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 emperor Marcian was captured in this engagement, but released after Gaiseric had a vision of him becoming Emperor. Civil war with Aetius and death In 432, after Flavius Felix, his wife Padusia, and a deacon had been hanged by the Roman army, allegedly at the instigation of Flavius Aetius whose power she sought to resist, Placidia appointed Bonifatius magister utriusque militiae and patricius of the west, despite his unsuccessful record in Africa. Bonifacius led his forces against Aetius and the Gallic army at the Battle of Rimini in 432. Bonifacius and his son-in-law Sebastianus 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. 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. References Further reading Doyle, Chris. "Honorius: The Fight for the Roman West AD395-423." London and New York: Routledge Press, 2018. Oost, Stewart Irvin. ''Galla Placidia Augusta.'' Chicago:Chicago University Press, 1968. O'Flynn, John Michael. ''Generalissimos of the Western Roman Empire.'' Alberta: The University of Alberta Press, 1983. McEvoy, Meghan. ''Child Emperor Rule in the Later Roman West, AD 367–455.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Wijnendaele, Jeroen W. P. ''The Last of the Romans: Bonifatius - Warlord and Comes Africae.'' New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. 432 deaths 5th-century Romans Comites rei militaris Last of the Romans Magistri militum Patricii People of Africa (Roman province) Generals of Constantius III Generals of Theodosius II Generals of Honorius Generals of Valentinian III Romans from unknown gentes Year of birth unknown