Arcadius was a weak ruler, dominated by a series of advisors as he was more concerned with appearing to be a pious Christian than he was with political and military matters. The first such advisor, Rufinus, engendered intense competition with the advisor of Western Emperor Honorius, the romanized vandal magister militum Flavius Stilicho, who might have had him assassinated in 395 AD. Later advisors would include his wife Aelia Eudoxia, the Patriarch John Chrysostom and Praetorian Prefect Anthemius.