| | '''Honorius''' (full name: ''Imperator Caesar Flavius Honorius Augustus'';<ref>http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/honorius/i.html</ref> AD 384 – AD 423) was [[Roman Emperor]] of the [[Western Roman Empire|West]] for several decades until he died in AD 423. His troubled rule would see the Western Roman Empire decline in strength and lose territories to migrating barbarian tribes crossing the [[Rhine]] and the [[Danube]] Rivers. Honorius ruled with his father, [[Theodosius I]] for about two years until his death in AD 395 and with his elder brother, [[Arcadius]] until his death in AD 408. | | '''Honorius''' (full name: ''Imperator Caesar Flavius Honorius Augustus'';<ref>http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/honorius/i.html</ref> AD 384 – AD 423) was [[Roman Emperor]] of the [[Western Roman Empire|West]] for several decades until he died in AD 423. His troubled rule would see the Western Roman Empire decline in strength and lose territories to migrating barbarian tribes crossing the [[Rhine]] and the [[Danube]] Rivers. Honorius ruled with his father, [[Theodosius I]] for about two years until his death in AD 395 and with his elder brother, [[Arcadius]] until his death in AD 408. |
| | The 6th century Roman Historian Procopius of Caesarea reports a tale of the Emperor Honorius being told of news by a eunuch, a keeper of poultry that Rome had been sacked by the Visigoths, but he thought that the messenger was referring to his pet chicken who was also named Rome. | | The 6th century Roman Historian Procopius of Caesarea reports a tale of the Emperor Honorius being told of news by a eunuch, a keeper of poultry that Rome had been sacked by the Visigoths, but he thought that the messenger was referring to his pet chicken who was also named Rome. |
| − | ''At that time they say that the Emperor Honorius in Ravenna received the message from one of the eunuchs, evidently a keeper of the poultry, that Rome had perished. And he cried out and said, "And yet it has just eaten from my hands!" For he had a very large cock, Rome by name; and the eunuch comprehending his words said that it was the city of Rome which had perished at the hands of Alaric, and the emperor with a sigh of relief answered quickly: "But I, my good fellow, thought that my fowl Rome had perished." So great, they say, was the folly with which this emperor was possessed.''<ref>[Procopius of Caesarea, ''The History of the Wars (III.2.25–26)'']</ref> | + | ''At that time they say that the Emperor Honorius in Ravenna received the message from one of the eunuchs, evidently a keeper of the poultry, that Rome had perished. And he cried out and said, "And yet it has just eaten from my hands!" For he had a very large cock, Rome by name; and the eunuch comprehending his words said that it was the city of Rome which had perished at the hands of Alaric, and the emperor with a sigh of relief answered quickly: "But I, my good fellow, thought that my fowl Rome had perished." So great, they say, was the folly with which this emperor was possessed.''<ref>Procopius of Caesarea, ''The History of the Wars (III.2.25–26)''</ref> |