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159 ST. PLAUTILLA 150 Some time between the years 462 and 469 Placidia married Flayins Anicins Oljbrios, to whom it is supposed she had been betrothed in her father's life- time. The family of the Anieii was the most illnstrions of all the great noble houses of Rome. Olybrius, after the sack of Rome, had retreated to Con- stantinople where he was well received by the emperor. He was consul in 464. Placidia and her husband, in- finitely better bom than Leo I., and sufficiently wealthy notwithstanding their rcTerses, were among the most distinguished members of the society of the Court and capital. Their characters, tastes, and manners eminently fitted them to adorn the highest private station and but for the fatal gift of a crown, they might have gone on together, to a happy and peaceful old age. Meanwhile the chief authority over the Western Empire was wielded by Ricimer, who commanded one of the great bands of barbarian soldiers in Roman pay. Since the death of Yalentinian, three successive emperors had reigned nominally by his sufferance. In 472 Anthemius, the fourth of these, quarrelled with Ricimer and appealed to the Emperor of the East, who sent Olybrius to settle their differences. Ricimer invited Olybrius to supersede Anthemius ; G^nseric and Leo favoured the arrangement, and after a struggle of a few months, Anthemius was killed, and Ricimer died, leaving Olybrius emperor. It is probable that Placidia joined her husband at Rome, and lived with him there a short time as Empress. She has the credit of founding with him, the church of St. Euphemia. Olybrius died seven months after his elevation to the throne and little more than three months after Anthemius, pro- bably a natural death, but even this is not certain. The year 472 made Placidia an empress and a widow. She went to Jerusalem and there she gave herself to the study of holy writ and visited, with great devotion, each spot made sacred by an incident in the life of our Lord. It is probable that she and her sister met again at Jerusalem. At some time during the reign of the Emperor Zeno (474-491), Placidia sent ambassadors to Hunneric and obtained of him, for friendship's and kinship's sake, that the Catholics of Africa should elect whom they would as bishop of Carthage. In Adam King's Calendar, the 12th of October is marked as the festival of four thousand nine hundred and seventy-six martyrs '* in Afrike vnder hunerik king of ye vandals 479." Placidia spent the last years of her life in Italy, where she was treated with becoming consideration by Odoacer. She died at Verona, in the odour of sanctity, and was buried in the church of St. Stephen. She is said to have lived until after the establishment of the rule of Theodoric, in Italy, 493. Olybrius and Placidia had an only daughter, Juliana, who married Ario- bindus; consul in 543. Muratori. Ducange. Tillemont. Du Fresno. Procopius. St. Placidina, Nov. 15, 6th century. She was descended from Sidonius Apol- linaris, and married St. Leontins, who was a soldier in 531 and afterwards became bishop of Bordeaux. Ha died about 564. Her sister Alghimia is com- memorated with her. Smith and Wace. Stadler. St. Placilla, Flaccilla. St. Plato, Platonida, or Platonides, April 6. A holy woman who died in peace and is honoured in the Greek Church. AA.8S. St. Platonides and two other martyrs at Ascalon are mentioned in the Baman Martyrolmjy, April 6, as if they were men. This is perhaps one of the instances where obscurity of detail or clerical error has given rise to apparent multiplication of saints. St. Plaudia, Oct ll, honoured at Verona. Gu^rin. Perhaps same as Placidia (3). St. Plautilla, May 20, -f c. 66. Mother of St. Domitilla (2), niece of the Emperor Domitian, and sister of the consul Flavins Clemens, whose wife was St. Domitilla (1). Plautilla was converted and baptized by St. Peter. She placed herself among the crowd on the road by which St. Paul passed from Home to the place of his martyrdom —