--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Olympius, in the name of the Emperor…" description: "\"“Olympius, in the name of the Emperor Honorius, ordered the forces in Bologna to take the field against Alaric, on peril of the death of their families..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/r-a-lafferty-16100_goths_olympius-in-the-name-of-the-emperor-hono_272855.png" --- # Olympius, in the name of the Emperor Honorius, ordered the… ![“Olympius, in the name of the Emperor Honorius, ordered the forces in Bologna to take the field against Alaric, on peril of the death of their families. The generals sent word that they could not find the forces of Alaric. The scouts from Bologna silently saluted the Goths of Alaric as they went…” quote by R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/r-a-lafferty-16100_goths_olympius-in-the-name-of-the-emperor-hono_272855.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/r-a-lafferty-16100_goths_olympius-in-the-name-of-the-emperor-hono_272855.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/r-a-lafferty-16100_goths_olympius-in-the-name-of-the-emperor-hono_272855.png) > ““Olympius, in the name of the Emperor Honorius, ordered the forces in Bologna to take the field against Alaric, on peril of the death of their families. The generals sent word that they could not find the forces of Alaric. The scouts from Bologna silently saluted the Goths of Alaric as they went by, but they could not find them.”” [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A commander orders troops to fight, but the enemy is elusive, leading to a hollow display of loyalty and futility. **In simple terms:** Leaders may demand action against unseen threats, exposing emptiness of obedience. Key Takeaway Question the purpose behind orders and the cost of blind obedience. Themes authority obedience illusion war futility Mood tense reflective Type historical cautionary When to use this quote - political decisions - military drills - civilian morale - historical reenactments Key Concepts military hierarchy psychology of obedience strategic uncertainty Questions to Reflect On - What motivates soldiers to follow orders when the enemy is invisible? - How does fear of family harm influence compliance? A Different Perspective Orders without clear targets can waste lives and erode trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goths/) [Roman-history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roman-history/) ## Related quotes > [“The historian Cassiodorus believed that the selective destruction of Alaric, as regards the Greek monuments, was of good effect. Alaric had some taste and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-historian-cassiodorus-believed-that-the-selective-destruction-of/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“This short history should have something to satisfy every taste and perversion: action, treachery, fratricide and regicide, corruption, and bloodshed. It contains thirteen murders,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/this-short-history-should-have-something-to-satisfy-every-taste-and/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Stilicho first talked of himself; and then of the Empire, which was an extension of himself. He gave it as his studied and honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/stilicho-first-talked-of-himself-and-then-of-the-empire-which-was-an/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Several bitter contemporary references to the pseudo-Emperor Eugenius had puzzled us. They asked how a man of such an appearance could attempt the pagan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/several-bitter-contemporary-references-to-the-pseudo-emperor-eugenius/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Rufinus was an orator and a lawyer, a master of civil administration and agenda. It was because of him that the Eastern Empire—Byzantium—became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/rufinus-was-an-orator-and-a-lawyer-a-master-of-civil-administration/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“It is said that—Arcadius having offered its weight in gold for the head of Gainas—King Uldin drew out the brains of Gainas and poured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/it-is-said-that-arcadius-having-offered-its-weight-in-gold-for-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“The Western Empire, supported generation after generation by half a hundred of the strongest and most remarkable men in history, from Stilicho to Charlemagne,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-western-empire-supported-generation-after-generation-by-half-a/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Here we come to a semantic difficulty. Other peoples who were of considerable civilization had been referred to as barbarians for more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/here-we-come-to-a-semantic-difficulty-other-peoples-who-were-of/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“But we are all Goths, for all that, whoever we are; which is to say, Outlanders. And like the Goth Sarus we still owe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/but-we-are-all-goths-for-all-that-whoever-we-are-which-is-to-say/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Alaric now at this moment of supreme crisis, coming down to the rough shore and seeing the howling waves, raised his hand to heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/alaric-now-at-this-moment-of-supreme-crisis-coming-down-to-the-rough/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“The Goths had trained bears and possibly, from one garbled account, trained seals. The dance is something with no survival, lacking verbal or pictorial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-goths-had-trained-bears-and-possibly-from-one-garbled-account/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“One person's actions can alter the course of history, and a political or military mischance can touch off a catastrophic reaction that has repercussions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-venning/one-person-s-actions-can-alter-the-course-of-history-and-a-political/) Timothy Venning > [“Learning from history helps us avoid repeating its mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-uner/learning-from-history-helps-us-avoid-repeating-its-mistakes/) [T.A. Uner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-uner/) > [“Heap heavier still the fetters; bar closer still the grate; Patient as sheep we yield us up unto your cruelhate. But by the shades…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-babington-macauley/heap-heavier-still-the-fetters-bar-closer-still-the-grate-patient-as/) Thomas Babington Macauley ## More by R.A. Lafferty > [“Aye, a man’d be a fool to lose his head twice over the same thing,” Thomas mused, still looking more than half stubborn. “Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/aye-a-man-d-be-a-fool-to-lose-his-head-twice-over-the-same-thing/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“The Goths had trained bears and possibly, from one garbled account, trained seals. The dance is something with no survival, lacking verbal or pictorial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-goths-had-trained-bears-and-possibly-from-one-garbled-account/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Alaric now at this moment of supreme crisis, coming down to the rough shore and seeing the howling waves, raised his hand to heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/alaric-now-at-this-moment-of-supreme-crisis-coming-down-to-the-rough/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Paul was coursing at fantastic speed towards the area where the little twin stars Rhium and Antirhium revolved around each other. “Hurry,” were his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/paul-was-coursing-at-fantastic-speed-towards-the-area-where-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Science Fiction is a collection of guerrilla bands each challenging the rights of the others to belong to the centrality. The band most