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Information about Honorius (emperor)

Honorius
Emperor of the Western Roman Empire
In this silver coin, Honorius is celebrated as the "Glory of the Romans", and has a halo
Reign23 January 393 - 395 (Augustus under his father);
395 - August 15, 423 (emperor in the west, with Arcadius in the east)
Full nameFlavius Honorius Augustus
BornSeptember 9 384(384--)
DiedJuly 15 423 (aged 40)
Buried
PredecessorTheodosius I
SuccessorValentinian III
Wife/wivesMaria, daughter of Stilicho
DynastyTheodosian
FatherTheodosius I
MotherAelia Flaccilla


Flavius Honorius (September 9, 384–August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395) and then Western Roman Emperor from 395 until his death. He was the younger son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Eastern Emperor Arcadius.

The reign of Honorius was characterized by erosion of the Western Roman Empire and its territories. When Honorius died, he left an empire on the verge of collapse.

Rule

Early reign

Enlarge picture
The Byzantine Emperor Honorius, Jean-Paul Laurens (1880). Honorius became Augustus on 23 January 393, at the age of nine.


After holding the consulate at the age of two, Honorius was declared Augustus, and thus co-ruler, on 23 January 393. When Theodosius died, in January 395, Honorius and Arcadius divided the Empire, so that Honorius became Western Roman Emperor at the age of ten.

For the first part of his reign, Honorius depended on the military leadership of the Vandal general Stilicho. To strengthen his bonds to the young emperor, Stilicho married his daughter Maria to him. The epithalamion written for the occasion by Stilicho's court poet Claudian survives.

At first Honorius based his capital in Milan, but when the Visigoths entered Italy in 402 he moved his capital to the coastal city of Ravenna, which was protected by a ring of marshes and strong fortifications. While the new capital was easier to defend, it was poorly situated to allow Roman forces to protect central Italy from the barbarian incursions.

Erosion of the Western Roman Empire

Honorius' reign was plagued by many threats: from the barbarians entering within the Empire's borders to several usurpers.

A revolt led by Gildo, comes Africae, in Northern Africa lasted for two years (397-398). In 405, a barbarian army led by Radagaisus invaded Italy, bringing devastation to the heart of the Empire, until Stilicho defeated them in 406.

Enlarge picture
Christian pendant of Maria, wife of Honorius. Musée du Louvre.
The situation in Britannia was even more problematic. The British provinces were isolated, lacking support from the Empire, and the soldiers supported the revolts of Marcus (406 - 407), Gratian (407), and Constantine "III". Constantine invaded Gaul in 407, occupying Arles.[1]

An invasion of Alans, Suevi and Vandals moved from Gaul on 31 December 406, and arrived in Hispania in 409. In 408, Stilicho (after forcing the Roman Senate to pay 4,000 pounds of gold)[2] had been arrested and executed by will of Honorius, probably because of a court conspiracy against the Arian general.

The year 409 also saw the usurpation of Priscus Attalus, a senator supported by the King of the Visigoths Alaric I; and the revolt of Gerontius and Maximus in Hispania. In 410, the Eastern Roman Empire sent 6 Legions (40,000 men)[3] to save Honorius. To counter Priscus, Honorius tried to negotiate with Alaric (he succeeded in getting ransom of 5,000 pounds of gold, 30,000 pounds of silver, 4,000 silken tunics, 3,000 hides dyed scarlet, and 3,000 pounds of pepper)[4], who withdrew his support for the imperial claimant in 410, but entered Italy and sacked Rome. Gerontius, a general of Constantine, had proclaimed Maximus Emperor in Hispania against Constantine himself, but Honorius entered in the struggle between Constantine, Maximus and Gerontius sending his own general Constantius, who suppressed the revolts in 411.

Gaul was again a source of troubles for Honorius: just after Constantius' troops had returned to Italy, Jovinus revolted in northern Gaul, with the support of Alans, Burgundians and the Gallic nobility. Jovinus tried to negotiate with the invading Goths of Ataulf (412), but his proclamation of his brother Sebastianus as Augustus made Ataulf seek alliance with Honorius. Honorius had Ataulf settle the matter with Jovinus, and the rebel was defeated and executed in 413.

In 414, Constantius attacked Ataulf, who once again proclaimed Priscus Attalus emperor. Ataulf was forced by Constantius to move to Hispania, and Attalus, having again lost Visigoth support, was captured and deposed.

The northeastern part of Gaul became subject to even greater Frankish influence, while a treaty signed in 418 granted to the Visigoths the southwestern portion, the former Gallia Aquitania.

In the period (420-422) in which another Maximus (or perhaps the same) gained and lost power in Hispania, Honorius accepted his general Constantius (who was also husband of Honorius' sister, Galla Placidia, since 417) as co-emperor (421). He returned to reigning as the sole emperor at the death of his colleague (422).

