and thus Placidia and
Pulcheria ruled over the civilized world.

The Vandals, who had settled in the province of Andalusia, in Spain,
were invited into Africa by Count Boniface, who had been led into this
act of treachery by the intrigues of his rival AEtius. Genseric, the
Vandal king, conquered Africa, although Boniface, repenting of his
conduct, endeavored to recover the province; and thus Italy was now
threatened on the south by the Vandal power in Africa.

The Huns, meantime, who had been detained upon the upper side of the
Danube, now crossed that river, being united under the control of
Attila, and became the terror of the civilized world. Attila first
threatened an attack upon the Eastern empire, but at length turned his
arms against the West. He was defeated by AEtius and the Visigoths in
A.D. 451, but the next year he invaded Italy, demanded the Princess
Honoria in marriage, and destroyed many of the Italian cities. He spared
the city of Rome, however, and finally died in A.D. 453. His death alone
saved the empire from complete ruin.

Valentinian III., who had put to death the brave commander AEtius, was
murdered by the patrician Maximus in A.D. 455. The Vandals now besieged
and plundered Rome, and sold many thousands of the citizens as slaves.
Avitus, a Gaul, next became emperor by the influence of Theodoric, king
of the Visigoths, but was soon deposed by Count Ricimer, and was
followed by Majorian, a man of merit, who endeavored to reform the
nation. He died in A.D. 461. Count Ricimer then declared Severus
emperor, but was forced to apply for aid against the Vandals to the
court of Constantinople, where Leo was now emperor. Leo appointed
Anthemius to the throne of the West, and sent an army against the
Vandals in Africa, which was totally defeated. Ricimer then deposed
Anthemius, and declared Olybrius emperor; but both Ricimer and Olybrius
died in A.D. 472. Leo next appointed Julius Nepos his colleague.
Glycerius, an obscure soldier, made an effort to obtain the throne, but
yielded to Nepos, and became Bishop of Salona. Orestes, who had
succeeded Count Ricimer as commander of the barbarian mercenaries,
deprived Nepos of his throne; and Nepos, having fled into Dalmatia, was
executed by his old rival Glycerius.

Orestes gave the throne to his son Romulus, to whom he also gave the
title of Augustus, which was afterward changed by common consent to
Augustulus. But Odoacer, the leader of the German tribes, pu