Aelia Galla Placidia Of The Western Roman Empire (Imp?ratrice Of Rome - 421-450)

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Galla was sister to the Roman Emperor. She was supported by the armiesof her nephew Theodosius II. After she defeated John and had himexecuted, her child Valentinian was crowned Augustus at Rome (towards theend of 425). As long as Valentinian III was a minor (425-437), GallaPlacidia, formerly the queen of the Goths, governed as regent for herson.

Galla Placida married the Master of the Soldiers Constantius (who ruledbriefly as co-Emperor with Honorius, Galla's brother) when he was at theheight of his career, and their son Valentinian III reigned in the West.When the Visigoths under King Alaric I sacked Rome in 410, they carriedoff Galla with them as hostage. She was of course returned, and laterwent on to rule the empire when her son was very young with the formaltitle of "piissima et perpetua Augusta mater" which translates to "mostpius and eternal Empress."

From Ralph W. Mathisen, University of South Carolina:

Galla's Youth (395-423 A.D.) - Aelia Galla Placidia, born in the eastcirca 388/390, was the daughter of the emperor Theodosius I (379-395) andhis second wife Galla. She was the half-sister of the emperors Honorius(393-423) (q.v.) and Arcadius (383-408). In the early 390s, she wasgranted her own household, which made her financially independent. In 394she was summoned to Milan, and there she witnessed the death of herfather in early 395. During her childhood she was named Most Noble Girl(Nobilissima Puella), and she seems to have been raised in the care ofher cousin Serena, the wife of the western general Stilicho. Shepresumably received a classical education; she also knew how to weave andembroider.

Galla Placidia's First Marriage - When the Visigoths attacked Rome in408, Placidia remained in the city, where, for whatever reasons, sheconcurred in the execution of Serena. By the time of the sack of Rome in410, Placidia seems already to have been in Gothic hands. She was carriedoff with them to Gaul, and in 414 she was married in a Roman weddingceremony to the Visigothic chieftain Athaulf at Narbonne. She may havebeen one of the causes of his eventual pro-Roman outlook. Shesubsequently traveled with the Goths to Spain and bore Athaulf a son,Theodosius, who died in infancy, thus destroying an opportunity for apossible Romano-Visigothic rapprochement.

Galla Placidia's Marriage to Constantius - In 416, after Athaulf's death,Placidia finally was restored to the Romans. In the next year, ratheragainst her will, she was wedded to the powerful Roman generalConstantius, to whom she bore two children, Justa Grata Honoria and thefuture emperor Valentinian III. In 419 she and her husband becameinvolved -- on the losing side -- in the controversy over the election ofa new bishop of Rome. She personally summoned the African bishops to asynod in Italy, and three of the letters she wrote in the matter stillsurvive. In 421, Constantius became co-emperor in the west and she wasmade Augusta (Empress); their elevations, however, were not recognized inthe east. After Constantius' death in the same year, she quarreled withher brother, and with her children sought refuge in Constantinople withher nephew, the eastern emperor Theodosius II (402-450).

After the defeat of the western usurper Johannes in 425, the easterngovernment belatedly recognized the claim of Placidia's son Valentinianto the western throne, but only at the price of part of the westernempire. The two accompanied the eastern army to Italy, where Johannes wasoverthrown and Valentinian was proclaimed Augustus of the west in 425.

Galla Placidia Augusta - Placidia served as Valentinian's regent for thefirst twelve years of the young emperor's reign. An early supporter ofthe new regime was the Count of Africa Boniface, who had not recognizedJohannes. A rival for influence was Aetius, who had the support of theHuns. But Placidia's initial choice for supreme general was a certainFelix, who in 430 was murdered on the orders of Aetius: according to onereport, Placidia herself had instructed Felix to kill Aetius. Meanwhile,in Africa Placidia's erstwhile ally Boniface had declared hisindependence, and after Placidia sent an army against him, Boniface wassaid to have responded by inviting the Vandals to come to his assistance.The Vandal threat became so great, however, that a reconciliation betweenBoniface and Placidia was reached. In 432, Boniface returned to Italy anddefeated his rival Aetius, but was killed in the process. After a briefperiod of exile, Aetius was restored to favor and became Patrician andMaster of Soldiers. The rise of Aetius, coupled with Valentinian'seventual majority, worked to reduce Placidia's direct authority, althoughshe continued in a position of influence up to her death.

