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Honorius (384-423) was the second son of Emperor Theodosius I and younger brother to Eastern Emperor Arcadius. Honorius was made Augustus and co-ruler in 393 CE, aged 9. When his father died two years laters, Honorius was given the Western half of the Roman Empire, while Arcadius ruled the East. Young as he was, Honorius was mainly a figurehead for General Stilicho, who had been appointed his guardian and advisor by Theodosius before his death. Stilicho made Honorius marry his daughter Maria to strengthen their bonds.<br/><br/> Honorius' reign, which was weak and chaotic even by the standards of the rapidly declining Western Roman Empire, was marked by constant barbarian invasions and usurper uprisings. Stilicho defeated many of these threats and played an important role in holding the empire together, but the sudden execution of Stilicho on Honorius' orders in 408 CE paved the way for the empire's collapse, with many of Stilicho's troops defecting en masse to the banner of King Alaric I of the Visigoths.<br/><br/> Chaos and terror gripped the Western Roman Empire without Stilicho's guiding hand, entire swathes of the empire rising up in protest or lost. Rome itself had been sacked by Alaric in 410 CE, the first time in 800 years. Honorius died of edema in 423 CE without an heir, widely considered as one of the worst emperors in Roman history.
Theodosius I (347-395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was born into a military family in Hispania. He served with his father until his execution in 374 CE, after which Theodosius retired to Hispania until he was given the position of co-emperor by Emperor Gratian after Emperor Valens' death in 378 CE.<br/><br/> Theodosius ruled the East Roman Empire, and after Gratian himself was killed in 383 CE, appointed his son Arcadius as his co-ruler in the east while briefly acknowledging the usurper Magnus Maximus before agreeing to a marriage with Emperor Valentinian II's sister Galla and defeating Maximus in battle. He then appointed his trusted general Arbogast to watch and effectively rule over the young Valentinian II in the west, making Theodosius de facto ruler of both West and East.<br/><br/> Arbogast eventually killed Valentinian II and placed Eugenius as his puppet emperor in the west in 392 CE, forcing Theodosius to march against him, giving his son Honorius the title of co-emperor in the West instead. Eugenius and Arbogast were defeated in 394 CE, the latter executed while the former committed suicide, leaving Theodosius as the last sole emperor to truly rule over both halves of the Roman Empire. He eventually died in 395 CE from severe edema, leaving his sons ruling each half of the empire.