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Restitvtvs · 01-20-2007, 05:08 PM

This is the first is a planed series of simple posts, with links to more information and images, on civilian and military personalities. I'll start with people from the Late Western Roman Empire.

Restitvtvs · 01-20-2007, 05:53 PM

Flavius Placidius Valentinianus (born 419, died 455), known in English as Valentinian III, was Western Roman Emperor (425-455, Rome's longest reigning emperor). Theodosius nominated Valentinian Caesar of the west (October 23, 424), and bethrothed him to his own daughter Licinia Eudoxia (Valentinian would marry her in 437). In 425, after Emperor Joannes had been defeated in war, Valentinian was installed Western Emperor in Rome, on October 23, at the age of six.

Given his minority, the Valentinian ruled under the control first of his mother, and then, after 433, of the Magister militum Flavius AÃ«tius. Valentinian's reign is marked by the dismemberment of the Western Empire; the conquest of the province of Africa by the Vandals in 439; the final abandonment of Britain in 446; the loss of great portions of Spain and Gaul, in which the barbarians had established themselves; and the ravaging of Sicily and of the western coasts of the Mediterranean Sea by the fleets of Genseric.

As an off-set against these calamities, there was the great victory of General AÃ«tius (one of the two "Last of the Great Romans") over Attila the Hun in 451 near Chalons, and his successful campaigns against the Visigoths in southern Gaul (426, 429, 436), and against various invaders on the Rhine and Danube (428-431).

The burden of taxation became more and more intolerable as the power of Rome decreased, and the loyalty of its remaining provinces was seriously impaired in consequence. Ravenna was Valentinian's usual residence; but he fled to Rome on the approach of Attila, who, after ravaging the north of Italy, died in the following year (453).

Although in 453 AÃ«tius had been able to betroth his son Gaudentius to Valentinian's daughter Placidia, Valentinian felt intimidated by AÃ«tius, who had once supported Joannes against him and whom Valentinian believed wanted to place his son upon the imperial throne. The Roman senator Petronius Maximus and the chamberlain Heraclius were therefore able to enlist Valentinian in a plot to assassinate AÃ«tius. On September 21, 454, when at court in Ravenna delivering a financial account, AÃ«tius was slain by Valentinian's own hand. Edward Gibbon credits Sidonius Apollinaris with the famous observation, "I am ignorant, sir, of your motives or provocations; I only know that you have acted like a man who has cut off his right hand with his left" (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ch. 35).

Maximus expected to be made patrician in place of AÃ«tius, but was blocked by Heraclius. Seeking revenge, Maximus arranged with two Hun friends of AÃ«tius, Optila and Thraustila, to assassinate both Valentinian III and Heraclius. On March 16, 455, Optila stabbed the emperor in the temple as he dismounted in the Campus Martius and prepared for a session of archery practice. As the stunned emperor turned to see who had struck him, Optila finished him off with another thrust of his blade. Meanwhile, Thraustila stepped forward and killed Heraclius. Most of the soldiers standing close by had been faithful followers of AÃ«tius and none lifted a hand to save the emperor. (from Wikipedia articles)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentinian_III
http://www.livius.org/va-vh/valentinian ... n_iii.html
http://www.roman-emperors.org/valenIII.htm
http://www.roman-empire.net/collapse/va ... n-III.html

http://rubens.anu.edu.au/raid5/italy200 ... /colossus/ (The "Colossus of Barletta" thought to be a Western Roman emperor between Valentinian I [364-375] and Marcian [450-7], inclusive)

Coins of Valentinian III:

[Image: ValentinianIII-RICX-2126-S_RM-7.jpg]

[Image: ValentinianIII-RICX-2126-S_RM-7.jpg]

Military image (NumisWiki).

Other coins of Valentinian III:

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/vale ... III/i.html

[Image: attila4.jpg]

Valentinian III (seated) and AÃ«tius, from the TV mini-series "Attila" (2001)

Restitvtvs · 01-20-2007, 06:16 PM

Afranius Syagrius (born 430, died 486 or 487), son of Aegidius, last Roman magister militum per Gallias, who had preserved a rump state around Soissons after the collapse of central rule in the Western Roman Empire (from WikiPedia article):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syagrius
http://clovis1er.free.fr/486syagrius.htm (in French)

[Work in Progress]

Restitvtvs · 01-20-2007, 07:10 PM

Flavius AÃ«tius or just "Aetius", (born circa 396, died 454), was a Late Roman general of the Western Roman Empire. Along with his rival Count Boniface, he has often been called "the last of the Romans". His victory over Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons guarantees him, as Edward Gibbon states, immortality as "the man universally celebrated as the terror of Barbarians and the support of the Republic" of Rome (adapted from Wikipedia article):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavius_A%C3%ABtius

[Image: attila11.jpg]

AÃ«tius (left) and other "5th" century Romans... :lol: Oookayyy..., from the "Attila" mini-series (2001).

Restitvtvs · 01-20-2007, 07:25 PM

Aelia Galla Placidia (born circa 388, died 450) lived one of the most eventful lives of Late Antiquity. Daughter of Roman Emperor Theodosius I and his second wife Galla, who herself was daughter of the Emperor Valentinian I, Galla Placidia was half sister of emperors Honorius and Arcadius, and mother of Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III (from Wikipedia article):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galla_Placidia
http://www.livius.org/ho-hz/honorius/ga ... cidia.html
http://www.roman-emperors.org/galla.htm

[Image: t_galla_placidia_and_valentinian_403.jpg]

Galla Placidia and family in court.

[Image: attila3.jpg]

Galla Placidia in the "Attila" mini-series (2001).

[Image: RIC_1803.jpg]

Galla Placidia in gold.

