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he led him in and paraded him riding on a donkey, and after he had suffered and heard many things there from those on the stage, he killed him. Thus Valentinian received the rule of the 3.3.10 West. But Placidia his mother both reared and educated this emperor with an effeminate education and upbringing, and from 3.3.11 this he became full of wickedness from boyhood. For he consorted for the most part with sorcerers and with those who pry into the stars, and being demonically keen on love for other men's wives he employed great lawlessness in his lifestyle, although he was married to a wife who was exceedingly beautiful in appearance. 3.3.12 For these reasons, in fact, he did not recover for the empire any of what had been taken away before, but he also lost Libya in addition and 3.3.13 he himself was destroyed. And when he died, it happened that both his wife and his children became captives of the spear. And the disaster in Libya happened thus. 3.3.14 There were two Roman generals, Aetius and Boniface, both very strong and experienced in many wars, second to none of those at that time. 3.3.15 These two men became rivals in politics, but they reached such a degree of magnanimity and other virtue that, if someone were to call either of them the last of the Romans, he would not be wrong; so it happened that all Roman virtue was concentrated in these two men. 3.3.16 One of these, Boniface, Placidia appointed general of all Libya. This was not to the liking of Aetius, but he did not at all reveal that it did not please him. For their enmity had not yet come to light, but was hidden under the countenance of each. 3.3.17 But when Boniface was out of his way, he slandered him to Placidia, saying that he was aspiring to tyranny, having deprived both her and the emperor of all Libya, and he said it was easy for her to find out the truth; for if she summoned Boniface to Rome, he would never come. 3.3.18 And when the woman heard these things, Aetius seemed to her to have spoken well and she acted accordingly. But Aetius, acting first, wrote secretly to Boniface that the emperor's mother was plotting against him and wished to get him out of the way. 3.3.19 And he foretold to him that there would be a great proof of the plot: for for no reason he would very soon be summoned. These things, then, the letter revealed. 3.3.20 But Boniface, not disregarding what was written, as soon as those who were summoning him to the emperor arrived, refused to obey both the emperor and his mother, 3.3.21 revealing Aetius's suggestion to no one. So Placidia, when she heard these things, thought that Aetius was most loyal to the emperor's affairs and she deliberated about the matters concerning 3.3.22 Boniface. But Boniface (for it seemed to him he was not able to oppose the emperor and if he went to Rome no safety was apparent) considered how he might, if possible, have an alliance with the Vandals, who in Spain, as has been said before, had settled not far from Libya. 3.3.23 There, indeed, Godigiselus had died, and had been succeeded in the rule by his sons, Gontharis being his son by his wedded wife, 3.3.24 and Gizeric a bastard. But the one was still a boy and not very energetic, but Gizeric was best trained in matters of war and was the cleverest of all men. 3.3.25 So Boniface, sending his most trusted men to Spain, won over each of Godigiselus's sons on equal and like terms, on the condition that each of them should have a third part of Libya to rule as his own; and if anyone should go to war against any of them, 3.3.26 they should jointly defend themselves against the attackers. On this agreement the Vandals, crossing the strait at Gades, came to Libya and the Visigoths at a later time 3.3.27 settled in Spain. But in Rome the friends of Boniface, considering the character of the man and reasoning how great the absurdity was, held it in great wonder that Boniface should be aspiring to tyranny, and some of them, at Placidia's suggestion, went to 3.3.28 Carthage. There, indeed, meeting with Boniface they saw the letter of Aetius and hearing the whole story they returned to Rome as fast as they could 3.3.29 and reported how Boniface felt towards her.

