A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

HONORIUS. HONORIUS. 515
veil of assumed piety, aggravated the emperor's after a time, into Gaul (A. D. 412), and Italy was
suspicions and fears, and a mutiny was excited in once more left free from invaders. [ATATJLPHUS.]
thl azny assembled at Pavia, where the emperor While Honorius (A.D. 409) was hard pressed
was, in which a number of officers of rank, friends by the Visi-Goths and by the revolt of Alaric,
or supposed friends of Stilicho, were slain. Sti- Constantine the usurper, who had established himlicho himself was at Ravenna; but Olympius, send- self in Gaul, proposed to come into Italy professedly
inlg to the troops there, directed them to seize him, to assist him, but probably with the intention of
and he was taken from a church in which he had aggrandising his own power. In effect he entered
ta'ken refuge, and put to death by the hand of Italy and advanced to Verona; but alarmed by the
Heraclian [HERACLIANUS], his son, Eucherius, execution of Allobichus, with whom he seems to
escaping, for a time, to Rome. The plea for the have been in correspondence, and apprehending al
execution of Stilicho was that he was conspiring attack from his own partisan, Gerontius, who had
the deposition, if not the death of Honorius, in revolted in Spain, he returned into Gaul, and was
order to make his own son, Eucherius, emperor in defeated, and obliged to surrender (A. D. 411), on
his room. Eucherius is said to have been a heathen; promise of hia life, to Constantius, the general of
and this circumstance may have either led him to Honorius, who besieged him in Arles. [CON —
cherish ambitious hopes, from a reliance on the STANTIUS III.; CONSTANTINUS the tyrant; GEsupport of the still numerous heathens; or may RONTIUS.] His -life was spared at the time, but
have inspired a jealousy which led the emperor and he was sent into Italy, where Honorius had him
his court to impute evil designs to him and his put to death, in violation of the promise on which
father. The Christian writers, Orosius, Marcel- he had surrendered. Fear, the source of cruelty,
linus, and Prosper Tiro, speak of the alleged treason rendered Honorius regardless of a breach of faith
without doubt. Sozomen gives it as a rumour; where his own safety was concerned.
while the heathen historians, Zosimus and Olym- Constantius was now the person of chief influpiodorus, appear to have believed him innocent: ence in the West. He had probably already
an indication that his death was connected with aspired to the hand of Placidia, or Galla Placidia
the struggle of expiring Paganism with Christianity. [GALLA, No. 3], the emperor's sister, who had
BIy his death, which took place A. D. 408, Olym- fallen into the hands of the Visi-Gothic king,
pius became for a while the ruler of affairs. A Alaric, and was now in those of his successor,
severe prosecution was carried on against the Ataulphus. The energy and talent of Constantius
friends of Stilicho: his daughter, Thermantia, was rendered him of the greatest service to Honorius,
repudiated and sent home, still a virgin, to her around whom fresh difficulties were rising. Jovinus,
mother, Serena, and died soon after. commander apparently of Moguntiacum, or some
The death of Stilicho furnished Alaric with a fortress on the Rhenish frontier, revolted; and Atpretence for the invasion of Italy, now deprived of talus, the ex-emperor, who had, for his own safety,
its former defender. His demand of a sum of remained with the Visi-Goths, incited Ataulphus
money which he said was due to him being re- to make an alliance with him., The alliance, however,
jected, he crossed the Alps. Honorius sheltered did not take place: the intended confederates quarhimself in Ravenna, while Alaric besieged Rome relied, Ataulphus made a treaty with Honorius,
(A. D. 408), which was obliged to pay a heavy seized Sebastian, brother of Jovinus, whom Jovinus
ransom. During the siege the unhappy Serena, had proclaimed emperor, and sent his head to HonoWnho was in the city, was put to death, on a charge rius; and having drawn Jovinus himself into Valentia
of corresponding with the enemy. In A.D. 409 (Valence), and obliged him to surrender, delivered
home was again besieged and taken by him, and hinm up (A. D. 412 or 413) to Dardanus, one of
Attalus proclaimed emperor under his protection. Honorius' officers, who, without waiting for the
[ALARICUS; ATTALUS.] The court of Honorius emperor's authority, put him to death. About the
was the scene of intrigue; Olympius was supplanted same time Sallustius, either an accomplice of JobyJovius, who became praefectus praetorio, but was, vinus or a rebel on his own account, was put to
in turn, succeeded by Eusebius, who was himself put death; and Heraclian, who, in 409, had preserved
to death at the instigation of Allobichus, one of the Africa for Honorius, but had since revolted, was
generals of Honorius. Allobichus was executed not also defeated, taken, and executed. [RHERACLIlong after. Alaric and Attalus marched against Ra- ANUS.] Ataulphus, who had again proclaimed
venna, which Honorius was on the point of abandon- Attalus emperor, rendered him no effective support;
ing, and fleeing by sea into the Eastern empire, when and having married (A. D. 414) Placidia, sister of
he was encouraged to hold out by a reinforcement Honorius [GALLA, No. 3], became sincerely de-:
of 4000 men (the corrupted text of Zosimus says sirous of peace. This was, however, prevented by
40,000) fromhis nephew, Theodosius II., emperor Constantius, who had also aspired to the- hand of
of the East. Africa was saved for him by the Placidia, and who attacked the Visi-Goths, drove
ability and good faith of Heraclian; and in A. D. them out of Narbonne, which they had taken, and
410 Attalus was deposed by Alaric, with whom he compelled them to retire into Spain, where Ataulhad quarrelled, and a negotiation begun and almost phus was soon after assassinated (A. D. 415). Atconcluded between Honorius and the Visi-Gothic talus was afterwards taken; and Honorius, whose
king. The treaty was, however, broken off, ap- natural clemency was not now counteracted by his
parently from some act of hostility on the part of fears, contented himself with banishing him. For
Sarus, a Goth in the Roman service, and the other offenders a general amnesty was issued. We
bitter enemy of Alaric, who, in his irritation, re- have omitted during these stirring events to notice
stored to Attalus the imperial title, but almost im- the consulships of Honorius since A. D. 404. He
mediately again deprived him of it. He then was consul in A. D. 407, 409, 411, or rather 412,
marched to Rome, which he took and plundered. 415 and 417. Ravenna was his almost constant
He died soon after; and his brother-in-law, Ataul- residence, except in 407 and 408.
phus, who succeeded him, retired with his army, The year 417 was distinguished by the marriage
LL 2