Bonifatius (orBonifacius; also known asCount Boniface orComes Bonifacius; died 432) was a Roman general and governor of thediocese of Africa. He campaigned against theVisigoths inGaul and theVandals in North Africa. An ally ofGalla Placidia, mother and advisor ofValentinian III, Bonifacius engaged in Roman civil wars on her behalf against the generalsFelix in 427-429 andAetius in 432. Although he defeated the latter at theBattle of Rimini, Bonifacius suffered a fatal wound and was succeeded by his son-in-lawSebastianus aspatricius of theWestern Roman Empire.
Bonifatius first appears as a general ofConstantius III in 413, where hedefeated theVisigoths ofAthaulf atMassilia; he allegedly threw a weapon and wounded the Gothic king himself.[3] Later that decade, Bonifatius was known to be atribunus commanding aGothic regiment offoederati in North Africa campaigning against theMauri, and had a friendship withSt. Augustine of Hippo with whom he discussed theological matters. In 422 he was likely recalled to the Western court in Ravenna, where he probably married his Gothic wife Pelagia, daughter of Beremudus, and inherited her father'sbucellarii.[4] Bonifatius andCastinus then prepared to launch a campaign against the Vandals andAlans in Spain, but Bonifatius' forces never arrived as the two commanders had quarreled constantly since its inception.Galla Placidia sought to prevent Castinus from gaining the position of Stilicho before him, and as a result Castinus attempted to remove Bonifatius from power.[5] Bonifatius retreated to North Africa where he acquired the command ofcomes africae under dubious circumstances and continued his campaigns against the Mauri tribes.[6] After the death of EmperorHonorius theprimicerius notariorumJoannes was elevated to the throne by Castinus in 424, and Bonifatius responded by cutting off the Grain supply from North Africa, showing his support for theTheodosians (Placidia andTheodosius II).[7][8]
Prosper states that Joannes' forces were weakened because they were campaigning against Bonifatius in North Africa, but were unable to depose him like in the campaigns againstGildo and other North African usurpers.[9] After a revolt inGaul and a military campaign under the eastern generalsArdabur andAspar sent by Theodosius II, Joannes was overthrown, andValentinian III, half-nephew of Honorius, was made Western emperor by themagister officiorumHelion.[10] Bonifatius supported him, and resumed the grain shipments to Rome, being rewarded the position ofcomes domesticorum in return.[11]
In 427, Bonifatius was recalled toRavenna by Placidia, but refused the summons. Bonifatius was accused of attempting to form his own empire inRoman Africa at the allegation ofFlavius Constantius Felix, who had also been a staunch supporter of Placidia and had been installed as themagister utriusque militiae of the west by Theodosius II.[12] Placidia ordered Felix to send an army to restore the vital province in response.[13] Felix's generals for the expedition included Mavortius, Gallio, andSanoeces. Mavortius and Gallio led Roman forces proper, while Sanoeces commanded theHunFoederati troops. Together the three generals laid siege to Bonifatius atCarthage. The three besiegers, however, turned on each other, and Sanoeces and his Huns killed the Romans before he was killed himself, which lifted the siege. When news reached Ravenna, Felix sent the ComesSigisvultus against Bonifacius, who campaigned with his Goths in Africa for two years.[14] Sigisvultus captured Carthage, but Bonifatius and his Gothic bucellarii continued to campaign inNumidia, where they were allowed to loot the province. Bonifatius also had his daughter baptized by an Arian priest, which caused a falling out between him and St. Augustine.[11] However, Placidia sent an envoy to Bonifatius in 429, from which she learned that a letter had been forged ordering him not to return to Ravenna if summoned. A man named Darius was sent to negotiate a truce between Bonifatius and Sigisvultus, and as a result Bonifatius was restored to Placidia's favor and the civil war ended in time to face theVandal threat.[15][16]
Some sources report that Bonifatius invited the Vandals to Africa, though doubt has been cast on this in recent years. The Vandals crossed near RomanTingis, and an inscription atAltava dated to 429 mentions the deceased was wounded by a "barbarian" during the Vandal advance across Africa. Their campaign was briefly halted by Darius, who negotiated a brief truce, butGaiseric quickly resumed.[17] Bonifatius, the African army, and a contingent of supporting Gothicfoederati confronted and were defeated by Gaiseric near the city ofCalama in 430, after which Bonifatius retreated to the city ofHippo Regius.[18] In May or June of 430, Gaiseric laid siege to the city, and St. Augustine died during the siege, which was finally lifted in July or August of 431. Leaving it at the mercy of Gaiseric, Bonifatius retreated out of the city to join his forces with the Eastern Roman general Aspar, who had been sent to reinforce Africa by Theodosius II. In early 432, Bonifatius and Aspar engaged Gaiseric in battle, but were again defeated. Allegedly, the future emperorMarcian was captured in this engagement, but released after Gaiseric had a vision of him becoming Emperor.[19]
In 432, after Flavius Felix, his wife Padusia, and a deacon had been hanged by the Roman army, allegedly at the instigation ofFlavius Aetius whose power she sought to resist, Placidia appointed Bonifatiusmagister utriusque militiae andpatricius of the west, despite his unsuccessful record in Africa. Bonifacius led his forces against Aetius and the Gallic army at theBattle of Rimini in 432. Bonifacius and his son-in-lawSebastianus were victorious, and Aetius was allowed to retire to his private estates, although Bonifatius was mortally wounded by a lance during the conflict. He died sometime between a few days and three months after the battle.[20] Sebastianus, appointed to fill his place, attempted to have Aetius assassinated, only for Aetius to flee to the court of the Huns and return with their support. Allegedly Sebastianus was preparing to fight Aetius by summoning the Visigoths to his aid, but he was evidently unpopular among the troops and allowed them to engage in piracy, and had lost support in the court as well. Sebastianus was exiled, and as a result Aetius became the dominant power in the Western Roman Empire, and married Bonifacius' widow Pelagia allegedly at his request.[21][22]
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