Was Honorius really the worst Roman emperor?

The emperor Honorius is infamous for the sack of Rome and the loss of Britain during his reign. But when examining the evidence, do these generalisations really stand up to scrutiny?

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:05 The Empire Declined
03:02 Fall of Britain
04:25 Stilicho's Execution
06:26 Civil Wars
08:46 The Sack of Rome

Follow this link for my video on Honorius' reign:
   • Honorius: Barbarians, Usurpers and th...  

Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Gallic Chronicle of AD452, Edition by R. W. Burgess, (2001).
Claudian, Works, Edited and Translated by M. Platnauer, (1922).
Eunapius, History to Continue Dexippus, Edited and Translated by R. C. Blockley, (1983).
Frigeridus, Histories, Edited and Translated by L. Van Hoof, and P. Van Nuffelen, (2020).
Hydatius, Chronicle, Edited and Translated by R. W. Burgess, (1993).
Jerome, Letters, translated by W. H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W. G. Martley, (1893).
Narrative on the Emperors of the House of the Valentinians and Theodosians,
Edited by T. Mommsen. (1892).
Olympiodorus, History, Edited and Translated by R. C. Blockley, (1983).
Orosius, Seven Books of History Against the Pagans, Translated by A. T. Fear, (2010).
Philostorgius, Church History, Translated by P. R. Amidon (2007).
Procopius, History of the Wars, Revised edition by A. Kaldellis (2014).
Prosper, Chronicle, edited and translated by D. Brook, (2014).
Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, translated by C. D. Hartranft, (1890)
Theodoret of Cyrus, Ecclesiastical History, Translated by B. Jackson, (1892).
The Theodosian Code and Novels, and the Sirmondian Constitutions,
Translated by C. Pharr (1952).
Zosimus, New History, Translated by R. T. Ridley, (1986).

Scholarship
Doyle, C. (2019) Honorius: The Fight for the Roman West AD 395-423, Routledge.
Drinkwater, J. F. (1998) 'The Usurpers Constantine III (407-411) and Jovinus (411-413)' in Britannia 29, 269-298.
Halsall, G. (2007) Barbarian Migrations and the Roman West, 376-568, Cambridge.
Heather, P. (2005) The Fall of the Roman Empire, A New History, London.
Kulikowski, M. (2000), 'Barbarians in Gaul, Usurpers in Britain' in Britannia 31, 325-345.
Kulikowski, M. (2000), 'The Career of the 'Comes Hispaniarum' Asterius', in Pheonix 54, 123-141.
Maynard, D. R. F., (2022) 'The Development of Usurpers and Usurpation from Procopius to Leontius and Their Political and Cultural Impact,'. MPhil Thesis.
McEvoy, M. A. (2013) Child Emperor Rule in the Late Roman West, AD 367-455, Oxford.
Ward-Perkins, B. (2005) The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation, Oxford.
Wijnendaele, J. W. P. (2018), ''Dagali altari alla polvere.' Alaric, Constantine III, and the Downfall of Stilicho' in Journal of Ancient History 6, 260-277.
Wijnendaele, J. W. P. (2017), 'The Manufacture of Heraclianus' Usurpation (413 CE)' in Pheonix 71, 138-156.

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All images used are for educational purposes, if I have used a piece of art and you would like me to credit you, please contact me and I shall do so.