Survivor - Galla Placidia

392–450

The story of Galla Placidia reads like an adventure novel—except it might seem too far fetched. Born a princess in the late 300s, daughter of the great Roman emperor Theodosius I, she was raised in the family of his top general and eventually got engaged to the general’s son. Education, wealth, prestige—you might say she had it all.

But after the death of Theodosius, power fell to Placidia’s jealous half-brothers. In the struggle that followed, Placidia lost both her fiancé and the general who raised her. The chaos created an opportunity for the Gothic forces perched on the borders. Around the time of the infamous “sack of Rome” in 410, Placidia was kidnapped by the invaders. History doesn’t give us many details, but a few years later, she married the Gothic warlord Ataulf.

Was she simply a trophy wife for this leader, or was there genuine love here? Had she turned her back on her Roman family, or did she just see an opportunity to cast her lot with the winners? Whatever her inner struggle was, her life got worse. Ataulf was assassinated, his heirs were murdered, and Placidia was sorely mistreated.

As a bargaining chip in a peace treaty, she returned to Rome, where she was forced into a marriage to another top general, who later became emperor and then died of an illness. Continuing political struggles in the 420s led to a situation where Placidia essentially ruled as empress in the name of her four-year-old son.

Despite her many ups and downs, Placidia was a survivor—and for about two decades she was the most powerful woman in the empire, probably the world. She exerted her power not only in the political affairs of Rome, but also in church matters. Christianity was struggling with the identity of Jesus. Some emphasized the humanity of Christ; others his divinity. Placidia took a middle position—that Jesus was “truly God and truly man”—a position that would be confirmed in the Council of Chalcedon in 452. Without Placidia, that council might not have happened.

Maybe your life feels like an adventure novel too. How can you follow your dreams when you’re struggling to survive? As Placidia well knew, the God-man Jesus promises strength in those struggles.

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

John 16:33