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Constantius III (Emperor Of The Western Roman Empire - 421)

Constantius III (Emperor Of The Western Roman Empire - 421)

Male 385 - 421  (36 years)

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  • Name Constantius III (Emperor Of The Western Roman Empire - 421)  
    Born 385  Naissus, Dacia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    RULED 421-421 Find all individuals with events at this location 
    _UID EEE9B26C70F0416B9C26DC161DF16DBFEFFC 
    Died 2 Sep 421  Rome, Italy Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I28057  Carney Wehofer 2024 Genealogy
    Last Modified 5 Feb 2012 

    Family Aelia Galla Placidia Of The Western Roman Empire (Imp?ratrice Of Rome - 421-450),   b. 389, Roma, Roma, Italy Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 27 Nov 450, Roma, Roma, Italy Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 61 years) 
    Married 1 Jan 416-417 
    Children 
     1. Julia Grata Honoria,   b. 416-417,   d. Bef 456  (Age 38 years)
     2. Valentinian III (Emperor Of The Western Roman Empire - 425-455),   b. 2 Jul 419, Ravenna, Italy Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Mar 454-455, Rome, Italy Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 35 years)
    Last Modified 29 Aug 2016 
    Family ID F12273  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Constantius came from Naissus (modern Nis, Yugoslavia) in the province ofMoesia. In 411, as magister militium ("master of the soldiers") under thewestern Roman emperor Flavius Honorius (reigned 393-423), Constantiushelped to overthrow the usurping emperor Constantine (Flavius ClaudiusConstantinus) at Arelate (modern Arles, France). He drove the Visigothsfrom southern Gaul into Spain in 415, but later recalled the tribe andsettled it in southwestern Gaul. In 417, he married the emperor's halfsister Galla Placidia. Appointed co-emperor of the West by Honorius, withthe title Augustus. On 8 Feb 421, Constantius died without having beenrecognized by the eastern emperor, Theodosius II. Constantius' son byPlacida ruled the West as the emperor Valentinian III from 425 to 455.[Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1995]

      From Hugh Elton, Florida International University -

      Constantius was a soldier from Naissus in Dacia. Although he presented afierce facade in public, he was far more relaxed in private and atbanquets. Constantius was a Catholic. He had a successful career as oneof the most important magistri militum of Honorius after the death ofStilicho in 408. He was able to defeat Gerontius and Constantine III inGaul in 411 and expelled the Goths under Ataulf from Italy in 412.Constantius married Honorius' half-sister Galla Placidia in 417 at theurging of Honorius; and they produced a son, Valentinian (III) in 419. OnFebruary 8, 421 Constantius was acclaimed as Augustus in the West andGalla Placidia was raised to the dignity of Augusta. These statuses werenot recognized in the East. Constantius was said at his death to havebeen planning a campaign against Theodosius II because of this slight. Hedied of illness September 2, 421. Although he was not emperor for long,he complained about the burden of office-holding, especially his loss ofpersonal freedom.

      Bibliography -
      Kent, J.P.C., Roman Imperial Coinage volume 10 (London, 1994).
      Matthews, J.F., Western Aristocracies and Imperial Court, A.D. 364-425(Oxford, 1975), 377-378.
      Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 2, ed. J.R. Martindale(Cambridge, 1980), 321-325.
      Seeck, O. "Constantius (9)." RE 4:1099ff.

      For references to primary sources, see entries in RE or the PLRE.Translations of much of the source material can be found in C.D. Gordon (The Age of Attila: Fifth-Century Byzantium and the Barbarians [Ann Arbor,1960]) and R.C. Blockley (Fragmentary Classicising Historians of theLater Roman Empire [Liverpool, 1983], vol. 2.).

      Copyright (C) 1999, Hugh Elton. This file may be copied on the conditionthat the entire contents, including the header and this copyright notice,remain intact.