challenged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/science-fiction-is-a-collection-of-guerrilla-bands-each-challenging/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“I say no man ever before slew his friend mouthful of words.” “And I say it has happened many times before. Consider the Assassinations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/i-say-no-man-ever-before-slew-his-friend-mouthful-of-words-and-i-say/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“I finally saw the whole conspiracy standing as plain as an elephant in the street; also the conspiracy was admitted to me in great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/i-finally-saw-the-whole-conspiracy-standing-as-plain-as-an-elephant/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“But we are all Goths, for all that, whoever we are; which is to say, Outlanders. And like the Goth Sarus we still owe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/but-we-are-all-goths-for-all-that-whoever-we-are-which-is-to-say/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Here we come to a semantic difficulty. Other peoples who were of considerable civilization had been referred to as barbarians for more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/here-we-come-to-a-semantic-difficulty-other-peoples-who-were-of/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“The Western Empire, supported generation after generation by half a hundred of the strongest and most remarkable men in history, from Stilicho to Charlemagne,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-western-empire-supported-generation-after-generation-by-half-a/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Dr. Ginochio Gyves would have been the first man on the moon except for a trifling error of navigation. He lands. He sees a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/dr-ginochio-gyves-would-have-been-the-first-man-on-the-moon-except/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“After we were men we were tribal gods. We each have our tribe that we sometimes inspire and that we follow with interest. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/after-we-were-men-we-were-tribal-gods-we-each-have-our-tribe-that-we/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Science Fiction is a group of symptoms and not a disease,” so a medical student (failed) told me once. “It's like the old disease…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/science-fiction-is-a-group-of-symptoms-and-not-a-disease-so-a-medical/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“You believe, in one of your theories, that we're in control of the world. We aren't. But we have been, and we will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/you-believe-in-one-of-your-theories-that-we-re-in-control-of-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“It is said that—Arcadius having offered its weight in gold for the head of Gainas—King Uldin drew out the brains of Gainas and poured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/it-is-said-that-arcadius-having-offered-its-weight-in-gold-for-the/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) [Explore all 39 R.A. Lafferty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) ## More Goths quotes > [They are called 'Emos' now, and before that they were 'Goths.' They didn't have a name for it when I was one, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-gatiss/they-are-called-emos-now-and-before-that-they-were-goths-they-didn-t/) [Mark Gatiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-gatiss/) > [“The Goths had trained bears and possibly, from one garbled account, trained seals. The dance is something with no survival, lacking verbal or pictorial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/the-goths-had-trained-bears-and-possibly-from-one-garbled-account/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [“Alaric now at this moment of supreme crisis, coming down to the rough shore and seeing the howling waves, raised his hand to heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/alaric-now-at-this-moment-of-supreme-crisis-coming-down-to-the-rough/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [Steampunk is what happens when goths discover brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-priest/steampunk-is-what-happens-when-goths-discover-brown/) [Cherie Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherie-priest/) > [The goths are beautiful, a vast depth of subcultural, aesthetic and poetic ideas, and we would identify with that as we did back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-murphy/the-goths-are-beautiful-a-vast-depth-of-subcultural-aesthetic-and/) [Peter Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-murphy/) > [“And when the clouds do clear away Get a momentary chance to see The thing I've been trying to beat to death The soft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-darnielle/and-when-the-clouds-do-clear-away-get-a-momentary-chance-to-see-the/) [John Darnielle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-darnielle/) > [“Here we come to a semantic difficulty. Other peoples who were of considerable civilization had been referred to as barbarians for more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-lafferty/here-we-come-to-a-semantic-difficulty-other-peoples-who-were-of/) [R.A. Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-a-lafferty/) > [ \[The Goths'\] poverty was incurable; since the most liberal donatives were soon dissipated in wasteful luxury, and the most fertile estates became barren in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-goths-poverty-was-incurable-since-the-most-liberal-donatives-were/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [The only vampires I've ever seen are the Goths trying to get a glimpse of Anne Rice's house, who drink strawberry sodas and tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/the-only-vampires-i-ve-ever-seen-are-the-goths-trying-to-get-a/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“No, mother; no. She was really keen on Italy. This travel is quite a crisis for her.” He found the situation full of whimsical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/no-mother-no-she-was-really-keen-on-italy-this-travel-is-quite-a/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [“Goths do not hate the world. They just learned to accept the world that refuses to understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enna-snow/goths-do-not-hate-the-world-they-just-learned-to-accept-the-world/) Enna Snow > [“Later times have laid all the blame upon the Goths and Vandals, but, however unwilling the partizans of the Christian system may be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/later-times-have-laid-all-the-blame-upon-the-goths-and-vandals-but/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I wonder if there were any goths in gothic times. They're like: You look completely appropriate. You don't look stupid or lonely at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-wonder-if-there-were-any-goths-in-gothic-times-they-re-like-you/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [Steampunk is nothing more than what happens when Goths discover brown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/steampunk-is-nothing-more-than-what-happens-when-goths-discover-brown/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“I was last in Rome in AD 540 when it was full of Goths and their heavy horses. It has changed a great deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/i-was-last-in-rome-in-ad-540-when-it-was-full-of-goths-and-their/) [Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/) [Browse all 19 Goths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goths/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Olympius, in the name of the Emperor Honorius, ordered the forces in Bologna to take the field against Alaric, on peril of the death of their families. The generals sent word that they could not find the forces of Alaric. The scouts from Bologna silently saluted the Goths of Alaric as they went by, but they could not find them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R.A. 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