The Magister militum reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
(provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Magister militum

Magister militum ('master of the soldiers') was a rank used in the later Roman Empire dating from the reign of Constantine. Used alone, it refers to the senior military officer of the Empire, and was held by Stilicho, Ricimer, Odoacer and others. It was also often used with a provincial name, such as the Magister militum per Thracias, to indicate a regional position.