Rufinus

Flavius Rufinus (; – 27 November 395) was a 4th-century Eastern Roman statesman of Aquitanian extraction who served as Praetorian prefect of the East for the emperor Theodosius I, as well as for his son Arcadius, under whom Rufinus exercised significant influence in the state affairs.

He was the subject of the verse invective In Rufinum by the western court poet Claudian.

Life Rufinus is described as tall, always in movement, acute, ambitious, greedy, and without principles, although a rigorous Christian. His difficulty with the Greek language is recorded by the sources, as well as his Aquitanian origin.

In 388 he was appointed magister officiorum. In 392 he served as Roman consul and in that same year he was appointed as Praetorian prefect of the East. Upon his appointment, he retained the responsibilities of the magister officiorum. In order to become prefect, Rufinus is said to have persuaded the emperor that Eutolmius Tatianus, the current occupant of the position, and his son Proculus, the prefect of Constantinople, committed corruption. Proculus was executed while his father was banished.

During the period immediately after Theodosius' death, in January 395, Rufinus was virtually the ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire, as he exercised great influence over the young Emperor Arcadius. An account by the Roman poet Claudian stated that he attempted to further join himself to Arcadius by marrying his daughter to the young emperor. This plan was stymied by another of the imperial ministers, Eutropius. This official, who held the position of chamberlain, arranged instead a marriage with Aelia Eudoxia, who was a child of one of Rufinus' opponents.

Rufinus hated the western magister militum Flavius Stilicho. During the Revolt of Alaric I Rufinus had opposite interests and opposed him. Stilicho claimed that Theodosius ordered that Stilicho would be given guardianship over both Arcadius and the western Emperor Honorius. Rufinus disputed his power, and maintained strong influence over Arcadius. However, under Gainas, the same Gothic mercenaries he had recalled killed Rufinus on 27 November 395.

Rufinus had a sister, Silvia, a devout pilgrim recorded in Palladius' Lausiac History.