Death

Honorius died of dropsy in 423, leaving no heir. In the subsequent interregnum Joannes was nominated emperor. The following year, however, the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II elected emperor his cousin Valentinian III, son of Galla Placidia and Constantius III.

Sack of Rome

Enlarge picture
The Favorites of the Emperor Honorius, by John William Waterhouse, 1883.


The most notable event of his reign was the assault and Sack of Rome on August 24, 410 by the Visigoths under Alaric.

The city had been under Visigothic siege since shortly after Stilicho's deposition and execution in the summer of 408. Lacking a strong general to control the by-now mostly barbarian Roman Army, Honorius could do little to attack Alaric's forces directly, and apparently adopted the only strategy he could in the situation: wait passively for the Visigoths to grow weary and spend the time marshalling what forces he could. Unfortunately, this course of action appeared to be the product of Honorius' indecisive character and he suffered much criticism for it both from contemporaries and later historians.

Whether this plan could have worked is perhaps debatable, especially since he deprived himself of several skillful officers by only promoting Catholics to the top military positions.[5] In any case it was overtaken by events. Stricken by starvation, somebody opened Rome's defenses to Alaric and the Goths poured in. The city had not been under the control of a foreign force since an invasion of Gauls some seven centuries before. The victorious Visigoths did untold emotional damage to the city as opposed to actual damage: the shock of this event reverberated from Britain to Jerusalem, and inspired Augustine to write his magnum opus, The City of God.

The year 410 also saw Honorius reply to a British plea for assistance against local barbarian incursions. Preoccupied with the Visigoths and lacking any real capabilities to assist the distant province, Honorius told the Britons to defend themselves as best they could.

Judgments on Honorius

Enlarge picture
19th century engraving of Honorius, derived from his coinage


In his History of the Wars, Procopius mentions a story (which Gibbon disbelieved) where, on hearing the news that Rome had "perished", Honorius was initially shocked; thinking the news was in reference to a favorite chicken he had named "Roma", he recalled in disbelief that the bird was just recently feeding out of his hand. It was then explained to him that the Rome in question was the city.[6]

Summarizing his account of Honorius' reign, the historian J.B. Bury wrote, "His name would be forgotten among the obscurest occupants of the Imperial throne were it not that his reign coincided with the fatal period in which it was decided that western Europe was to pass from the Roman to the Teuton." After listing the disasters of those 28 years, Bury concludes that Honorius "himself did nothing of note against the enemies who infested his realm, but personally he was extraordinarily fortunate in occupying the throne till he died a natural death and witnessing the destruction of the multitude of tyrants who rose up against him."[7]

Honorius issued a decree during his reign, prohibiting men from wearing trousers in Rome [Codex Theodosianus 14.10.2-3, tr. C. Pharr, "The Theodosian Code," p. 415].

But Bury seems ignorant of Honorius's association with legend of Saint Telemachus (Telemicus). According to Catholic tradition, the saint's martyrdom influenced the emperor to issue an edict banning gladiatorial events. In any event, the last known gladiatorial fight ended during the reign of Honorius.

References to Honorius in Fiction

Honorius and the attack of the Visigoths are both mentioned by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the episode The Best of Both Worlds in the quote: "I wonder if Honorius, watching the Visigoths coming over the seventh hill, truly realized that the Roman Empire was about to fall?"

Emperor Honorius was obsessed with chickens. An Adventures in Odyssey episode portrayed this hobby very heavily by having him hiring people to cater to his chickens' needs.

See also

References

Notes

1. ^ While Constantine was in Gaul, his son Constans "II" ruled over Britain.
2. ^ J. Norwich, Byzantium: The Early Centuries, 131
3. ^ J. Norwich, Byzantium: The Early Centuries, 136
4. ^ J. Norwich, Byzantium: The Early Centuries, 134
5. ^ Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, III, (London: Everyman's Library, 1993), p. 247.
6. ^
7. ^ John Bagnall Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire, 1923 (New York: Dover, 1958), p. 213

External links

  • Media on in the Wikicommons.
Preceded by
Theodosius I		Western Roman Emperor
Served alongside: with Constantius III (AD 421)		Succeeded by
Valentinian III


