Honorius: Barbarians, Usurpers and the Sack of Rome

Honorius, usually remembered as the emperor during the sack of Rome by the Visigoths and the loss of Britain, was not treated kindly by posterity with Procopius writing that he was more concerned with his fowl Rome than the actual city. However, by examining the long reign of this child-emperor what contemporary sources show is that the situation was far more nuanced and that perhaps even Honorius had some decent qualities.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Prince Honorius
02:01 The Regency of Stilicho
04:14 The Gildonic War
10:33 A Peaceful Interlude
15:24 The Invasions of Alaric and Radagaisus
25:28 The Crossing of the Rhine
27:10 The Downfall of Stilicho
36:28 The Seven Emperors and the Fall of Britain
44:10 The Sack of Rome
46:52 The Empire Struck Back
50:56 Honorius' Domestic and Church Reforms
57:16 Constantius Visigothicus
01:01:25 The Visigothic Settlement and the Battle For Spain
01:07:23 Emperor Constantius III
01:09:13 Honorius' Final Years
01:13:41 Conclusion
Predecessor: Theodosius I
Successor: John the Tyrant (West) and Theodosius II (East)
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Gallic Chronicle of AD452, Edition by R. W. Burgess, (2001).
Claudian, Works, Edited and Translated by M. Platnauer, (1922).
Eunapius, History to Continue Dexippus, Edited and Translated by R. C. Blockley, (1983).
Frigeridus, Histories, Edited and Translated by L. Van Hoof, and P. Van Nuffelen, (2020).
Hydatius, Chronicle, Edited and Translated by R. W. Burgess, (1993).
Jerome, Letters, translated by W. H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W. G. Martley, (1893).
Narrative on the Emperors of the House of the Valentinians and Theodosians,
Edited by T. Mommsen. (1892).
Olympiodorus, History, Edited and Translated by R. C. Blockley, (1983).
Orosius, Seven Books of History Against the Pagans, Translated by A. T. Fear, (2010).
Philostorgius, Church History, Translated by P. R. Amidon (2007).
Procopius, History of the Wars, Revised edition by A. Kaldellis (2014).
Prosper, Chronicle, edited and translated by D. Brook, (2014).
Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, translated by C. D. Hartranft, (1890)
Theodoret of Cyrus, Ecclesiastical History, Translated by B. Jackson, (1892).
The Theodosian Code and Novels, and the Sirmondian Constitutions,
Translated by C. Pharr (1952).
Zosimus, New History, Translated by R. T. Ridley, (1986).
Scholarship
Doyle, C. (2019) Honorius: The Fight for the Roman West AD 395-423, Routledge.
Drinkwater, J. F. (1998) 'The Usurpers Constantine III (407-411) and Jovinus (411-413)' in Britannia 29, 269-298.
Halsall, G. (2007) Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376-568, Cambridge.
Heather, P. (2005) The Fall of the Roman Empire, A New History, London.
Kulikowski, M. (2000), 'Barbarians in Gaul, Usurpers in Britain' in Britannia 31, 325-345.
Kulikowski, M. (2000), 'The Career of the 'Comes Hispaniarum' Asterius', in Pheonix 54, 123-141.
Maynard, D. R. F., (2022) 'The Development of Usurpers and Usurpation from Procopius to Leontius and Their Political and Cultural Impact,'. MPhil Thesis.
McEvoy, M. A. (2013) Child Emperor Rule in the Late Roman West, AD 367-455, Oxford.
Ward-Perkins, B. (2005) The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation, Oxford.
Wijnendaele, J. W. P. (2018), ''Dagali altari alla polvere.' Alaric, Constantine III, and the Downfall of Stilicho' in Journal of Ancient History 6, 260-277.
Wijnendaele, J. W. P. (2017), 'The Manufacture of Heraclianus' Usurpation (413 CE)' in Pheonix 71, 138-156.
Email
[e-mail]
Discord
/ discord
If you would like to support Eastern Roman History, I have a Patreon:
/ easternromanhistory
Music Credits:
'Ambient' by Jason Graves from Rise and Fall: Civilisations at War by Stainless Steel Studios and Midway Games.
'This is it', 'War of Kings', 'Duke of Death', 'Destiny' by Jeff Van Dyke from Medieval II: Total War by Creative Assembly.
'Euro Battle 1' by Jeff Van Dyke from Medieval Total War by Creative Assembly.
'Lost Souls', 'Divinatus', 'Melancholy', 'Lonely Strategos', 'Autumn', 'Time 2 Kill' and 'Contemplation' by Jeff Van Dyke from Rome Total War by Creative Assembly.
'Western Greek Theme by Morgan Casey from Europa Barbarorum: A Modification of Rome Total War.
'Desperate Fight by Hitoshi Sakimoto from Valkyria Chronicles by Sega.
All images used are for educational purposes, if I have used a piece of art and you would like me to credit you, please contact me and I shall do so.

