Honorius 394

Honorius 394 - 423 A.D.

Honorius was born to Theodosius and Aelia Flaccilla in 384 and inherited the western part of the empire on his father's death (with the eastern half going to his elder brother Arcadius). During his lifetime Honorius witnessed wave after wave of barbarian invasions, each one more devastating than the previous one. In 404 he moved the imperial palace to a fortress in Ravenna. On cue, Rome was then sacked in 410 by the barbarian forces under the command of Alaric; a first in over 800 years. The Vandals would seize Northern Africa (Italy's bread basket) and various usurpers, most importantly Constantine III, sliced off huge sections of what remained of the Western empire for themselves. In the face of all these military and political catastrophes, Honorius was helpless and he never personally led any armies to counter the invasions and revolts. Still, against all odds, he managed to somewhat stabilize his dwindling domains by diplomatic means with the barbarians and by military action with the help of Constantius III against the usurpers. But he died in 423 leaving the empire significantly weaker and much smaller than when he became emperor.