Honorius




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HONORIUS, the son of Theodosius the Great, and AEl. Flaccilla, (Aelia Flaccilla) was born in the year of our Lord 384. When ten years old, he received from his father the title of Augustus, and at his death in 395, he presided over the Western Empire, under the guardianship of Stilicho.
Being at the first much favoured by fortune, he quelled the revolt of Gildo in Africa, and of others in different parts of the empire. Alaric, king of the Goths, and Radagaisus, king of the Huns, elated with their occupation of the very centre of Italy, were checked in some memorable engagements by Stilicho, who, even then, however, revolving in his mind plans for securing the sovereignty, invited Alaric into Italy, and other barbarians into Gaul, but was put to death with his son Eucherius, by his own soldiers, at Ravenna. Alaric, finding no opposition, beseiged Rome, which he took and sacked A.D. 410; but died shortly after in Lucania, whilst preparing to pass over into Africa. His successor Ataulphus, leaving Italy, turned his steps towards Gaul, where he had married Galla Placidia, whom he had forcibly taken away from her brother Honorius; and proceeding thence into Hispania, he died at Barcinone (Barcelona).
-- Amidst these disturbances in Italy, the Alamanni occupied the part of Germany adjoining the Alps, and the Franci, under Pharamond, Gallia Belgica; whilst the Alani and Vandals, coming down from the shores of the Baltic, and scouring the Galliae, made an incursion into Hispania; and the Burgundiones retained forcible possession of that part of Gaul bordering on the Upper Rhine. -- Pressed on all sides by so many dangers, Honorius, in the year 421, conferred the title of Augustus upon Constantius, a man of distinguished military reputation, with whom he had already allied himself, by giving him in marriage his sister Placidia, the widow of Ataulphus; and in 423 he died, leaving no issue by either of his two wives; a prince of a slothful disposition, to whom, if Procopius has told truth (Bell. Vand. i. c. 2), the safety of his wife Gallina, whom he used to nickname Roma, was matter of much greater solicitude than that of the city itself. -- See viii. 171 and 172.

His coins in each metal are common, with the exception of medallions, which in gold and silver, are of the highest rarity. On these he is styled -- HONORIVS AVGVSTVS -- D. N. HONORIVS AVG. -- D. N. HONORIVS P. F. AVG.
The following are the rarest reverses: --
GOLD MEDALLIONS. -- GLORIA ROMANORVM. Rome seated. COMOB. Front face. (Valued by Mionnet at 300 francs.) -- GLORIA ROMANORVM. Similar type. (Mt. 600 fr.) -- Same legend. Emperor drawn in car and six. (Mt 200 fr.)
SILVER MEDALLION. 66 TRIVMFATOR GENT. BARB. Emperor holding Christian labarum.
SILVER. -- IVSSV. RICHIARI. REGES (sic.) round a crown, within which is X between B. and R. (Mionnet, 250 fr.)
EXAGIUM SOLIDI. -- D. N. HONORIVS P. F. AVG. Bearded head of Honorius. -- Rev. EXAGIVM SOLIDI. Equity standing. (Mt. 18 fr.)
Rev. -- EXAG. SOL. SVB. V. INL. IOANNI (sic.) COM. S. L. In exergue CONS. (24 fr.)


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