[@TetsuShima]

"Stilicho was a good man. I am glad that, at least, he isn't here to see what I did to the Empire he gave his life to protect...You know? Despite being a barbarian, Stilicho was probably the only man I ever knew who truly deserved to be considered... a Roman..." *-Emperor Honorius shortly after the sacking of Rome*

[@cam5816]

Funny seeing you here lol. We meet again. I was looking further into Honorius tonight after replying to your comment I saw somewhere else earlier today. Where do you get these quotes from?

[@histguy101]

Stilicho took his sentence with nobility, but he lived his life with extreme ambition and played a dangerous game

[@MegaTang1234]

Oh boy a 1 hour video. You spoil us.

[@althesian9741]

I was particularly overwhelmed in trying to know more about this period. Much thanks for the well-researched and well sought after sources.

[@EasternRomanHistory]

I understand you pain. It has taken me a long time to come to grips with all of the many but meager sources their are for the fifth century.

[@vmycode5142]

i can say little except that this video is amazing and the wait for it was worth it a thousand times over. please never stop making these! :D

[@juliuscapitoli]

Well worth the wait. Love the new style! KZbin is sorely lacking in long form imperial biographies. Valentinian III next?

[@TonyFontaine1988]

You are one of the better roman historians on KZbin

[@ScapularSaves]

Very thorough work. Congratulations !

[@epikurejczyk]

Very good documentary. Love it. I especially like that you are trying to portrait those characters in a neutral manner. That is rare on historical KZbin unfortunately.

[@EasternRomanHistory]

Thank you very much. I do sometimes think for some people from the past we consider them bad only because one has been told they are so, from reading the primary sources and looking at what scholars have had to say, I was able to come up with my own appraisal of Honorius and be objective based on the evidence.

[@epikurejczyk]

@@EasternRomanHistory i am trying to do the same in my series on my channel about roman emperors. It was actually Nero that prompted me to do so. I started revisiting all that ancient knowledge and found out that school lied to me. I didnt get to the late empire stage yet, but now, thanks to you, I have gained a new better perspective about Honorius. I hope you will make more in depth videos like this one.

[@EasternRomanHistory]

@@epikurejczyk That's excellent. Here is a video by the Professor Dominic Rathbone about Nero and with him I agree Nero was no secret great emperor but there are things to appreciate about his reign. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGjUqpmHgK6nacU

[@epikurejczyk]

@@EasternRomanHistory thanks a lot.

[@LeKot]

Been waiting so long for this one, always comfy to see you upload 😄

[@rkurtz4]

Hope you realize how much we appreciate your channel. Thank you for all the videos.

[@Mcoinz9]

So good to hear from you again !! Good day to be alive when video about Roman Empire drops

[@JustinTyme33]

Very good job on this presentation. I think it’s the best work this channel has done. Excellent video.

[@EasternRomanHistory]

Thank you very much, I put a lot of work into it.

[@stratagos4610]

you put a lot of work into this and to shows thank you

[@EasternRomanHistory]

Thank you very much, it took about 2 months of research and editing. I hope I have managed some vindication of Honorius and Constantius III.

[@choppacast]

Thanks immensely for that

[@bentramer1]

Brilliant presentation, sir.

