Flavius Petronius Maximus(AD ca. 396 – AD 455) Petronius Maximus was born in about AD 396, his birthplace being unknown. Being of obscure origin, Petronius Maximus achieved remarkable career early on in his life. He served as tribune and in AD 415 as notarius and already by AD 416 he had become finance minister, a …
Flavius Placidus Valentinianus(AD 419 – AD 455) Valentinian III was born in AD 419, the son of Constantius III and Aelia Galla Placidia, who was the half-sister of Honorius. With Honorius having no children of his own, he proclaimed Valentinian III his heir (AD 421 or shortly after). Though in AD 423, when Placidia fled …
Johannes (died AD 425) John was a high ranking civil servant of Gothic origin at the court of emperor Honorius. As Honorius had made his incestuous advances toward his half-sister Galla Placidia, the scandal and crisis brought about by this at court saw Castinus, the ‘Master of Soldiers’ of the western empire, backing Honorius and …
Flavius Constantius(died AD 421) Constantius III was a Roman citizen born at Naissus at an unknown date.As the ‘Master of Soldiers’ to Honorius he effectively became ruler of the western empire in AD 411. His rise to power came at a time of desperate weakness by the western empire. Alaric had just sacked Rome in …
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus(106-48 BC) Despite his family’s connections to Cinna (an ally of Sulla’s enemy Marius), Pompey raised an army and sided with Sulla, when the latter returned back from his campaigns in the east. His determination and mercilessness shown when destroying his and Sulla’s opponents in Siciliy and Africa he was nicknamed ‘teenage butcher’. …
Marcus Licinius Crassus(died 53 BC) Crassus grew up as the son of a consul and distinguished general.His career to fame and phenomenal wealth began as he started purchasing the houses of Sulla’s victims. Had Sulla confiscated all their belongings he sold them off cheap. And Crassus bought and made sensational profits when selling them on. …