Empress Galla Placidia and the Fall of the Roman Empire

""Despite being one of history's most important women, the story of Galla Placidia's life has been largely forgotten. Though the Roman empress witnessed the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and lived a life of almost constant suffering, her actions helped postpone the fall of Rome and had massive, widespread impact on the empire that can still be felt today. She watched the barbarian king Alaric and his horde of Visigoth warriors sack Rome, slaughter many of the city's inhabitants, and take her hostage. Surviving captivity, Galla Placidia became the queen of the barbarians who had imprisoned her. Eventually, she became the only woman to rule the Roman empire alone. Soldiers obeyed her commands while Popes and Christian saints alike sought her advice. Despite all obstacles and likely suffering from PTSD, she lived to old age. This book uses the letters and writings of Galla Placidia's contemporaries to reconstruct, in more depth and detail than has yet been attempted, the remarkable story of her life and the decline and fall of the Roman Empire."--Provided by publisher"-- Provided by publisher Despite her status as one of history's most important women, the story of Galla Placidia's life has been largely forgotten. Though the Roman empress witnessed the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and lived a life of almost constant suffering, her actions helped postpone the fall of Rome and had massive, widespread impact on the empire that can still be felt today. She watched the barbarian king Alaric and his horde of Visigoth warriors sack Rome, slaughter many of the city's inhabitants, and take her hostage. Surviving captivity, Galla Placidia became the queen of the barbarians who had imprisoned her. Eventually, she became the only woman to rule the Roman empire alone. Soldiers obeyed her commands while Popes and Christian saints alike sought her advice. Despite all obstacles and likely suffering from what we now know as PTSD, she lived to an old age by the standards of the time. This book uses the letters and writings of Galla Placidia's contemporaries to reconstruct, in more depth and detail than has previously been attempted, the remarkable story of her life and the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Table of Contents 6 Abbreviations 9 Preface 10 Introduction: A Remarkable Life 14 1. A Brutal Age 18 2. Turbulent Times 24 3. Murderous Rulers 30 4. Christians Against Pagans 36 5. An Unhappy Childhood 41 6. Barbarian Terrors 51 7. The Sack of Rome 63 8. Seeking an Answer 78 9. Prisoner of the Visigoths 85 10. An Ancient Case of PTSD? 96 11. Galla Placidia in the Bible? 103 12. An Unhappy Family, a Divided Church 111 13. Choosing the Pope, Cleansing the Church 117 14. A Miserable Marriage 130 15. Warrior Queen 136 16. Ruler of the Romans 143 17. The Vandal Horde 154 18. Years of Turbulence 165 19. The Fall of the Western Roman Empire 175 20. The Desecration of Galla Placidia’s Corpse 184 Chapter Notes 188 Bibliography 204 Index 218