Placidia

Placidia (* 435, † after 480 ) was a daughter of Roman emperor Valentinian III, granddaughter of Galla Placidia, wife of Emperor Olybrius and as such ruler of the Western Roman Empire. . Your full name is uncertain, perhaps Galla Placidia Valentiniana or Galla Placidia, the younger.

Life

Placidia was the second daughter of Valentinian III. and Licinia Eudoxia Her older sister was Eudocia, wife of Huneric, her paternal grandparents were Constantius III. and Galla Placidia, her maternal grandparents were Theodosius II and Aelia Eudocia; Galla Placidia and Theodosius II were members of the Theodosian dynasty.

In 454 Aetius betrothed his son Gaudentius, to him, had given birth to his second wife Pelagia, the widow of Boniface, with Placidia, the younger daughter of Emperor, but the Emperor Valentinian III. agreed only reluctantly. After the death of Valentinian III. († 455 ) was his wife Licinia Eudoxia to marry the senator Petronius Maximus in Rome and usurper forced, which dissolved the betrothal Placidia favor of his son Palladius. Shortly thereafter, however, attacked the Vandals under Genseric, king of the city and abducted Licinia Eudoxia and her two daughters, Eudocia (* 439, † 471/72 ) and Placidia and her fiancé Gaudentius hostage to Carthage.

In Carthage they spent the next few years under house arrest, sent twice, the Eastern Roman Emperor Marcian ( 450-457 ) messengers to Genseric, to persuade him to release the women, Genseric however, refused, he is now married his son Huneric (* 430/40? ; † 484 ) with Placidia sister Eudocia.

Placidia married 455 in Carthage the high nobility and the leading senator of Rome Flavius ​​Anicius Olybrius, the future Emperor of the Western Roman Empire had brought the Geiserich also hostage with Carthage. By this marriage Olybrius now was related to Genseric, only one again put forward by the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo at Geiserich request for release of the hostages had been in the year 461 success, the Vandal king sent Placidia with her ​​mother, the Empress Dowager Licinia Eudoxia to Constantinople Opel, the sister Eudocia, however, had to remain in the Vandal kingdom. Placidia gave birth to her husband Olybrius in the year 462 in Constantinople Opel daughter Anicia Juliana, her husband Flavius ​​Anicius Olybrius was charged by Ricimer in the spring of 472 the Western Roman Emperor, after a reign of only six months, the ailing emperor died of dropsy. Their daughter Juliana Anicia should be one of the most influential people in East and West Rome in the decades that followed, however.