Galla Placidia's Death - Galla Placidia was a devout Christian andpatroness of religion. She was involved in the building and restorationof several churches. In Rome, she assisted in the restoration of theBasilica of St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls and contributed to embellishmentsof the church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. In Ravenna, she builtchurches of the Holy Cross and of St. John the Divine. The latter was theresult of a vow she had made in 423 when she and her children were caughtin a storm on the Adriatic Sea: the dedicatory inscription reads "GallaPlacidia, along with her son Placidus Valentinian Augustus and herdaughter Justa Grata Honoria Augusta, paid off their vow for theirliberation from the danger of the sea." Placidia also favored the churchof Ravenna in other ways, seeing to its elevation to the status ofarchbishopric. She also built a church of St. Stephen at Rimini.

Galla Placidia died at Rome on 27 November 450. Her final resting placeis unknown: there remains much doubt as to whether the so-calledMausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna is actually her tomb or not. It isreasonably certain that either she or her son was responsible for itsconstruction, but it probably was initially intended as a chapel of St.Laurence, not as a tomb. Galla Placidia exemplifies the strong-willedimperial women -- Pulcheria, the sister of Theodosius II, being anotherexample -- who exercised great influence in the fifth century in defaultof effective male leadership.

Bibliography -
Editions - Primary: For Placidia's extant correspondence, see OttoGuenther ed., Epistulae imperatorum pontificum aliorum inde ab a.CCCLXVII usque ad a. DLIII datae avellana quae dicitur collectio,C.S.E.L. vol 35 pt.1 (Vienna, 1895) nos.25,27-28 (pp.71-74).

Critical Studies -
Gerke, F., "L'Iconografia delle monete imperiale dall' Augusta GallaPlacidia." Corsi di cultura sull'arte ravennate e bizantina 13(1966):163-204
Nagl, Maria Assunta, Galla Placidia , Studien zur Geschichte und Kulturdes Altertums. New York, 1967.
Oost, Stewart I. "Galla Placidia and the Law." Classical Philology63(1968): 114-121.
________. "Some Problems in the History of Galla Placidia." ClassicalPhilology 60(1965): 1-10.
________. Galla Placidia Augusta. A Biographical Essay. Chicago, 1968.
Sirago, V.A. Galla Placidia e la trasformazione politica dell' Occidente.Louvain, 1961.

Copyright (C) 1996, Ralph W. Mathisen. This file may be copied on thecondition that the entire contents,including the header and thiscopyright notice, remain intact.

Aelia married Athaulf (Ataulph) (King Of The Visigoths - 414-415) in 413-414 in Narbonne, France. Athaulf (son of Athanaric II Of The Visigoths) was born in 355; died in Sep 415 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Aelia married Constantius III (Emperor Of The Western Roman Empire - 421) on 1 Jan 416-417. Constantius was born in 385 in Naissus, Dacia; died on 2 Sep 421 in Rome, Italy. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Family/Spouse: Gondahar De Burgundia (King Of Burgundy) BURGONDES. Gondahar (son of Gundicar (Gundicarius) (King Of The Burgundians - 413-436)) was born about 395; died in 450. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Theodosius was the son of Galla Placida, sister of the Western EmperorHonorius, and King Athaulf of the Visigoths. Galla's second husband wasthe Roman Constantius, who became Western Emperor briefly in joint rulewith Honorius.

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Strong willed, plotted to overthrow brother with lover Eugenius and AD449 but discovered and he was put to death. Forced to marry after 30years of age to a rich senator Flavius Bassus Herculanus, who's characterassured the Emperor that a dangerous wife would be unable to drag himinto any revolutionary schemes. She sent her ring via her trusted eunuchHyacinthus along with a sum of money to Attila (the Hun) asking him tocome and prevent the marriage. Attila took it as a proposal of marriage,claimed her and demanded from Valentinian half the territory over whichhe ruled as a dowry, while making preparations to invade the westernprovinces.

