Roger in the meantime had rapidly overrun the duchy of Apulia and had sent Honorius lavish gifts, asking the Pope to recognise him as the new duke and promising to hand over Troia and Montefusco in exchange.

In the meantime, many of the local Norman nobles, fearful of Roger ’ s power, allied themselves with Honorius, as Honorius formally excommunicated Roger in November 1127.

Honorius in the meantime entered into an alliance with the new Prince of Capua, Robert II.

Without a strong general like Stilicho to control the by-now mostly barbarian army, Honorius could do little to break the siege, and adopted a passive strategy trying to wait out Alaric, hoping to regather his forces to defeat the Visigoths in the meantime.

Honorius was still a minor ; as his guardian, Theodosius had appointed the magister militum Stilicho.

Alaric was succeeded in the command of the Gothic army by his brother-in-law, Ataulf, who married Honorius ' sister Galla Placidia three years later.

He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius.

Arcadius was born in Hispania, the elder son of Theodosius I and Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of Honorius, who would become a Western Roman Emperor.

As emperors, Honorius was under the control of the Romanized Vandal magister militum Flavius Stilicho while Arcadius was dominated by one of his ministers, Rufinus.

The Order of Preachers was approved in December 1216 and January 1217 by Pope Honorius III in the papal bulls Religiosam vitam and Nos attendentes.

Honorius (; 9 September 384 – 15 August 423 ), was Western Roman Emperor from 395 to 423.

Even by the standards of the rapidly declining Western Empire, Honorius ' reign was precarious and chaotic.

After holding the consulate at the age of two, Honorius was declared Augustus by his father Theodosius I, and thus co-ruler, on 23 January 393 after the death of Valentinian II and the usurpation of Eugenius.

During the first part of his reign Honorius depended on the military leadership of the general Stilicho, who had been appointed by Theodosius and was of mixed Vandal and Roman ancestry.

Honorius was also greatly influenced by the Popes of Rome, who sought to extend their influence through his youth and weak character.

So it was that Pope Innocent I contrived to have Honorius write to his brother, condemning the deposition of John Chrysostom in 407.

At first Honorius based his capital in Mediolanum, but when the Visigoths under King Alaric I entered Italy in 401 he moved his capital to the coastal city of Ravenna, which was protected by a ring of marshes and strong fortifications.

Honorius ' reign was plagued by almost constant barbarian incursions into Gaul, Italy and Hispania.

The first crisis faced by Honorius was a revolt led by Gildo, the Comes Africae and Magister utriusque militiae per Africam, in Northern Africa, which lasted for two years ( 397 – 398 ).

Honorius, slumbering at Milan was caught unaware and quickly fled to Asti, only to be pursued by Alaric, who marched into Liguria.

In early 408, Stilicho attempted to strengthen his position at court by marrying his second daughter, Thermantia, to Honorius after the death of the empress Maria in 407 Another invasion by Alaric was prevented in 408 by Stilicho when he forced the Roman Senate to pay 4, 000 pounds of gold to persuade the Goths to leave Italy.

He convinced the emperor that his Arian father-in-law was conspiring with the barbarians to overthrow Honorius.

Gaul was again a source of troubles for Honorius: just after Constantius ' troops had returned to Italy, Jovinus revolted in northern Gaul, with the support of Alans, Burgundians, and the Gallic nobility.

Under the influence of Constantius, Honorius issued the Edict of 418, which was designed to enable the Empire to retain a hold on the lands which were to be surrendered to the Goths.

In 421, Honorius recognized him as co-emperor Constantius III ; however, when the announcement of his elevation was sent to Constantinople, Theodosius refused to recognise him.

In his History of the Wars, Procopius mentions a story ( which Gibbon disbelieved ) where, on hearing the news that Rome had " perished ", Honorius was initially shocked ; thinking the news was in reference to a favorite chicken he had named " Roma ".

In 1219 Pope Honorius III invited Saint Dominic and his companions to taken up residence at the ancient Roman basilica of Santa Sabina, which they did by early 1220.

Before that time the friars had only a temporary residence in Rome at the convent of San Sisto Vecchio which Honorius III had given to Dominic circa 1218 intending it to become a convent for a reformation of nuns at Rome under Dominic's guidance.

The official foundation of the Dominican convent at Santa Sabina with its studium conventuale occurred with the legal transfer of property from Honorius III to the Order of Preachers on June 5, 1222.

Honorius became Augustus ( honorific )# In the divided Roman Empire | Augustus on 23 January 393, at the age of eight.

When Theodosius died, in January 395, Honorius and Arcadius divided the Empire, so that Honorius became Western Roman Emperor at the age of ten.

In the eleventh consulship of Honorius and the second of Constantius, the Emperor entered Rome in triumph, with Attalus at the wheels of his chariot.

Solidus ( coin ) | Solidus of emperor Honorius minted at Ravenna.

True to the practice observed in preceding papal elections, the German court nominated another candidate, Cadalus, bishop of Parma, who was proclaimed Pope at the council of Basel under the name of Honorius II.

At length, however, Honorius was forsaken by the German court and deposed by a council held at Mantua ; Alexander II's position remained unchallenged.

This was because Honorius was not considered by the supporters of infallibility to be speaking ex cathedra in the letters in question ( although the Roman historian Hefele and opponents of the definition believed that Honorius had spoken ex cathedra ), and he was alleged to have never been condemned as a Monothelite, nor, asserted the proponents of infallibility, was he condemned for teaching heresy, but rather for gross negligence and a lax leadership at a time when his letters and guidance were in a position to quash the heresy at its roots.

The German bishops, again led by Adalbert of Mainz, excommunicated Conrad, an act that was confirmed by Honorius in a synod held in Rome at Easter ( 22 April 1128 ).

One of Honorius ’ first tasks in southern Italy was to deal with the barons in the Campania who were molesting farmers and travellers at will with their armed bands.

Honorius, however, was most concerned about the former papal stronghold at Fumone, which the nobles, who held it in the pope ’ s name, had decided to keep possession of.

When Honorius took possession of Fumone, he returned it, after taking safeguards, to its rebellious custodians and ordered that the Antipope Gregory VIII be transferred there from his previous lodgings at Monte Cassino.

Determined to bring the Benedictines to heel, Honorius insisted that the election of Niccolo was uncanonical, and demanded that Seniorectus, the provost of the monastery at Capua, be elected as abbot, to the fury of the Monte Cassino monks.

Honorius had just suffered a defeat at the hands of a local baron at Arpino in 1127 when Honorius received word that Roger had landed in Italy.