Lupicinus was serving as the commander of Roman troops in the diocese of Thrace () in c. 377 during the events which resulted in the Gothic War. There he oversaw the settlement of the Goths within the empire along the Lower Danube, after which, he and the Maximus foolishly proceeded to extort and starve them. At one point, they slaughtered dogs and offered them to the starving tribes at the price of 1 boy to be sold into slavery for 1 dog. Famished and humiliated, they broke into an open revolt that led to the Gothic War of 376, commonly labeled the Battle of Adrianople. After orchestrating a failed assassination attempt of the Gothic leaders while ostensibly meeting with them to discuss a peace, Lupicinus led his troops into a total defeat at the Battle of Marcianople. It was said that Lupicinus' actions in the battle were both foolish and cowardly. He was apparently superseded by new commanders in 377. It is unknown if Lupicinus was cashiered, executed or killed in subsequent battles. His actions directly and dynamically showed that the Roman Empire was declining.