[@EasternRomanHistory]

Thank you very much. I put a lot of work into it because I really thought there was something to add based on the sources rather than just here is the same interpretation of events you have heard a hundred times.

[@youvebeengreeked]

Honorius: “I’m the worst Roman emperor ever!” Elagabalus: “No, I’M the worst Roman emperor ever!” “Amateurs…” Honorius: “What was that, punk?” *Phocas: “AMATEURS.”*

[@causantinthescot]

Nah, here comes the infamous Petronius Maximus, aka Alexios IV in the Western Roman Empire.

[@Eazy-ERyder]

Lol

[@Hwje1111]

Caligula: am I a joke to you?

[@histguy101]

I think it's past time to rehabilitate Phocas a bit, and reassess Heraclius

[@youvebeengreeked]

@@histguy101 He's not the best Eastern Emperor - that's probably Basil II, in my opinion - but his story is so epic and then so tragic that he's definitely my favourite.

[@petercroves8562]

this is great!, thanks!, i never knew so much about this emperor! -What Detail

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Hi, can you make a video about identity of Eastern Roman Empire and ethnicities of Roman Emperors :)

[@cam5816]

@@oss8298 Augustus was British. England didn’t exist yet

[@cam5816]

@@oss8298 Also I don’t think Hadrian was actually gay, I think he and Antinous were just really good friends and they were just joking

[@HappyChap8]

@@cam5816 he was meming lol

[@beesheer3761]

Honorius was such a awfully weak emperor at a time when the empire needed a great emperor to hold the empire intact.

[@MustafaAli-lb8dq]

He was an incompetent fool and a useless emperor who surprisingly ruled for 30 years!

[@barrett206]

could have been worse

[@troydodson9641]

A fair statement, but when the world is against you and it's difficult to have a board of competent loyal and capable generals. The margin of error is slim, and people's patience slimmer. I don't think Honorious was a good emperor, but Trajan levels are a high marker for success

[@natalassblaster]

Is that OG Rome total war music playing???

[@bsaneil]

A far more interesting episode in Roman History than the end of the Reoublic, or the affairs of Caesar and Anthony with Cloeopatra. I wonder if Shakespeare had written plays about this rather than events 450 years earlier, the popular view of Ancient Rome would be different? Would the popular image of the Roman Soldier be a mail clad horseman wearing a ridge helmet and sporting a long Spatha rather than the lorica - wearing legionary of the 1st and 2nd centuries?

[@histguy101]

So was this all Theodosius's fault? He left some very conniving people in charge. Or maybe he should've tried to live a bit longer. You left it out, but I really like Procopius's account of Arcadius's "single stroke of brilliance" in securing the succession for his young son.

[@ScapularSaves]

That is why I think the Senate should have been entrusted electing the August successor unless a worthy Caesar was in line.

[@cam5816]

lol I’ve got to look up what he had to say

[@rockstar450]

You can't blame either side of the empire. Both were being torn apart by civil and political unrest and were scrambling for resources and manpower. Both were hitting survival mode

[@ScapularSaves]

@@rockstar450 i agree but also the decline of agriculture and population which came out of the harsh civil wars…

[@kencook4607]

Ah Honorius, Rome really hit rock bottom with him.

[@wcy5042]

Under Valentinian III it somehow managed to get worse

[@barrett206]

same guy made a great video defending Honorius, Honorius definitely wasn’t the best emperor but nowhere near the worst

[@user-eu8ub9cm5t]

Since writing comment below have discovered Stilicho Half Barbarian Saviour of Rome on history dose website Highly recommend

[@geordiejones5618]

The Republic suffered 60 years of chaos to become the Principate, which endured 50 years of even worse chaos to become the Dominate. Really demonstrates the sheer volume of fuckery that Rome was under during Honorius. Questionable.if any civilization could have weathered 30 years of imperial apathy.