 •  • [ e]
Roman Emperors
Principate
27 BC - 235 AD		Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius I Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus Domitian Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus Commodus Pertinax Didius Julianus Septimius Severus Caracalla Geta Macrinus Elagabalus Alexander Severus
Crisis
235 AD - 284 AD
Dominate
284 AD - 1453 AD
284 AD - 395 AD
Diocletian Maximian Constantius I Galerius Severus II Maxentius Maximinus II Daia Licinius Valerius Valens Martinianus Constantine I Constantine II Constans I Constantius II Magnentius Vetranio Julian the Apostate Jovian Valentinian I Valens Gratian Valentinian II Magnus Maximus Eugenius Theodosius I
Western Empire (395 AD - 480 AD)
Honorius Constantius III Joannes Valentinian III Petronius Maximus Avitus Majorian Libius Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Julius Nepos Romulus Augustus
Eastern Empire (395 AD - 480 AD)
Arcadius Theodosius II Pulcheria Marcian Leo I Leo II Zeno
Byzantine Empire (480 AD - 1453 AD)
Zeno Basiliscus Anastasius I Justin I Justinian I Justin II Tiberius II Constantine Maurice Phocas Heraclius Constantine III Heraklonas Constans II Mezezius Constantine IV and Justinian II Leontios Tiberios III Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosios III Leo III the Isaurian Constantine V Artabasdos Leo IV the Khazar Constantine VI Irene Nikephoros I Staurakios Michael I Rangabe Leo V the Armenian Michael II Theophilos Theodora I Michael III Basil I Leo VI the Wise Alexander Constantine VII Romanos I Romanos II Nikephoros II John I Tzimiskes Basil II Constantine VIII Zoe Romanos III Michael IV Michael V Constantine IX Theodora II Michael VI Isaac I Constantine X Michael VII Romanos IV Nikephoros III Alexios I John II Manuel I Alexios II Andronikos I Isaac II Alexios III Angelos Alexios IV Nikolaos Kanabos Alexios V Constantine Laskaris Theodore I John III Theodore II John IV Michael VIII Andronikos II Andronikos III John V John VI Matthew Andronikos IV John VII Andronikos V Manuel II John VIII Constantine XI
Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (from about 27 BC onwards). The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator (from which English Emperor derives), augustus, caesar and
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The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 286; the other half of the Roman Empire became known as the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire.
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halo (Greek: ἅλως; also known as a nimbus, glory, or gloriole) is a ring of light that surrounds a person. They are often used in religious works to depict holy or sacred figures.
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January 23 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor.

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Theodosius I
Emperor of the Roman Empire

Coin featuring Theodosius I
Reign August 378 - 15 May 392 (emperor in the east, with Gratian and Valentinian II in the west);
15 May 392 - 17 January 395 (whole empire)
Full name
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The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 286; the other half of the Roman Empire became known as the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire.
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Arcadius
Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire

Idealising bust of Arcadius in the Theodosian style combines elements of classicism with the new hieratic style (Istanbul Archaeology Museum)
Reign January 383 - 395(Augustus under his father);
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Byzantine Empire or Byzantium is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered on its capital of Constantinople.
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Theodosius I
Emperor of the Roman Empire

Coin featuring Theodosius I
Reign August 378 - 15 May 392 (emperor in the east, with Gratian and Valentinian II in the west);
15 May 392 - 17 January 395 (whole empire)
Full name
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Valentinian III
Emperor of the Western Roman Empire

Valentinian (on the left), with his sister Justa Grata Honoria and his mother Galla Placidia.
Reign 423-424 (Caesar in the west);
425 - 16 March 455 (emperor in the west)

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Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (ca. 359 – August 22, 408) was a high-ranking general (magister militum) and Patrician of the Western Roman Empire, notably of semi-barbarian birth.
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The Theodosian dynasty was a Roman family that rose to eminence in the waning days of the Roman Empire.

History

Its founding father was Flavius Theodosius (known to us as Count Theodosius), a great general who had saved Britannia from the Great Conspiracy.
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Theodosius I
Emperor of the Roman Empire

Coin featuring Theodosius I
Reign August 378 - 15 May 392 (emperor in the east, with Gratian and Valentinian II in the west);
15 May 392 - 17 January 395 (whole empire)
Full name
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Aelia Flaccilla
Roman empress

As of Aelia Flacilla
Full name Aelia Flavia Flaccilla Augusta
Died c. 385
Buried
Consort to Theodosius I
Issue Arcadius, Honorius, Pulcheria
Dynasty Theodosian
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September 9 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Notable naval battle of the Viking Age.

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4th century · 5th century
350s 360s 370s 380s 390s 400s 410s
381 382 383 384 385 386 387
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August 15 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, in which Roland is killed.

..... Click the link for more information.
5th century · 6th century
390s 400s 410s 420s 430s 440s 450s
420 421 422 423 424 425 426
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Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (from about 27 BC onwards). The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator (from which English Emperor derives), augustus, caesar and
..... Click the link for more information.
4th century · 5th century
360s 370s 380s 390s 400s 410s 420s
390 391 392 393 394 395 396
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4th century · 5th century
360s 370s 380s 390s 400s 410s 420s
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