a third emperor in Illyricum, and as a result of this Stilicho was arrested and executed on 22 August 408, and Eucherius soon after. Life Early life and family Eucherius was born in 388 in Rome to Stilicho, the (master of soldiers) of the Western Roman Empire, and Serena, a Roman noblewoman who was the niece of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I. That Eucherius was born in Rome is known from Claudian's III.177, where he described Rome as being the place where Eucherius "first beheld the light". Eucherius was named after the uncle of Theodosius I, Flavius Eucherius. Eucherius was the only son of Stilicho and Serana, but he had two sisters, Maria and Thermantia, both of whom married Emperor Honorius, from February 398–407/408 and 408–August 408, respectively. The exact birth date of Eucherius is unknown, however, he must have been born sometime before 405, as he was shown as a child in a consular diptych of Stilicho, although whether the diptych was for Stilicho's consulship in 400 or 405 is unknown. The poet Claudian describes Eucherius as being in his early manhood in I.123, which was written in 404. The passage describes Eucherius riding on horseback and hunting purple stags, which the historian Clare Coombe suggests is a reference to the rumors that Stilicho plotted to have Eucherius become emperor. From this, the historian J. B. Bury suggested that Eucherius was born 388; he must have been born before 389, as he is described as a baby at this time in a narrative of Theodosius' visit to Rome.