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156 156 ST. PLACIDIA there. A son was born to them, called, after her father, Theodosins. Great was their grief when the infant died. They baried him in a silver coffin in a chnrch near Barcelona. But soon a greater misfortune fell upon them. Atalilf was stabbed by a servant, and only lived long enough to commend his wife to the care of his brother, begging him to send her back to Italy. Singeric usurped the Gothic throne and, instead of sending Placidia home to her brother, drove her on foot before his horse amid a crowd of captives, having first murdered her six step-children. The Goths, however, loved both Ataillf and Placidia and, disgusted with the brutality of Singeric, put him to death on the seventh day of his reign and chose Wallia for their king. Con- stantius now eagerly negotiated with him for the restoration of Placidia to her brother. She was exchanged for 600,000 measures of wheat and returned to the Court of Ravenna. During the preceding five years, no less than seven pretenders had attempted to wrest the empire from Ilonorius, who was incapable of an effort. Their failure was due in great measure to Constantius. He was of noble birth, popular with the army and devoted to the family of Theo- dosius. His services were rewarded with the titles of Consul and Patrician, and Honorius contemplated honouring him further with the hand of his sister. But the widowed queen was still grieving for the husband of her love and did 'not in- tend to make a second marriage ; more- over, Constantius with all his excellent qualities, was not attractive, and she trusted that Honorius would not press the point. However, when according to custom, she went on the first day of the year 417, to give her good wishes to her brother, he placed her hand in that of Constantius. The marriage took place exactly three years after her happy wed- ding at Narbonne. Although married against her will, the eoergetic and am- bitious Placidia made the best of the situation; she took her husband's in- terests in hand, and through her influence with the indolent Honorius, rapidly advanced his fortunes. He had to return to Gaul, to prevent the barbarians yet awhile from rending that fair province from the empire, but Placidia would never again revisit the land of her happy memories. It was remarked that the character of Constantius deteriorated after his mar- riage. He, who had been a rough but jovial and generous soldier, without pride and without guile, now began to seek wealth and honours for himself; to be stem and ungracious to his former asso- ciates, while fierce orthodoxy replaced his amiable toleration for the opinions of others. Placidia's horror of necromancy went so far as to compel him, under threat of divorce, to put to death a wizard named Libanins, whom he would gladly have suffered to escape. It was not without difficulty that Placidia induced Honorius to associate his brother-in-law with himself in the empire as Augustus. Arcadius, the emperor of the East» bow- ever, did not sanction the accession of Constantius and refused to receive his picture as that of a colleague, when it was sent to him with the usual ceremony. Constantius died in the seventh month of his reign and Placidia was again left a widow, this time with two children : Justa Grata Honoria and Flavins Placi- dus Valentinianus, afterwards Yalenti- nian III. She became the constant adviser and companion of Honorius until, as is supposed, a dispute between Uieir respective attendants brought about a misunderstanding, which soon became a violent quarrel. All the Court and all Ravenna took one side or the other, Placidia's Gothic guards — the gift of her first husband— drew their swords for their queen, and order was with difficulty restored to the town. The empress left the palace and would have left Italy, but had not the means to travel, until her faithful but ill-starred BonifsMse supplied her with money and attendants for her journey to Constantinople, whither she proceeded with her two children. In the middle of the voyage they were overtaken by a frightful storm. In their danger and distress, the empress prayed to St. John the Evangelist, vowing to build a church in his honour if he would rescue her from shipwreck. A mosaic