Honorius

Honorius, 384-423, Roman emperor of the West (395-423). On the death (395) of Theodosius I, the Roman Empire was divided; Arcadius, the elder son, received the East, and Honorius, the younger son, received the West. This division proved to be a permanent one. The general Stilicho, as guardian of Honorius, at first controlled the government of the West and defended the empire against the Visigoths. Honorius married (398) Stilicho's daughter, but in 408, influenced by a malicious favorite, Honorius ordered the execution of his general. Alaric I, king of the Visigoths, invaded Italy again in 409 and installed a puppet ruler at Rome, while Honorius remained at Ravenna. Negotiations with Alaric were mishandled by Honorius; infuriated, Alaric stormed and sacked Rome in 410. Alaric's death left Ataulf in command of the Visigoths, who then left Italy to invade Gaul. In 412, Honorius made peace with Ataulf, whom he reluctantly accepted (414) as husband for his sister Galla Placidia. A rival emperor, Constantine, was defeated (411) by Honorius' general Constantius, who soon exercised the actual power and who married (417) the widowed Galla Placidia. In 421, Honorius was obliged to accept Constantius as joint emperor (see Constantius III), but Constantius died in the same year. Honorius died two years later; after a usurper was put down by forces from the East, the son of Galla Placidia and Constantius became (425) emperor as Valentinian III. The weak reign of Honorius marked an important stage in the decline of the Western Empire.

orig. Cencio Savelli

(born Rome—died March 18, 1227, Rome) Pope (1216–27). He extended Innocent III's policies on church reform and the recovery of the Holy Land, proclaiming a Crusade to regain Jerusalem in 1216 (see Crusades). He crowned Frederick II as Holy Roman emperor (1220) but threatened to excommunicate him if he failed to join the Crusade. Honorius also undertook a Crusade against the Moors in Spain (1218) and settled the Barons' War in England (1223). He continued the Albigensian Crusade against the heretics of southern France. He approved the Dominican, Franciscan, and Carmelite orders and authorized the first official book of canon law.

Learn more about Honorius III with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Honorius may refer to:

• Honorius (emperor) (Flavius Augustus Honorius), western Roman emperor 395-423
• Honorius of Canterbury (Saint Honorius), archbishop of Canterbury 627-655
• Honoratus of Amiens (Saint Honorius of Amiens), bishop of Amiens
• Pope Honorius I, pope 625-638
• Pope Honorius II, pope 1124-1130
• Pope Honorius III, pope 1216-1227
• Pope Honorius IV, pope 1285-1287
• Antipope Honorius II, 1061-1064
• Honorius of Thebes, dates unknown.
• Honorius Augustodunensis (Honorius of Autun), Christian theologian, 12th century
• Honorius, a character in the Bartimaeus Trilogy