From Ralph W. Mathisen, University of South Carolina:

Justa Grata Honoria, another strong-willed fifth-century woman, was bornin 416 or 417, the daughter of the future emperor Constantius III (421)and Galla Placidia. She was the elder sister of the emperor ValentinianIII (425-455), and she held the title of Augusta. At the orders of herbrother, she was devoted to virginity, a situation she did not find toher liking. Circa 449 she was apprehended in a love affair with theoverseer of her estates; both supposedly were engaged in a plot to seizepower for Honoria. As a result, her lover was executed and she was exiledto Constantinople. She then appealed for help to Attila the Hun, at whichthe eastern emperor Theodosius II, who already had enough problems withthe Huns, immediately dispatched her back to Italy -- with therecommendation that Valentinian turn her over to Attila. Valentinian,meanwhile, was enraged, and only spared her life because of the earnestentreaties of their mother. She then was compelled to marry a reliablesenator named Flavius Bassus Herculanus and subsequently she was keptunder close guard. Attila, meanwhile, chose to interpret Honoria'smissive as a marriage proposal, and demanded half of the western RomanEmpire as her dowry. Attila's ultimatum was refused, and he responded byinvading the western empire in 451 and 452. Honoria's ultimate fate isunknown; she may have been dead by 455.

Bibliography -
Critical Studies -
Bury, J.B. "Justa Grata Honoria." Journal of Roman Studies 9(1919):pp.1-13.
De Salis, J.F.W. "The Coins of the Two Eudoxias, Eudocia, Placidia, andHonoria, and of Theodosius II, Marcian, and Leo ... Italy." NumismaticChronicle 7(1867) 203-215.
Duckett, Eleanor Shipley. Medieval Portraits from the East and West. AnnArbor, 1972.

Copyright (C) 1996, Ralph W. Mathisen. This file may be copied on thecondition that the entire contents,including the header and thiscopyright notice, remain intact.

Julia married in 450. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Valentinian III, Latin in full, Flavius Placidius Valentinianus (b. 2July 419, Ravenna - d. 27 Mar 455, Rome), Roman emperor from 425 to 455.At no time in his long reign were the affairs of state personally managedby Valentinian. He was the son of the patrician Flavius Constantius (whoruled as Constantius III in 421) and Galla Placidia. When his uncle, theemperor Honorius, died in 423, the usurper John ruled for two yearsbefore he was deposed. Then Placidia controlled the West in her youngson's name until 437, although the powerful patrician Aetius became theeffective ruler toward the end of this regency. The most importantpolitical event of these years was the landing of the Vandals in Africain 429; 10 years later they threw off the overlordship of Valentinian'sgovernment.

On 29 Oct 437, Valentinian married Licinia Eudoxia, the daughter ofTheodosius II (Eastern emperor, 408-450) and Eudocia. Little is known ofValentinian in the years after his marriage. He spent his life in thepursuit of pleasure while Aetius controlled the government. In 444Valentinian, acting in conjunction with Pope Leo I the Great, issued thefamous Novel 17, which assigned to the bishop of Rome supremacy over theprovincial churches. The most important political events of the closingyears of his reign were the Hun invasions of Gaul (451) and of northernItaly (452), but it is not known whether Valentinian personally playedany significant part in meeting these crises.

