Editing Constantius III (section)

==Life==

===Early life===
[[File:Solidus of Constantius III.png|left|thumb|175x175px|[[Solidus (coin)|Solidus]] of Constantius III]]
Constantius was born in [[Naissus]], [[Moesia]], (present-day [[Niš]], [[Serbia]]) of [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] origin.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2KINAQAAMAAJ|author=Cyril Dean Darlington|title=The Evolution of Man and Society|page=318|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=1971|isbn=9780671210649 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XIhnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA272|title=2021|author1=Christof Schuler|author2=Rudolf Haensch|author3=Simone Killen|page=272|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|date=2021|isbn=9783110742770 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ep6U-meRt00C&pg=PA75|page=75|title=Count Marcellinus and His Chronicle|author1=Brian Croke|author2=Ammien Marcellin|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2001|isbn=978-0-19-815001-5 }}</ref>{{Sfn|Grant|2015|p=60}}{{sfn|Adkins|Adkins|2014|p=36}} Constantius served as a general under [[Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]], rising to the rank of ''[[Magister militum]]'' (Master of the Soldiers) by 411.{{sfn|Adkins|Adkins|2014|p=36}}

===Revolt of Constantine III===
In 411 Constantius was sent by Honorius to put down the revolt of [[Constantine III (Western Roman Emperor)|Constantine III]], who had declared himself emperor in [[Roman Britain|Britain]] in 407.{{sfn|Jones|1992|p=316}} Constantius thereafter led his soldiers to [[Arles]], the capital and residence of Constantine. Upon arriving, he defeated the army of [[Gerontius (magister militum)|Gerontius]], a general who was rebelling against Constantine, before besieging the city.{{sfn|Jones|1992|p=316}}

Constantine refused to surrender, hoping to last until the return of his general [[Edobichus]], who was raising troops in northern [[Gaul]].{{sfn|Bury|1889|p=143}} When Edobichus did return to Arles, he was swiftly defeated by Constantius.{{sfn|Bury|1889|p=144}} Constantine soon after lost much of the remainder of his forces, as his army which had been guarding the [[Rhine]] chose to support the usurper [[Jovinus]] instead, forcing Constantine to surrender. Despite Constantius's assurances that Constantine would be able to safely retire to a [[Monastery|clerical office]], Constantius had him imprisoned, and further had him beheaded during his return to [[Ravenna]], in either August or September 411.{{sfn|Jones|1992|p=316}} Honorius's remaining rivals were soon defeated, with Gerontius committing suicide in Hispania,{{sfn|Jones|1992|p=508}} and Jovinus being defeated by [[Athaulf]], king of the [[Visigoth]]s.{{sfn|Bury|1889|p=144}} Despite this, Honorius was unable to regain control of Britain, nor was any Roman after him.{{sfn|Birley|1980|p=160}}

===The war against Heraclianus===
{{Main|War of Heraclianus}}

The appointment of Constantius as commander-in-chief led to a war in 412 with the rival general [[Heraclianus]], who, like Constantius, had done good services for Emperor Honorius. Heraclianus revolted, appointed himself emperor and stopped grain supplies to Italy. At the beginning of March 413, the usurper landed in Italy near Rome with an army to go to war against Honorius. He engaged in a battle with Constantius's Roman army, but was defeated. After his defeat, Heraclianus fled. He was captured and murdered.{{Sfn|Smith|1870|page=402}}

===Campaigns===
{{Main|Gothic War in Spain (416-418)}}
Constantius initiated a campaign against the Visigoths in northern Hispania in 416, blockading them in order to starve them and force their submission. Soon after, the Visigoth king, [[Wallia]], surrendered to Rome, agreeing to return [[Galla Placidia]] (the sister of Honorius, who had been captured by [[Alaric I|Alaric]] {{circa}} 412, and been forced into marriage with Athaulf, who was by this time dead), and to wage war against the [[Vandals]] and other barbarians who the Romans were still in conflict with, in exchange for food supplies.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=115}} 
This development enabled Constantius to put an end to the [[Bagaudae Revolt|Bagaudae revolt]] in northwestern Gaul in 417.{{sfn|Thompson|1982|pp=23–37}} He then continued his campaign against various tribal groups and regained control of much of Hispania and Gaul by 420.{{sfn|Sivan|2011|p=171}}

===Reign===
During this time period, generals played a critical role in ensuring the continued reign of Roman Emperors, especially Western Roman Emperors.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=82}} Constantius's position of ''magister militum'' and his skill as a commander allowed him to gain huge influence over the Western Roman Empire, comparable to the earlier [[Stilicho]].{{sfn|Adkins|Adkins|2014|p=36}} For this reason, Honorius bestowed many honors upon Constantius,{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=82}} such as appointing him consul three times: in 414, alongside [[Constans (consul 414)|Constans]]; in 417, alongside Honorius;{{Sfn|Grant|2015|p=60}}{{sfn|Cooley|2012|p=482}} and in 420, alongside [[Theodosius II]].{{Sfn|Grant|2015|p=60}}{{sfn|Cooley|2012|p=483}} In order to further ensure Constantius's loyalty, Honorius arranged the betrothal of his sister, [[Galla Placidia]], to Constantius in 417.{{Sfn|Grant|2015|p=60}} Later, on 8 February 421, Honorius made Constantius co-Western Emperor under himself. However, his cousin Theodosius II, emperor of the Eastern Empire, did not recognize him as such. Reportedly, Constantius was angry about this and considered starting a campaign against Theodosius.

===Death===

In the end, none of that came to fruition, because Constantius' health deteriorated rapidly and he died after less than 7 months as emperor on 2 September 421.{{Sfn|Grant|2015|p=60}}{{Sfn|Cooley|2012|p=506}} According to Syvänne, Constantius was killed by poisoning. As source, he cites [[Theophanes of Byzantium|Theophanes]] (AM 5913) who states that Constantius was murdered. [[Flavius Castinus|Castinus]], a confidant of Emperor Honorius, who after Constantius' death obtained the rank of commander-in-chief, is said to have had the hand in this.{{sfn|Syvänne|2020|p=186}} After his death, his wife fled with her children to Constantinople. Honorius only continued to reign until his death in 423, when [[Valentinian III]], the minor son of Constantius, succeeded him, with Galla Placidia as [[regent]].{{Sfn|Ring|Watson|Schellinger|2013|p=554}}