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εἰσῆγεν ἐπόμπευσέ τε ὄνῳ ὀχούμενον, καὶ πολλὰ παρὰ τῶν ἀπὸ σκηνῆς ἐνταῦθα παθόντα τε καὶ ἀκούσαντα ἔκτεινεν. οὕτω μὲν Βαλεντινιανὸς τὸ τῆς 3.3.10 ἑσπερίας παρέλαβε κράτος. Πλακιδία δὲ ἡ αὐτοῦ μήτηρ θηλυνομένην παιδείαν τε καὶ τροφὴν τὸν βασιλέα τοῦτον ἐξέθρεψέ τε καὶ ἐξεπαίδευσε, καὶ ἀπ' 3.3.11 αὐτοῦ κακίας ἔμπλεως ἐκ παιδὸς γέγονε. φαρμακεῦσί τε γὰρ τὰ πολλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐς τὰ ἄστρα περιέργοις ὡμίλει, ἔς τε ἀλλοτρίων γυναικῶν ἔρωτας δαιμονίως ἐσπουδακὼς πολλῇ ἐχρῆτο ἐς τὴν δίαιταν παρανομίᾳ, καίπερ γυναικὶ ξυνοικῶν εὐπρεπεῖ τὴν ὄψιν ἐς ἄγαν 3.3.12 οὔσῃ. ταῦτά τοι οὐδέ τι ἀνεσώσατο τῇ βασιλείᾳ ὧν ἀφῄρητο πρότερον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Λιβύην προσαπώλεσε καὶ 3.3.13 αὐτὸς ἐφθάρη. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐτελεύτησε, τῇ τε γυναικὶ ταῖς τε παισὶ δορυαλώτοις γενέσθαι ξυνέπεσε. γέγονε δὲ ὧδε τὸ ἐν Λιβύῃ πάθος. 3.3.14 Στρατηγὼ δύο Ῥωμαίων ἤστην, Ἀέτιός τε καὶ Βονιφάτιος, καρτερώ τε ὡς μάλιστα καὶ πολλῶν πολέμων ἐμπείρω τῶν γε κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον οὐδενὸς 3.3.15 ἧσσον. τούτω τὼ ἄνδρε διαφόρω μὲν τὰ πολιτικὰ ἐγενέσθην, ἐς τοσοῦτον δὲ μεγαλοψυχίας τε καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς ἡκέτην ὥστε, εἴ τις αὐτοῖν ἑκάτερον ἄνδρα Ῥωμαίων ὕστατον εἴποι, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι· οὕτω τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρετὴν ξύμπασαν ἐς τούτω τὼ ἄνδρε 3.3.16 ἀποκεκρίσθαι τετύχηκε. τούτοιν τὸν ἕτερον Βονιφάτιον ἡ Πλακιδία στρατηγὸν ἀπέδειξε Λιβύης ἁπάσης. τοῦτο δὲ οὐ βουλομένῳ ἦν Ἀετίῳ, ἀλλ' ἥκιστά γε ὡς αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀρέσκει ἐξήνεγκεν. οὔπω γὰρ αὐτοῖν ἡ ἔχθρα ἐς φῶς ἐληλύθει, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῷ προσώπῳ ἑκατέρῳ 3.3.17 ἐκρύπτετο. ἐπεὶ δέ οἱ Βονιφάτιος ἐκποδὼν ἐγεγόνει, διέβαλεν αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν Πλακιδίαν ὡς τυραννοίη, ἀποστερήσας αὐτήν τε καὶ βασιλέα Λιβύης ἁπάσης, ῥᾴδιόν τε εἶναι αὐτῇ ἔλεγε τἀληθὲς ἐξευρεῖν· ἢν γὰρ μεταπέμποιτο Βονιφάτιον ἐς Ῥώμην, οὐ μή ποτε ἔλθῃ. 3.3.18 ἐπεὶ δὲ ταῦτα ἤκουσεν ἡ γυνὴ, εὖ τέ οἱ εἰπεῖν Ἀέτιος ἔδοξε καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα ἐποίει. προτερήσας δὲ Ἀέτιος ἔγραψε πρὸς Βονιφάτιον λάθρα ὡς ἐπιβουλεύοι αὐτῷ ἡ βασιλέως μήτηρ καὶ βούλοιτο αὐτὸν ἐκποδὼν ποιή3.3.19 σασθαι. καί οἱ τεκμήριον τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς προηγόρευεν ἔσεσθαι μέγα· ἐξ αἰτίας γὰρ οὐδεμιᾶς αὐτίκα μάλα μετάπεμπτος ἔσται. ταῦτα μὲν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ἐδήλου. 