Vulcacius Rufinus (died 368) was aRoman politician, related to theConstantinian dynasty.

Rufinus' siblings wereNeratius Cerealis,Galla (the mother ofConstantius Gallus), and the mother ofMaximus. A pagan, he waspontifex maximus,consularis forNumidia,comes ordinis primi intraconsistorium under the EmperorConstans I or his brotherConstantius II,comes perOrientem,Aegypti etMesopotamiae per easdem vice sacra iudicans from 5 April 342,praetorian prefect of Italy from 344 to 347 (between the prefectures ofFulvius Placidus andUlpius Limenius),consul ordinarius prior in 347 with Flavius Eusebius, andpraetorian prefect of Illyricum between 347 and 352.

During Rufinus' prefecture of Illyricum,Magnentius overthrew Constans. The usurper sent Rufinus, along with Marcellinus, Maximus and Nunechius, as envoys to Constantius II. Constantius had the other three men arrested, but Rufinus retained his liberty and his office. In 354, after the fall of Magnentius, he waspraetorian prefect of Gaul, living in the capitalTrier, but was replaced byGaius Ceionius Rufius Volusianus Lampadius. Rufinus may have lost his post because his relative Constantius Gallus had fallen into disgrace with the Emperor.

Between 365 and 368 he was the praetorian prefect for Italy and Africa, succeeding Claudius Mamertinus, and of Gaul from 366 to 368. He died in service.

• John Morris, Arnold Hugh Martin Jones, John Robert Martindale,The Prosopography of the later Roman Empire, Cambridge University Press, 1992. pp. 782–783ISBN 0-521-07233-6

• 368 deaths
• Ancient Roman governors
• 4th-century Roman consuls
• Praetorian prefects of Gaul
• Praetorian prefects of the Illyricum
• Praetorian prefects of Italy
• Volcatii

• Year of birth unknown