Explanation: Aetius was a general of the Late Roman Empire, and generally regarded as one of the last great generals of the Western Empire. It was Aetius’s leadership which stemmed the barbarian tide - it was Aetius who reclaimed sections of the Empire thought lost - it was Aetius who defeated Attila at the head of an army of Romans and barbarian allies. And yet, he was assassinated, effectively for no reason but paranoia, by his own Emperor, Valentinian III, the man who owed every inch of the territory which remained to Aetius’s efforts.

It was said that Valentinian III, having drove the knife into the unarmed Aetius personally, bragged that the deed was done well. One onlooker supposedly commented, “I do not know if it was done well or not, but I do know that you have just cut off your right hand with your left.” The next year, Valentinian III himself would be assassinated, and Rome would be sacked shortly thereafter.