3.3.20 Βονιφάτιος δὲ οὐκ ἀλογήσας τὰ γεγραμμένα, ἐπειδὴ τάχιστα παρῆσαν οἳ αὐτὸν ὡς βασιλέα ἐκάλουν, ἀπεῖπε τὸ μὴ βασιλεῖ τε καὶ τῇ αὐτοῦ μητρὶ ἐπακούειν, οὐ3.3.21 δενὶ τὴν Ἀετίου ὑποθήκην ἐκφήνας. Πλακιδία μὲν οὖν ὡς ταῦτα ἤκουσεν, Ἀέτιόν τε τοῖς βασιλέως πράγμασιν εὔνουν ἐς τὰ μάλιστα ᾤετο εἶναι καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ 3.3.22 Βονιφατίου ἐν βουλῇ εἶχε. Βονιφάτιος δὲ (καὶ γάρ οἱ οὔτε βασιλεῖ ἐδόκει ἀντιτάξασθαι οἵῳ τε εἶναι ἐς Ῥώμην τε ἀπιόντι οὐδεμία σωτηρία ἐφαίνετο) βουλεύεται ὅπως οἱ, ἢν δύνηται, ὁμαιχμία ἐς τοὺς Βανδίλους ἔσται, οἳ ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ, ὡς πρόσθεν εἴρηται, οὐ 3.3.23 πόρρω Λιβύης ἱδρύσαντο. ἔνθα δὴ Γωδίγισκλος μὲν ἐτεθνήκει, διεδέξαντο δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν οἱ ἐκείνου παῖδες, Γόνθαρις μὲν ἐκ γυναικὸς αὐτῷ γαμετῆς γεγονὼς, 3.3.24 Γιζέριχος δὲ νόθος. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἔτι τε ἦν παῖς καὶ τὸ δραστήριον οὐ σφόδρα ἔχων, Γιζέριχος δὲ τά τε πολέμια ὡς ἄριστα ἐξήσκητο καὶ δεινότατος ἦν ἀνθρώ3.3.25 πων ἁπάντων. πέμψας οὖν ἐς Ἱσπανίαν Βονιφάτιος τοὺς αὑτῷ μάλιστα ἐπιτηδείους ἑκάτερον τῶν Γωδιγίσκλου παίδων ἐπὶ τῇ ἴσῃ καὶ ὁμοίᾳ προσεποιήσατο, ἐφ' ᾧ αὐτῶν ἕκαστον τὸ Λιβύης τριτημόριον ἔχοντα τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν ἄρχειν· ἢν δέ τις ἐπ' αὐτῶν τινα ἴοι 3.3.26 πολεμήσων, κοινῇ τοὺς ἐπιόντας ἀμύνασθαι. ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ Βανδίλοι τὸν ἐν Γαδείροις πορθμὸν διαβάντες ἐς Λιβύην ἀφίκοντο καὶ Οὐισίγοτθοι ἐν τῷ 3.3.27 ὑστέρῳ χρόνῳ ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ ἱδρύσαντο. ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ οἱ Βονιφατίῳ ἐπιτήδειοι, τοῦ τε τρόπου ἐνθυμούμενοι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκλογιζόμενοί τε ἡλίκος ὁ παράλογος ἦν, ἐν θαύματι μεγάλῳ ἐποιοῦντο, εἰ Βονιφάτιος τυραννοίη, τινὲς δὲ αὐτῶν Πλακιδίας ἐπαγγελλούσης ἐς 3.3.28 Καρχηδόνα ἦλθον. ἔνθα δὴ Βονιφατίῳ συγγενόμενοι τά τε Ἀετίου γράμματα εἶδον καὶ τὸν πάντα λόγον ἀκούσαντες ἐς Ῥώμην τε ὡς εἶχον τάχους ἀνέστρεφον 3.3.29 καὶ ὅπως αὐτῇ Βονιφάτιος ἔχοι ἀπήγγελλον.