Anastasius I 491-518 AD Anastasius was born in Dyrrhachium about 430 AD. Anastasius became an obscure court official under Zeno, usher at the Imperial Palace. At the time of the death of Zeno in 491 AD, he had left no heir to the throne. The task then passed to his widow, the Empress Ariadne. The Empress selected […]

Leontius 484-488AD Syrian Usurper crowned by Aelia Verina In 479AD, the Emperor Zeno’s mother-in-law, the meddlesome dowager Empress Aelia Verina, who was the widow of the former Emperor Leo I, began a quest of political intrigue against Zeno for the second time. Verina set about to convince her other son-in-law Marcian, son of the late Western Emperor Anthemius, to raise […]

Aelia Marcia Euphemia Empress of West 467-472 AD Wife of Anthemius Daughter of Marcian Aelia Marcia Euphemia was the daughter of the Eastern Emperor Marcian (450-457AD). She was married to Anthemius in 453, a union that resulted in four sons and a daughter. Her proclamation as Augusta presumably occurred at the same time as her husband’s elevation to […]

Petronius Maximus March-May 455 AD Emperor in the West Flavius Anicius Petronius Maximus became one of the most prominent Senators in Rome under the reign of Honorius. Petronius was of noble birth coming from one of the great senatorial families in Rome – the Anicii. Petronius was a very ambitious man and he made his […]

Honoria   Sister of Valentinian III Born 417 AD – Died 454 AD Justa Grata Honoria was the daughter of Constantius III and Galla Placidia, which made her the granddaughter of Theodosius I. Honoria was given the rank of Augusta by her brother Valentinian III in the Western Roman Empire. Honoria gained a reputation with […]

Galla Placidia daughter of Theodosius I Half-sister of Arcadius & Honorius Galla Placidia was the daughter of Theodosius I and Galla and the grand-daughter of Valentinian I. She was the wife of Constantius III and also the mother of Valentinian III and the half-sister of the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius. Placidia was taken hostage by the Visigoths after Alaric’s capture of Rome in […]

Constans 408-411 AD Son of Constantine III Constans was the son of Constantine III, the usurper of Britain. He was raised to the rank of Augustus by his father sometime during 408 AD at the time of the invasion of Spain, which he led. In 408AD, Constantine III sent his son, Constans, to Spain in order to […]

Honorius 393-423 AD Son of Emperor Theodosius I Flavius Honorius was the younger son of Theodosius I and Aelia Flaccilla. Honorius was born in 384 AD and was raised to the rank of Augustus in 393 AD. Upon the death of his father Theodosius in 395, the Empire was divided in two with Honorius receiving the throne of […]

Valentinian II 375-392 AD Emperor in the West Younger son of Valentinian I Flavius Valentinianus II was the younger son of the Emperor Valentinian I. He was born at Trier by his father’s second wife Justina, widow of the usurper Magnentius, thus making him the half-brother of Gratian. Valentinian II was proclaimed Emperor by the […]

Valentinian I 364 – 375 AD Emperor of the West Flavius Valentinianus was born in Pannonia in about 321 AD. Valentinian was the son of Gratianus the Elder. His father was a man of humble origin. Nevertheless, he rose through the ranks of the military to become a great general. Valentinian traveled with his father to […]