Other Galla Placidia coins:

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/gall ... dia/i.html

Restitvtvs · 01-20-2007, 08:15 PM

Flavius Honorius (born 384, died 423) was Roman Emperor (393 - 395) and Western Roman Emperor from 395 until his death. He was the younger son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius (adapted from Wikipedia article).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorius_%28emperor%29
http://www.livius.org/ho-hz/honorius/honorius.html
http://www.roman-emperors.org/honorius.htm

[Image: probus.JPG]

Honorius (left) on Consul Probus' diptych, Rome, circa 406 AD

[Image: Honorius_-_Miliariense_-_RIC_0369.1.jpg]

Honorius in silver.

Honorius on the throne:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... Laurens_-_

Google search images:
http://images.google.com/images?q=honor ... F-8&tab=wi

Restitvtvs · 01-26-2007, 01:14 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero

http://www.roman-emperors.org/nero.htm
http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/nero-index.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/R ... Nero*.html
http://www.aeria.phil.uni-erlangen.de/p ... /nero.html

[Image: ustinov-quo-vadis-19.jpg]

[size=150:3ptg3rz7]"You lookin' at Me?!?[/size]

[size=150:3ptg3rz7]"Everybody get dowwnnn. Let's get funky tonite!"[/size]

Restitvtvs · 01-26-2007, 09:24 PM

Gaivs Antonivs Satvrninvs · 01-26-2007, 09:48 PM

Restitvtvs(Will),
Thanks for these pics.I especially liked the gallery of emperors' busts.
I'll look forward to your next installment.

Restitvtvs · 01-27-2007, 10:57 AM

Thank you, Andy.

For text to go with the images:

http://www.roman-emperors.org/impindex.htm
http://www.empereurs-romains.net/index.htm (in French)

And more images of Roman emperor & their family members:

http://www.romancoins.info/Sculptures-R ... erors.html

Restitvtvs · 01-27-2007, 04:08 PM

Roman "World" Who's Who: Marcus Aurelius

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius

[Image: marcus-aurelius-4.jpg]

[size=150:15kflpgf]"Help me Obi-Wan... You're our only hope."[/size]

http://www.roman-emperors.org/marcaur.htm
http://www.aeria.phil.uni-erlangen.de/p ... arcus.html
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/raid3/new/ital ... _aurelius/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/m/marcus.htm

His writing, "Meditations":
http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html

[Image: Marcus%20Aurelius%20Head.JPG]

Restitvtvs · 01-27-2007, 05:07 PM

Roman "World" Who's Who: Augustus Romulus

Flavius Romulus Augustus (born circa 463, died after 476), often called Romulus Augustulus, was the last Western Roman Emperor (31 October 475 - 4 September 476). His father Orestes, commanding general of the Roman army, installed Romulus on the throne after deposing the emperor Julius Nepos. Romulus, who may have been about 12 years old, acted as a figurehead for his father's rule. Reigning for only ten months, Romulus Augustus was deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer and sent to live in the Castellum Lucullanum in Campania. He disappears from the historical record afterward. (adapted from Wikipedia article)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_Augustulus
http://www.roman-emperors.org/auggiero.htm
http://www.roman-empire.net/collapse/romulus.html
http://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.p ... s+Augustus
http://www.dirtyoldcoins.com/natto/id/raug.htm
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/romu ... tus/i.html

[Image: 248---Image_large.jpg]

Restitvtvs · 01-27-2007, 05:51 PM

Roman "World" Who's Who: Julius Nepos

Julius Nepos (born circa 430, died 480) was a Western Roman Emperor (474â€“475 or â€“480) during the last stage of the Western Roman Empire. He first reigned over Italy and the adjoining areas still held by the Western Empire. As of 475, he had influence only over Dalmatia, having been deposed and replaced with Romulus Augustus (Augustulus) (in effect if not in law) in the rest of the Western remnant. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to recognize Nepos as rightful Western Emperor, to the end of his life. It never so recognized Romulus Augustus, whose tenure ended in his deposition in 476 by the Ostrogoth Odoacer. Romulus Augustus was not replaced. Nepos was thus either the next-to-last or the last Western Emperor, depending on how one looks at the matter. (adapted from Wikipedia article)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Nepos
http://www.roman-emperors.org/nepos.htm
http://www.roman-empire.net/collapse/nepos.html
http://www.romancoins.info/TheEnd.html (near the bottom of this long webpage)

[Image: JuliusNepos2002.jpg]

From his first reign (474-475).

[Image: JuliusNepos-2reign.jpg]

From his second reign (475-480). Notice the differences.

[Image: JuliusNepos.JPG]

The "good, old" days?

Restitvtvs · 02-04-2007, 05:08 PM

Roman "World" Who's Who: Ambrose

Saint Ambrose, (Latin: Sanctus Ambrosius, "Ambrosius episcopus Mediolanensis"; Italian: Sant'Ambrogio; Lombard: Sant'Ambroeus) (born circa 340, died 397), bishop of Milan (Mediolanum in Latin), was one of the most eminent 4th century bishops. Together with Augustine of Hippo, Jerome, and Gregory I, he is counted as one of the four doctors of the West of antique church history. (adapted from Wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose

[Image: 300px-AmbroseTheodosiusVanDyck.jpg]

Ambrose rebukes Theodosius I

Restitvtvs · 02-10-2007, 08:37 PM

Roman "World" Who's Who: Jerome

Jerome (born circa 347, died 420; Greek: Ευσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ιερόνυμος, Latin: Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus) is best known as the translator of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin. He also was a Christian apologist. Jerome's edition, the "Vulgate", is still an important biblical text of the Roman Catholic Church. He is recognized by the Vatican as a Doctor of the Church. (from a Wikipedia article)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome
http://www.abcgallery.com/saints/jerome.html
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/St._Jerome

[Image: StJerome.JPG]

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