Count Theodosius  Count Theodosius (, died 376) was a senior military officer serving Emperor Valentinian I and the Western Roman Empire. He is also known as Flavius Theodosius and as Theodosius the Elder to distinguishing him from his son, Emperor Theodosius I. He was granted the title of "Comes Rei Militaris per Britanniarum" (Commander of the Troops of the Diocese of the Britains) by the Emperor Valentinian for his work there; putting down the Great Conspiracy (367–368). After restoring order in Britain he returned to mainland Europe and fought against the Alemanni; as Valentinian's Magister Equitum (Master of Horse) he successfully invaded Alamannic territory (371 or 370). In 372 Theodosius led a successful campaign against the Sarmatians. In the same year Firmus, a Mauritanian prince, rebelled against Roman rule. Theodosius was sent to Africa and in two hard-fought campaigns (373–374) put down the insurrection. In 376, after the death of emperor Valentinian, he was arrested and executed, presumably as he was seen as a threat to the new western emperors Gratian and Valentinian II. The title "Count" is derived from the Roman title "Comes" ("comes rei militaris"), meaning “companion” (in this case "companion and leader of troops"), the term "Count Theodosius" is therefore misleading – causing an association with the feudal system, where a Count was often an effectively independent ruler, which was not the case under the Roman Empire. There is some evidence that Flavius Theodosius's father was called Flavius Julius Honorius, and his uncles Flavius Julius Gerontius and Flavius Julius Eucherius. He himself was called Flavius Julius Theodosius, claimed descending from the gens Julia through Gaius Julius Caesar's cousin Sextus Julius Caesar. Probably sometime in the late 330s or early 340s he married Flavia Thermantia. By her, he had at least two sons, Honorius and Theodosius, born at Cauca (modern Coca, Segovia) in Spain. The family were Orthodox Christians. Theodosius is first mentioned in historical records by Ammianus Marcellinus with reference to his appointment to the command to restore order in Britain. It is clear that prior to his appointment to such an important military command Theodosius must have been a confidant of Valentinian and that his military ability was known and respected, but unfortunately what his career up to that point was is unknown.