File:Ravenna, a study (1913) (14763743132).jpg

Identifier: cu31924028356396 (find matches)
Title: Ravenna, a study
Year: 1913 (1910s)
Authors: Hutton, Edward, 1875-
Subjects: Architecture
Publisher: London, J.M. Dent New York, E.P. Dutton
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ther Honorius, in the care of thebeautiful Serena, the wife of Stilicho. She does not seem tohave followed her brother either to Milan or to Ravenna, forindeed his residence in both these cities was part of the greatdefence. She remained in Rome, probably in the house of herkinswonian Laeta, the widow of Gratian. That she had agrudge against Serena seems certain, though the whole storyof the plot to marry her to Eucherius, Serenas son, wouldappear doubtful. That she initiated her murder, as Zosimus^asserts, is extremely improbable and altogether unproven.However that may be, after one of his three sieges of Rome,Alaric carried Galla Placidia off as a hostage. He seems,according to Zosimus, to have treated her with courtesy andeven with an exaggerated reverence, as the sister of theemperor and the daughter of Theodosius, but she was com-pelled to follow in his train and to see the ruin of Lucania and * Zosimus, V. 38. Zosimus was a pagan. Placidia was a devout andenthusiastic Catholic.
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n M n! > S. AGATA. THE RETREAT UPON RAVENNA 37 Calabria. For, as a matter of fact and reality, Galla Placidiawas the one hope of the Goths and this became obvious afterthe death of Alaric, The Gothic army was in a sort of trap; it could not returnwithout the consent of Ravenna, and if it were compelled toremain in Italy it was only a question of time till it shouldbe crushed or gradually wasted away. It is probable thatAlaric was aware of this; it is certain that it was well appre-ciated by his successor Ataulfus. He saw that his one chanceof coming to terms with the empire lay in his possession ofGalla Placidia. Moreover, Italy and Rome had worked in themind and the spirit of this man the extraordinary changethat was to declare itself in the soul of almost every barbarianwho came to ravage them. He began dimly to understandwhat the empire was. He felt ashamed of his own rudenessand of the barbarism of his people. Years afterwards herelated to a citizen of Narbonne, who in his turn

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