Carney & Wehofer Family
Genealogy Pages
Julia Grata Honoria
417 - Bef 456 (38 years)-
Name Julia Grata Honoria Birth 416-417 Gender Female _UID 99394A2E08484E3CB004DCE9CB0C0F66E90E Death Bef 456 Person ID I8750 Carney Wehofer July 2025 Last Modified 5 Feb 2012
Father Constantius III (Emperor Of The Western Roman Empire - 421), b. 385, Naissus, Dacia 
d. 2 Sep 421, Rome, Italy (Age 36 years) Mother Aelia Galla Placidia Of The Western Roman Empire (Impératrice Of Rome - 421-450), b. 389, Roma, Roma, Italy d. 27 Nov 450, Roma, Roma, Italy (Age 61 years) Marriage 1 Jan 416-417 Family ID F12273 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Marriage 450 Family ID F4456 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 29 Aug 2016
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Notes - Strong willed, plotted to overthrow brother with lover Eugenius and AD449 but discovered and he was put to death. Forced to marry after 30years of age to a rich senator Flavius Bassus Herculanus, who's characterassured the Emperor that a dangerous wife would be unable to drag himinto any revolutionary schemes. She sent her ring via her trusted eunuchHyacinthus along with a sum of money to Attila (the Hun) asking him tocome and prevent the marriage. Attila took it as a proposal of marriage,claimed her and demanded from Valentinian half the territory over whichhe ruled as a dowry, while making preparations to invade the westernprovinces.
From Ralph W. Mathisen, University of South Carolina:
Justa Grata Honoria, another strong-willed fifth-century woman, was bornin 416 or 417, the daughter of the future emperor Constantius III (421)and Galla Placidia. She was the elder sister of the emperor ValentinianIII (425-455), and she held the title of Augusta. At the orders of herbrother, she was devoted to virginity, a situation she did not find toher liking. Circa 449 she was apprehended in a love affair with theoverseer of her estates; both supposedly were engaged in a plot to seizepower for Honoria. As a result, her lover was executed and she was exiledto Constantinople. She then appealed for help to Attila the Hun, at whichthe eastern emperor Theodosius II, who already had enough problems withthe Huns, immediately dispatched her back to Italy -- with therecommendation that Valentinian turn her over to Attila. Valentinian,meanwhile, was enraged, and only spared her life because of the earnestentreaties of their mother. She then was compelled to marry a reliablesenator named Flavius Bassus Herculanus and subsequently she was keptunder close guard. Attila, meanwhile, chose to interpret Honoria'smissive as a marriage proposal, and demanded half of the western RomanEmpire as her dowry. Attila's ultimatum was refused, and he responded byinvading the western empire in 451 and 452. Honoria's ultimate fate isunknown; she may have been dead by 455.
Bibliography -
Critical Studies -
Bury, J.B. "Justa Grata Honoria." Journal of Roman Studies 9(1919):pp.1-13.
De Salis, J.F.W. "The Coins of the Two Eudoxias, Eudocia, Placidia, andHonoria, and of Theodosius II, Marcian, and Leo ... Italy." NumismaticChronicle 7(1867) 203-215.
Duckett, Eleanor Shipley. Medieval Portraits from the East and West. AnnArbor, 1972.
Copyright (C) 1996, Ralph W. Mathisen. This file may be copied on thecondition that the entire contents,including the header and thiscopyright notice, remain intact.
- Strong willed, plotted to overthrow brother with lover Eugenius and AD449 but discovered and he was put to death. Forced to marry after 30years of age to a rich senator Flavius Bassus Herculanus, who's characterassured the Emperor that a dangerous wife would be unable to drag himinto any revolutionary schemes. She sent her ring via her trusted eunuchHyacinthus along with a sum of money to Attila (the Hun) asking him tocome and prevent the marriage. Attila took it as a proposal of marriage,claimed her and demanded from Valentinian half the territory over whichhe ruled as a dowry, while making preparations to invade the westernprovinces.