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After the sack of Rome and Alaric's death, the Visigothic king Athaulf produced a son with Galla Placidia. Now Honorius suddenly had a legitimate rival with blood ties to the noble line who had the full backing of the Goths. The son, named Theodosius, died in his infancy however, and soon Constantius would have the Goths on the ropes.

But assume that Theodosius does not die in his infancy and Athaulf and Placidia are successful in placing him on the throne. How might things proceed from here? There's no guarantee he can remain on the throne of course, since I have a feeling Theodosius II isn't going to be too keen on recognizing a virtual puppet of the Visigoths as emperor, but assume for the sake of discussion that he survives on the throne, with Athaulf as magister militum of the empire. A little line from Athaulf as well:

At first I wanted to erase the Roman name and convert all Roman territory into a Gothic empire: I longed for Romania to become Gothia, and Athaulf to be what Caesar Augustus had been. But long experience has taught me that the ungoverned wildness of the Goths will never submit to laws, and that without law a state is not a state. Therefore I have more prudently chosen the different glory of reviving the Roman name with Gothic vigour, and I hope to be acknowledged by posterity as the initiator of a Roman restoration, since it is impossible for me to alter the character of this Empire.
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