[@Focusyn]

Bene factum

[@TetsuShima]

0:03 Senators: "CAESAR, THE BARBARIANS HAVE SACKED ROME!" Honorius: "OH, NO!!!... I think I ran out of bread for the birds..." Jokes Aside, I feel bad for Honorius, to be honest. He was forced to become Emperor since he was a child despite being too young and unprepared for such position. Most of the bad things he did were by fault of the poor advisers he had, who forced him to commit horrible actions like murdering Stilicho. In fact, the docudrama "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire" depicts Honorius as a cute and sympathetic teenager who doesn't know how manipulated he is. The scene in which he cries after knowing about the sacking of Rome is pretty sad, actually.

[@gamingdeeznuts]

in reality he didn’t even care about Rome being sacked 💀

[@barrett206]

@@gamingdeeznuts he totally did, he even helped repaired rome after the sack

[@gamingdeeznuts]

@@barrett206 it was all thanks to stilicho

[@barrett206]

@@gamingdeeznuts Stilicho was already dead by the sack of Rome

[@gamingdeeznuts]

@@barrett206ok fine you win, but still cant deny he is the worst emperor possible

[@ares106]

Rome needed a Military Emperor, not a lawyer.

[@ALEJANDROARANDARICKERT]

STVLTI PERICVLOSI SUNT, QVAM MALI

[@jay2159]

To me it seems that Honorius had some legislative capabilities (decent/mediocre) , had he had good advisors and more capable generals like Stilicho or Constantius III maybe the chaos and crisis of his reign wouldn't have been as bad, and he would've been seen as a decent/mediocre ruler(I'm leaning hard at the mediocre part)

[@rockstar450]

He was the worst by a some distance imho. I commented below why in detail. Stilicho's execution is one of many follies

[@twoinchtape]

Mediocre is an overstatement, boss.

[@MrAwrsomeness]

Very based indeed, but now I have to reinstall attila

[@rockstar450]

You'll play 3 turns and uninstall it. Attila is hot garbage. AoC and last Roman are good but that main campaign is the worst CA made along with thronws

[@MrAwrsomeness]

@@rockstar450 how dare you 😤

[@rockstar450]

@@MrAwrsomeness please reply here when you've played 5 turns and remember how garbage this disservice was to an amazing time period

[@MrAwrsomeness]

@@rockstar450 to be fair I play with about a 100 mods

[@josevieira5700]

Europa Perdita + Fall of the Eagles lets go

[@causantinthescot]

All these could be avoided if only my man Gallienus ascended to the throne instead of Honorius. He's such a underrated emperor like Theodosius I and Valentinian I. Given that he was a combination of Diocletian and Aetius, he would clean all the corruption in the senate and the army, and built some massive projects like aqueducts and forts in every corner of his empire. As for Stilicho, he would fully trust on him, forming alliances by marriages and assign Stilicho's son as his heir. One would guard Italy, and the other one guard Gaul, while they integrating barbarians like Alaric and his Goths into the empire. So, no sack of Rome, no barbarians occupied parts of the empire and no corruption, self-serving among the senators, no anti-German sentiment which may lost their support and manpower to Rome and even the doc-chicken thing which had happened in 410AD.

[@TonyFontaine1988]

No

[@huntsie]

I'm confused, are you saying hypothetically if Gallienus had ascended at the time of Honorius instead of Honorius?

[@user-eu8ub9cm5t]

27 November 395 Gainas who was pro Stilicho assasinates Rufinas praetorian Prefect of East right in front of Arcadius Shocking even Stilicho Court orator Claudian said Stilicho orchestrated the murder Gildo Count of Africa with Eunuch Eutropius wants Province Africa under East he had close ties with Bishop Optatus leader of Donatists/ This is very important and not enough attention is given to Heresy versus Orthodoxy at this crucial era that had just legalised Christianity

[@wdobni]

the collapse of the classical roman paradigm was chaotic....probably somewhat similar to the collapse of the third reich in 1944-45 when they both lurched from crisis to crisis leading to the sack of berlin. Your narration reminded me of The Godfather which was a series of gang murders as one bunch of criminals vied with another to exterminate each other to win control of NYC....the period of history you described was just a bunch of murderers with fancy titles conducting gang warfare and vendettas while surrounded by heroic architecture from hundreds of years earlier. So much murder was done in connection with Jesus Christ and his religion of forgiveness, love, and turn-the-other-cheek....the clergy were as vindictive and combative and power hungry and jealous as everybody else.

