Stilicho's Pictish War is a name given to a war between the forces of the

Western Roman Empire The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period ...

led by

Stilicho Flavius Stilicho (; c. 359 – 22 August 408) was a military commander in the Roman army who, for a time, became the most powerful man in the Western Roman Empire. He was of Vandal origins and married to Serena, the niece of emperor Theodosiu ...

and the

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from e ...

in Britain around 398 AD. Little is known about the conflict. The only real source is the panegyric '' In Eutropium'' by Claudian which indicates that while Stilicho was dealing with the Gildonic revolt in Africa, Britain suffered from attacks by the Saxons, Picts and Scots, and ended with "the Saxon conquered, the Ocean calmed, the Pict broken, and Britain secure." Another poem by Claudian refers to a possible expedition to Britain by Stilicho in 396-398. It has been surmised that the Picts attacked the northern frontier of Britain but were defeated. In 400 Stilicho seems to have ordered repairs to Hadrian's Wall with money raised during the African campaign. However there is no archeological evidence to support the fact that the war ever took place.M. Miller "Stilicho’s Pictish War.” ''Britannia'', Vol. 6, (1975), 141–144

References

{{reflist Wars involving the Roman Empire 390s in the Roman Empire 4th century in Scotland 398