Joannes was a
primicerius notariorum or senior civil servant at the time of his elevation.
Procopius praised him as "both gentle and well-endowed with sagacity and thoroughly capable of valorous deeds." From the beginning, his control over the empire was insecure. His
praetorian prefect was slain in
Gaul by an uprising of the soldiery at
Arles, and
Bonifacius,
comes of the
Diocese of Africa, held back the grain fleet destined to
Rome. "The events of Johannes' reign are as shadowy as its origins," writes
John Matthews, who then provides a list of the ruler's known actions in a single paragraph. Joannes was proclaimed at Rome and praetorian games were provided at the expense of a member of the
Anicia gens. Joannes then moved his base of operations to
Ravenna, knowing full well that the
Eastern Empire would strike from that direction. There is a mention of an expedition against Africa, but its fate, presumed unsuccessful, is unrecorded. In Gaul, he appears to have caused offense by submitting clerics to secular courts. Joannes had hoped that he could come to an agreement with the Eastern Emperor, but when
Theodosius II elevated the young
Valentinian III to
caesar (undoubtedly influenced by Valentinian's mother
Galla Placidia), he knew he could only expect war. Late in 424, he gave to one of his younger and most promising followers,
Aëtius, an important mission. Aëtius, governor of the Palace at the time, was sent to the
Huns, with whom he had lived as a hostage earlier, to seek military help. While Aëtius was away, the army of the Eastern Empire left
Thessalonica for
Italy, and soon camped in
Aquileia. Although the primary sources state that Ravenna fell to their assault –
John of Antioch states that a
shepherd led the army of
Aspar safely through the marshes that protected the city. Aspar's father,
Ardaburius, who had been captured by Joannes' soldiers, may have convinced the garrison of Ravenna to betray the city. His death is sometimes dated to May or June, probably on the basis two laws in the
Codex Theodosianus issued by Theodosius II on 5 May 425. Three days after Joannes's death, Aëtius returned at the head of a substantial Hunnic army. After some skirmishing, Placidia,
regent to her son, and Aëtius came to an agreement that established the political landscape of the
Western Roman Empire for the next thirty years. The Huns were paid off and sent home, while Aëtius received the position of
magister militum (
commander-in-chief of the
Roman army). == Notes ==