Editing Galla Placidia (section)

==Early life==
Placidia was granted her own household by her father in the early 390s and was thus financially independent while underage. She was summoned to the court of her father in [[Mediolanum]] (Milan) during 394,<ref>McEvoy, Meaghan. Child Emperor Rule in the Late Roman West, AD 367–455. OUP Oxford, 2013, p. 139</ref> and was present at Theodosius' death on 17 January 395. She was granted the title of "[[nobilissima]] puella" ("most noble girl") during her childhood.<ref name="Ralph W. Mathisen, Galla Placidia">{{Citation |chapter-url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/galla.htm |first=Ralph W. |last=Mathisen |chapter=Galla Placidia |editor-last=Weigel |editor-first=Richard D. |title=An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors}}</ref>

Placidia spent most of her early years in the household of [[Stilicho]] and his wife, [[Serena (wife of Stilicho)|Serena]]. She is presumed to have learned [[weaving]] and [[embroidery]]. She might have also been given a [[Education in ancient Rome|classical education]].<ref name="Ralph W. Mathisen, Galla Placidia"/> Serena was a first cousin of Arcadius, Honorius and Placidia. The poem "In Praise of Serena" by [[Claudian]] and the ''Historia Nova'' by [[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]] clarify that Serena's father was an elder Honorius, a brother to Theodosius I.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Claudian/Carmina_Minora*/30.html |author=Claudian |title=In Praise of Serena |edition=Loeb Classical Library |year=1922}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">[[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]], ''Historia Nova'', Book five, 1814 translation by Green and Chaplin</ref> According to "''De Consulatu Stilichonis"'' by Claudian, Placidia was betrothed to [[Eucherius (son of Stilicho)|Eucherius]], only known son of Stilicho and Serena. Her scheduled marriage is mentioned in the text as the third union between Stilicho's family and the [[Theodosian dynasty]], following those of Stilicho to Serena and [[Maria (empress)|Maria]], their daughter, to Honorius.<ref>{{Citation |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Claudian/De_Consulatu_Stilichonis/2*.html#ref5 |author=Claudian |title=On the Consulship of Stilicho |edition=Loeb Classical Library |year=1922}}</ref>

Stilicho was the ''[[magister militum]]'' of the [[Western Roman Empire]]. He was the only known person to hold the rank of ''magister militum in praesenti'' from 394 to 408 in both the Western and the [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman Empire]]. He was also titled ''magister equitum et peditum'' ("Master of the Horse and the Foot"), placing him in charge of both the [[cavalry]] and [[infantry]] forces of the Western Roman Empire.<ref>''[[Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire]]'', vol. 1 , p. 1114</ref> In 408, Arcadius died and was succeeded by his son [[Theodosius II]], only seven years old. Stilicho planned to proceed to [[Constantinople]] and "undertake the management of the affairs of Theodosius", convincing Honorius not to travel to the East himself. Shortly after, Olympius, ''magister scrinii'', attempted to convince Honorius that Stilicho was in fact conspiring to depose Theodosius II, to replace him with Eucherius. Stilicho was arrested and executed by Honorius's order on 22 August 408. Eucherius sought refuge in [[Rome]] but he was arrested there and executed by the eunuchs Arsacius and Tarentius, on imperial orders. Honorius appointed Tarentius imperial chamberlain, and gave the next post under him to Arsacius.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>