As a result of false information that made him doubt Aetius's loyalty,Valentinian murdered the great patrician with his own hands in theimperial palace at Rome on 21 Sep 454. The following year, twobarbarians, Optila and Thraustila, who had been reatiners of Aetius,avenged their master by murdering the Emperor in the Campus Martius.[Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1995]

From Ralph W. Mathisen, University of South Carolina:

Valentinian's Early Years -Placidus Valentinianus, later the emperorValentinian III, was born in 419, the son of the emperor Honorius' sisterGalla Placidia and the patrician, later emperor, Constantius. He was thebrother of Justa Grata Honoria. In the early 420s he was proclaimed MostNoble (Nobilissimus) by his uncle Honorius, but neither this title norhis father's emperorship were initially recognized in the east. After hismother's falling out with Honorius, the young Valentinian accompanied herand his sister to exile at the court of his cousin Theodosius II(402-450) at Constantinople. The eastern attitude toward Valentinianchanged in 423, when the usurper Johannes seized power in the west.Valentinian was first reaffirmed as Nobilissimus in 423/424, and then wasnamed Caesar (junior emperor) in 424. In the same year he was betrothedto his cousin Licinia Eudoxia, the daughter of Theodosius II. In 425 hewas proclaimed Augustus at Rome after the defeat of Johannes, and in 437he returned to Constantinople for his marriage. A partially extant poemin honor of the nuptials was written by the poet Merobaudes.

Valentinian's Reign - In the early years of his reign, Valentinian wasovershadowed by his mother. After his marriage in 437, moreover, much ofthe real authority lay in the hands of the Patrician and Master ofSoldiers Aetius. Nor does Valentinian seem to have had much of anaptitude for rule. He is described as spoiled, pleasure-loving, andinfluenced by sorcerers and astrologers. He divided his time primarilybetween Rome and Ravenna. Like his mother, Valentinian was devoted toreligion. He contributed to churches of St. Laurence in both Rome andRavenna. He also oversaw the accumulation of ecclesiastical authority inthe hands of the bishop of Rome as he granted ever greater authority andprestige to pope Leo the Great (440-461) in particular.

Valentinian's Death - Valentinian's reign saw the continued dissolutionof the western empire. By 439, nearly all of North Africa was effectivelylost to the Vandals; Valentinian did attempt to neutralize that threat bybetrothing his sister Placidia to the Vandal prince Huneric. In Spain,the Suevi controlled the northwest, and much of Gaul was to all intentsand purposes controlled by groups of Visigoths, Burgundians, Franks, andAlans. In 454, Valentinian murdered his supreme general Aetius,presumably in an attempt to rule in his own right. But in the next year,he himself was murdered by two members of his bodyguard, ex-partisans ofAetius.

Although Valentinian was ineffectual as a ruler, his legitimate statusand connection to the old ruling dynasty provided a last vestige of unityfor the increasingly fragmented Roman empire. After his death, the decayof the west accelerated. The different regions of the west went their ownway, and the last several western emperors, the so-called "Shadow" or"Puppet" Emperors, not only were usually overshadowed by one barbariangeneral or other, but also were limited primarily to Italy.

Bibliography -
Editions - Primary sources: For legislation issued by Valentinian, seethe Constitutiones sirmondinianae and the Novella Valentiniani publishedin the Codex Theodosianus, see also the Codex Justinianus.

Critical Studies -
Barnes, Timothy D. "Patricii Under Valentinian III." Phoenix 29(1975):155-170
Ensslin, Wilhelm "Valentinians III. Novellen XVII und VIII von 445."Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung f?r Rechtsgeschichte, R?manistischeAbteilung 57(1937): 367-378
Musumeci, Anna Maria, "La politica ecclesiastica di Valentiniano III."Siculorum gymnasium 30 ns(1977): 431-481.
Selb, Walter, "Episcopalis audientia von der Zeit Konstantins bis zurNov. XXXV Valentinians III." Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung f?rRechtsgeschichte, R?manistische Abteilung 84(1967): 162-217.

Copyright (C) 1996, Ralph W. Mathisen. This file may be copied on thecondition that the entire contents,including the header and thiscopyright notice, remain intact.

Valentinian married Licinia Eudoxia Of The Eastern Roman Empire on 29 Oct 437 in Constantinople, Turkey. Licinia (daughter of Theodosius II (Emperor Of The Eastern Roman Empire - 408-450) and Eudocia (Athenais) Of Athens) was born in 422 in Constantinople, Turkey; died in in Constantinople, Turkey. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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King of the Burgundians - On his death the kingdom was left to Gundobad,Godigisel, and Chilperic II. Chilperic II was quickly deposed, andGundobad and Godigisel were the main Burgundians leaders during theconquests of Clovis I, King of the Franks.

