Barbatianus in Late Antiquity

Abstract

This chapter explores the fifth-century world of saints and empresses in Ravenna, which served as the capital of the Western Roman Empire for three quarters of that century. The saints who came to Ravenna were both foreign and local, and many found themselves within the orbit of the empress Galla Placidia, who was recognized for her patronage both in that city and in Rome, and her relationships to the bishop of Ravenna and the pope. Highlighted are the connections between the empress and the local saints, such as Barbatianus, as well as those from further afield, especially Germanus of Auxerre.