Nothing is known about the early career of Arbogast until 380 CE, when he is assistant of Gratian’s magister equitum Bauto, sent to help Theodosius I against the Goths in the Balkans (Zos. Hist. 4.33.1–2; Eun. Frgm. 53). The written sources emphasize, however, on his Frankish origin (Eun. Frgm. 53; John Ant. Frgm. 187; Philost. Hist. eccl. 11.2) and that he was beyond corruption or avarice, a prudent and brave soldier (Zos. Hist. 4.53.1). He had been expelled from his homeland (Claud. Pan. Tertio 66; Pan. Quarto 74) and joined the Roman ar…