Flavius Ardabur Aspar was an Eastern Roman patrician and magister militum of Alanic-Gothic descent.
Background
Aspar was born the son of the magister Ardaburius, and was of Alanic-Gothic descent. Aspar played a crucial role in his father"s expedition in 424 to defeat the Western usurper, Joannes of Ravenna, and to install Galla Placidia and her son, Valentinian III, in his place.
Career
As the general of a Germanic army in Roman service, Aspar exerted a great influence on the Eastern Roman Emperors for half a century, from the 420s to his death in 471, over Theodosius II, Marcian and Leo I, who, in the end, had him killed. His death led to the ending of the Germanic domination of Eastern Roman policy. The name Aspar (originally Aspwar or Aspidar) in Iranian languages means "Horse-master" or "Horse-rider".
He also helped to negotiate a peace treaty with Geiseric after the Vandal invasion of Africa.
However, Aspar could not become emperor because of his Arian religion. On 27 January 457 Marcian died, and the political and military establishment figures of the Eastern court took eleven days to choose a successor.
Despite the presence of a strong candidate to the purple, the magister militum and Marcian"s son-in-law Anthemius, the choice was quite different. His death led to the ending of the Germanic domination of Eastern Roman policy.
Aspar had another son, Ermanaric, with the sister of Theodoric Strabo.
A cistern attributed to him still exists today in Istanbul.