| Joannes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Roman emperor in theWest (unrecognized in theEast) | |||||
| Reign | 20 November 423 – May 425 | ||||
| Predecessor | Honorius | ||||
| Successor | Valentinian III | ||||
| Eastern emperor | Theodosius II | ||||
| Born | Before 423 | ||||
| Died | c. May 425 Aquileia | ||||
| |||||
Joannes orJohannes[i] (Latin:Iohannes; died 425) wasWestern Roman emperor from 423 to 425.
On the death of the Western emperorHonorius,Theodosius II, the last remaining ruler of theTheodosian dynasty, did not immediately announce a successor. In theinterregnum, thepatricianCastinus elevated Joannes as emperor. Theodosius refused to accept the decision, and deposed Joannes in a civil war.
Joannes was aprimicerius notariorum or senior civil servant at the time of his elevation.Procopius praised him as "both gentle and well-endowed with sagacity and thoroughly capable of valorous deeds."[1]
From the beginning, his control over the empire was insecure. Hispraetorian prefect was slain inGaul by an uprising of the soldiery atArles,[2] andBonifacius,comes of theDiocese of Africa, held back the grain fleet destined toRome.[3]
"The events of Johannes' reign are as shadowy as its origins," writesJohn Matthews, who then provides a list of the ruler's known actions in a single paragraph. Joannes was proclaimed at Rome and praetorian games were provided at the expense of a member of theAnicia gens. Joannes then moved his base of operations toRavenna, knowing full well that theEastern Empire would strike from that direction. There is a mention of an expedition against Africa, but its fate, presumed unsuccessful, is unrecorded. In Gaul, he appears to have caused offense by submitting clerics to secular courts.[4]
Joannes had hoped that he could come to an agreement with the Eastern Emperor, but whenTheodosius II elevated the youngValentinian III tocaesar (undoubtedly influenced by Valentinian's motherGalla Placidia), he knew he could only expect war. Late in 424, he gave to one of his younger and most promising followers,Aëtius, an important mission. Aëtius, governor of the Palace at the time, was sent to theHuns, with whom he had lived as a hostage earlier, to seek military help.[5]
While Aëtius was away, the army of the Eastern Empire leftThessalonica forItaly, and soon camped inAquileia. Although the primary sources state that Ravenna fell to their assault –John of Antioch states that ashepherd led the army ofAspar safely through the marshes that protected the city.[6] Aspar's father,Ardaburius, who had been captured by Joannes' soldiers, may have convinced the garrison of Ravenna to betray the city.[2] The fallen emperor was brought to Aquileia where firsthis hand was cut off, then he was paraded on adonkey in theHippodrome to the insults of the populace. After further insults and injuries, Joannes was finally decapitated in mid 425.[7] His death is sometimes dated to May or June, probably on the basis two laws in theCodex Theodosianus issued by Theodosius II on 5 May 425.[8]
Three days after Joannes's death, Aëtius returned at the head of a substantial Hunnic army. After some skirmishing, Placidia,regent to her son, and Aëtius came to an agreement that established the political landscape of theWestern Roman Empire for the next thirty years. The Huns were paid off and sent home, while Aëtius received the position ofmagister militum (commander-in-chief of theRoman army).[2] The historianAdrian Goldsworthy writes that "it took a hard-fought campaign by strong elements of theEast Roman army and navy, in addition to a fair dose of betrayal," to defeat Joannes.[9]
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | WesternRoman emperor 423–425 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Castinus Victor | Roman consul 425 | Succeeded by |
