Roman general. True Master of the Romain Empire from 433.

Flavius Aetius (sometimes francized in Aétius) is a Roman general who obtained the titles of “Patrice” into 433 and of “Master of the Militia ” for Gaules by Placidia Official reception (or Gallia Placidia), the mother of the Roman Emperor Valentinien III.

One said of him that it was “the Last of the Romans” because of its victories against the Barbarians and of the time to which it lived, little before the last emperor of Occident is not deposited.

Actually, it could sit its power on alliances of circumstance with the cruel main leaders of its time, resting on the ones to prevent the others from gaining too many being able. It practiced, in that, the same policy that its compatriots, but it brought more success to him.

Aetius was born in Dorostolus as a Messiah at the end of the IV ^E century. He was the son of certain Gaudentius which, although probably of barbarian extraction, had risen under Master of the militia and later of count d' Afrique.

During its youth in the guards of the palate, it was sent like hostage to the court of Alaric I ^er, then with that of Ruga, the king of Huns. The latter were in turn the principal rivals and combined empire. With its return, all the honors were granted to him. Whereas they were caught some with the Byzantine Empire, Aetius used them as auxiliary against the German ones which threatened it Beats. In same time, it could use of the favors of the party “anti-barbarians” who had triumphed in Rome and had caused the fall of the general Stilicon Romano-vandal.

Its competition with Boniface, like him senator and favorite of Official reception Placidia (mother of Valentinien III), led it to plot; what ends up attracting the Vandals in Africa.

It pushed back the Eastern Francs beyond the Rhine, overcame the bagaudes of Armorique, beat the Francs saliens of Clodion the Hairy one in Helesmes. This last barbarian chief concludes a treaty with the general into 428. This treaty (foedus) made them “federate” combatant for Rome, and authorized them to settle in the Empire, in fact close to the imperial tax department of Turned. They was there the origins of the future frank kingdom of Clovis I.

True Master of the Empire from 433, Aetius also beat Burgondes de Gunthar which had entered Beats some and forced them - or rather negotiated their installation in Sapaudia (future Savoy, precisely territories between the Alps and the Jura). It fought also the Francs and the Visigoths.

Lastly, it charged the king with Alains which was established on the Loire, Goar, to supervise the Armorican ones. Thus, it contributed by its policy to draw some of the outstanding features of the French territory to the Early middle ages.

But the notoriety of Aetius is especially due so that historiography annoyingly named the “battle of the Fields catalaunic”. When Attila invades Beats it, it was Aétius which joins together Burgondes, Saxons, Alains, Francs and Visigoths, and beat Huns with the Fields catalaunic into 451. This battle actually proceeded with the locality campus mauriacus close to Troyes and marked the end of the invasion of Huns, carried out by Attila, Beats some. Aetius ordered there the coalition Romano-barbarian at the sides of the king Visigoth Théodoric I and Burgondes, Alains, Saxon and Francs which were its allies.

Triumphing, it was finally victim of the jealousies which its victories had brought to him to Rome. He died, indeed, assassinated on the order of Valentinien III into 454.