[@histguy101]

Great architecture was still being built at this time and in the century leading up to it. It only seems chaotic when crises separated by years, over the course of many decades are listed off in succession.

[@user-en3uv4nh1y]

You're saying that like it hasn't always happened throughout history. Read about any ancient kingdoms or empires and you'll find there always intrigue, backstabbing and murdering rivals and gruesome deaths invovled. Hell in the Ottoman Empire it was tradition to kill all the brothers of the new sultan to ensure no rivals to the throne. Don't look up what they did to eachother during the first crusade

[@arvoresdoinfinitogameplay-3482]

Are you really comparing the Roman Empire to the Nazi scum?

[@TheSphee131]

Why try so hard to stay a ruler but not actually rule???

[@rockstar450]

Honorius was without any doubt the worst Roman Emperor. Refusing to budge on any concessions, a capable Emperor would have weaponised the Goths instead of creating a dangerous enemy which further drained the military. He ran the empire like it was still in its glory days when it needed reform, but he wasted his time with Religious reforms and the rotating door of advisors who clearly got their way shows how pathetic he was viewed. Outlawing pants when you needed MORE recruitment of barbarians? Religious divides to create unrest at this time? Killing Stilicho and betraying Alaric essentially BEGGED for Rome to be sacked. Killing Stilicho without having a clear strategy to recentre the military around another clear commander, knowing this would embolden the enemy? The suffering Honorius let go unanswered and perpetrated is disgusting. We assume he was sterile? Or was he so useless he couldn't be bothered fathering children? This only matches his attention to important items that didn't interest him. I enjoy this channel and think you've presented a great case (unlike Maiorianus' biased lies) but the conclusion is Rome needed a leader and Honorius died a comfortable coward after killing the Western Empire.

[@barrett206]

definitely not the worst, he had the worst conditions of any Roman emperors besides the later western Roman ones such as majorian

[@Jacob-qz9fo]

Well they entered rome because the city was starving to death and they had no other choice, not just betrayal. I mean I guess if choosing subjugation and food over starving to be betrayal.

[@bojanpavlovic5489]

Eastern emire was never eastern Roman Empire. Latin was not official language and nobody called that Roman Empire.

[@EasternRomanHistory]

It depends what you mean by official language. If you mean it was the language of government. It most certainly was for many centuries. If you mean it was the language that most ordinary people spoke, it would have been used by government officials and anyone from the western Balkans and North Africa westwards. In terms of calling it the Roman Empire, I would love to know what secret source you have which disproves 1100 years of Roman documents and literature. With but one example from the fiftheenth century, the emperor John VII dictated a letter in Latin saying 'Iohannes, in Christo Deo fidelis Imperator and Moderator Romeorum, Palaeologus, which translates to John, faithful in Christ by God emperor and autocrat of the Romans, Palaeologus. Hingeston, Royal and Historical Letters, 42, page 101-103.

[@pablocuneo4611]

Honorius was so pathetic, I never understood why he wasn’t assassinated. That was the Roman way assassinate evil emperors like Caligula, Elagabalus, and Nero. Stilcho was good for Rome and killed for no reason.

[@nathanieljones7981]

Probably because he wasn’t as bad as it is led to be shown

[@Outlaw8908]

@@nathanieljones7981More like easily pliable and ineffectual.

[@nathanieljones7981]

@@Outlaw8908 More than likely he was like many of those before him molded by the men he was raised by. he didn't have much time with his father, and others solved his issues. He probably was sidelined by Stilicho and when he could take power he had some idea, but not best ideas. I would say in the golden age he would have been a meh-ok emperor. but in the crisis he ruled over he was downright terrible for that rule. but who can blame him? Everyone betrayed and rebelled. can't trust anyone, and more than likely they ignored his orders and fought each other over power in gov.

[@mohamedsalat4077]

He was a spoil Prince and he didn't care about the people of Roman