The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
Rufinus
Also known as minister Rufinus
- Supporting
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 125
There's something calculating in his presence, an odious favorite whose strong impulse of ambition seems to radiate from him like heat from a forge. He carries himself with the proud indifference of one who has learned to see people as pieces in a larger game, his very demeanor suggesting depths that remain carefully hidden.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Middle-aged adult
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 125
- Books
- 1
Rufinus served as a minister whose flattering suggestions would inflame Theodosius's passion for revenge, leading to the massacre at Thessalonica. As a church historian and original witness to the events at Alexandria, he celebrated the Serapeum as a wonder of the world. His story ends in tragedy when Gothic troops murdered him, his mangled body abandoned to the fury of the populace, his right hand severed and carried through the streets.
Description
Rufinus appears as a middle-aged man with the influential bearing of a court minister, marked by strong ambition and avarice. His proud indifference to mankind is evident in his demeanor, while his profound dissimulation suggests depths carefully concealed beneath his official position. The text describes him as an odious favorite whose very presence seemed to embody the dangerous combination of power and moral corruption.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
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