Now when Alaric was about to depart from Rome, he declared Attalus, one
of their nobles, emperor of the Romans, investing him with the diadem
and the purple and whatever else pertains to the imperial dignity. And
he did this with the intention of removing Honorius from his throne and
of giving over the whole power in the West to Attalus. With such a
purpose, then, both Attalus and Alaric were going with a great army
against Ravenna. But this Attalus was neither able to think wisely
himself, nor to be persuaded by one who had wisdom to offer. So while
Alaric did not by any means approve the plan, Attalus sent commanders to
Libya without an army. Thus, then, were these things going on.

And the island of Britain revolted from the Romans, and the soldiers
there chose as their king Constantinus, a man of no mean station. [407
A.D.] And he straightway gathered a fleet of ships and a formidable army
and invaded both Spain and Gaul with a great force, thinking to enslave
these countries. But Honorius was holding ships in readiness and waiting
to see what would happen in Libya, in order that, if those sent by
Attalus were repulsed, he might himself sail for Libya and keep some
portion of his own kingdom, while if matters there should go against
him, he might reach Theodosius and remain with him. For Arcadius had
already died long before, and his son Theodosius, still a very young
child,[18] held the power of the East. [408-450 A.D.] But while Honorius
was thus anxiously awaiting the outcome of these events and tossed amid
the billows of uncertain fortune, it so chanced that some wonderful
pieces of good fortune befell him. For God is accustomed to succour
those who are neither clever nor able to devise anything of themselves,
and to lend them assistance, if they be not wicked, when they are in the
last extremity of despair; such a thing, indeed, befell this emperor.
For it was suddenly reported from Libya that the commanders of Attalus
had been destroyed, and that a host of ships was at hand from Byzantium