Gundioc married Cartamene Of The Suevics SUEVI in 449. Cartamene (daughter of Ermengaire (Edeko) (Nascien I - Caledoin) Of The Suevics (Prince Of The Septimania Midi) and (Daughter) Of Walia) was born in 432 in Spain; died in 506. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Flacidia was the daughter of the Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III,sister of Eudoxia, and wife of the Western Roman Emperor Olybrius.

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The marriage of the Western Emperor Valentinian III's daughter to the sonof the brilliant Vandal king Gaiseric, Huneric, was a carefullythought-out political manoeuver.

Family/Spouse: Hunneric (King Of The African Vandals). Hunneric (son of Gaiseric (Genseric) (King Of The Vandals In Spain & Africa) VANDALS) was born in 440 in Carthage, Tunisia, Africa; died in 484 in Carthage, Tunisia, Africa. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Godegisel died after suffering the siege of his brother Gundobad, whom hehad tried to betray to Clovis. He had fortified himself in the city, butwhen the provisions ran low, he ordered out all the commoners. One manexpelled was the artisan of the aqueduct. This man went to Gundobad andled an army inside the city walls where it attacked the defenders fromwithin. Godegisel sought refuge in the church of the heretics and wasslain there along with the Arian bishop.

Succeeded with his brother Gundobad as sole rulers of the Burgundians. In500, Clovis I, King of the Franks, defeated Gundobad with the help ofGodigisel. This battle was followed by more between the two brothers.Gundobad killed Godigisel while in an Arian church.

Godegisel married before 490. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Third son of Gundioc, King of the Burgundians - After succeeding hisfather with his three brothers, Chilperic II was killed by his brotherGundobad, along with his wife. His two daughters were driven into exile.

Chilperic II (Latin: Chilperikus; c. 450? 493 AD) was the King of Burgundy from 473 until his death. Before that he co-ruled with his father Gondioc beginning in 463. He began his reign in 473 after the partition of Burgundy with his younger brothers Godegisel, Gundobad, and Godomar; he ruled from Valentia Julia (Valence) and his brothers ruled respectively from Geneva, Vienne, and Lyon.

Sometime in the early 470s Chilperic was forced to submit to the authority of the Roman Empire by the magister militum Ecdicius Avitus. In 475 he probably sheltered an exiled Ecdicius after the Visigoths had obtained possession of the Auvergne.

After his brother Gundobad had removed his other brother Godomar (Gundomar) in 486, he turned on Chilperic. In 493 Gundobad assassinated Chilperic and drowned his wife, then exiled their two daughters, Chroma, who became a nun, and Clotilde, who fled to her uncle, Godegisel. When the Frankish king, Clovis I, requested the latter's hand in marriage, Gundobad was unable to decline. Clovis and Godegisel allied against Gundobad in a long, drawn-out civil war.

Chilperic married Caratene Of The Suevics (Agrippina De Narbonnaise) NARBONNE in 474 in Remu, Bourgogne, Burgundy, France. Caratene (daughter of Ricimer General Of The ROMAN EMPIRE and Alypia DI ROMA) was born in 448 in Spain; died on 6 Sep 506 in Bourgogne, Burgundy, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Hilderich was old and in alliance with Constantinople when he was deposedin 530 in favor of Gelimer.

In 533 the Byzantines under Belisarius invaded North Africa following thedeposition by the usurper Gelimer of Huneric's son, Hilderich, who was aclose friend of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. In one campaigningseason the Vandal kingdom was destroyed. Romer again ruled the area andrestored the churches to the Roman Catholics. The Vandals played nofurther role in history. [Encyclopaedia Britannica, article on Vandal]

Family/Spouse: Amfleda ('The Younger') Of The Vandals. Amfleda was born in 482 in Carthage Near Tunis, Africa; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]