Theodosius I
Emperor of the Roman Empire
Coin featuring Theodosius I
Reign	August 378 - 15 May 392 (emperor in the east, with Gratian and Valentinian II in the west); 15 May 392 - 17 January 395 (whole empire)
Full name	Flavius Theodosius
Born	11 January 347(347-01-11)
Birthplace	Cauca, modern Spain
Died	17 January 395
Place of death	Milan
Buried	Constantinople, Modern Day Istanbul
Predecessor	Valens (in the east); Valentinian II in the west
Successor	Arcadius in the east; Honorius in the west
Wives	1) Aelia Flaccilla (?-385) 2) Galla, daughter of Valentinian I
Issue	By 1)Arcadius, Honorius and Pulcheria (?-385) By 2) Galla Placidia
Dynasty	Theodosian
Father	Theodosius the Elder
Mother	Thermantia

Missorium of Theodosius I, flanked by Valentinian II and Arcadius, 388

Flavius Theodosius (January 11, 347 – January 17, 395), also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great (Greek: Θεοδόσιος Α΄ and Θεοδόσιος ο Μέγας), was Roman Emperor from 379 to 395. The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Events By Place Roman Empire Mid- February - The Lentienses cross the frozen Rhine invading the Roman Empire. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Events By Place Roman Empire August 22 — Arbogast elevates Eugenius as Emperor after the mysterious death of For other figures with this name see Gratian (disambiguation. Flavius Valentinianus Junior (371 – 15 May 392) known usually by his Anglicised name Valentinian II, was a Roman Emperor Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Events By Place Roman Empire August 22 — Arbogast elevates Eugenius as Emperor after the mysterious death of Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Events By Topic Religion Council of Sardica: An attempt is made to resolve the Arian controversy and ground rules for bishops Coca is a Municipality in the province of Segovia, central Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey This article is about the Roman Emperor For other people called Valens see Valens Flavius Julius Valens ( Latin: DOMINVS Flavius Valentinianus Junior (371 – 15 May 392) known usually by his Anglicised name Valentinian II, was a Roman Emperor The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Flavius Arcadius (377/378&ndash May 1, 408) was Byzantine Emperor in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire from 395 until his death Flavius Honorius ( September 9, 384 &ndash August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395 and then Western Roman Emperor The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Aelia Flavia Flaccilla (died 385 first wife of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Galla (died 394 was a Princess of the Western Roman Empire and an Empress of the Roman Empire. Flavius Valentinianus, known in English as Valentinian I, ( 321 - November 17, 375) was Roman Emperor from 364 until his death Flavius Arcadius (377/378&ndash May 1, 408) was Byzantine Emperor in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire from 395 until his death Flavius Honorius ( September 9, 384 &ndash August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395 and then Western Roman Emperor Aelia Pulcheria (385 - 386 was the daughter of Roman Emperor Theodosius I and Roman Empress Aelia Flaccilla. Aelia Galla Placidia (392 – November 27, 450) was the Empress consort of Constantius III, Western Roman Emperor. The Theodosian dynasty was a Roman family that rose to eminence in the waning days of the Roman Empire. Flavius Theodosius was a senior military officer serving in the Western Roman Empire. The missorium of Theodosius I is a large ceremonial silver dish preserved in the Real Academia de Historia, in Madrid, Spain. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Events By Topic Religion Council of Sardica: An attempt is made to resolve the Arian controversy and ground rules for bishops Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Reuniting the eastern and western portions of the empire, Theodosius was the last emperor of both the Eastern and Western Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern After his death, the two parts split permanently. He is also known for making Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially

Family

By his first wife, Aelia Flaccilla, he had two sons, Arcadius and Honorius and a daughter, Aelia Pulcheria; Arcadius was his heir in the east and Honorius in the west. Aelia Flavia Flaccilla (died 385 first wife of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. Flavius Arcadius (377/378&ndash May 1, 408) was Byzantine Emperor in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire from 395 until his death Flavius Honorius ( September 9, 384 &ndash August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395 and then Western Roman Emperor Aelia Pulcheria (385 - 386 was the daughter of Roman Emperor Theodosius I and Roman Empress Aelia Flaccilla. Both Pulcheria and Aelia Flaccilla died in 385.

His second wife was Galla, daughter of the emperor Valentinian I. Galla (died 394 was a Princess of the Western Roman Empire and an Empress of the Roman Empire. Flavius Valentinianus, known in English as Valentinian I, ( 321 - November 17, 375) was Roman Emperor from 364 until his death Theodosius and Galla had three children who were a son, Gratian born in 388 who died young and a daughter Aelia Galla Placidia (392–450). Aelia Galla Placidia (392 – November 27, 450) was the Empress consort of Constantius III, Western Roman Emperor. Placidia was the only child who survived to adulthood and later become an Empress and the third child (a son), John died with his mother in childbirth in 394.

Diplomatic policy with the Goths

Roman provinces along the Ister (Danube), showing Dacia, Moesia and Thrace, with Sarmatia to the north and Germania to the northwest. Dacia, in ancient geography was the land of the Dacians. It was named by the ancient Hellenes ( Greeks) " Getae " Moesia (Μοισία Moisía; Мизия Miziya; Moesia Мезија Mezija) was an ancient region and Roman province situated in the Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe The Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae ( Old Iranian Sarumatah 'archer' Σαρμάτες Germania was the Latin Exonym for

The Goths and their allies (Vandali, Taifalae, Bastarnae and the native Carpi) entrenched in the provinces of Dacia and eastern Pannonia Inferior consumed Theodosious' attention. The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s The Taifals, Taifali, Taifalae, Tayfals, or Theifali were a Barbarian people settled by the late Roman Empire in Poitou The Bastarnae were an important ancient people of uncertain but probably mixed Germanic-Celtic-Sarmatian ethnic origin who lived between the Danube and the Dnieper (Strabo Geography The Carpi or Carpians were a Dacian tribe that were originally located on the Eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains, in what is now Bacău County A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Dacia, in ancient geography was the land of the Dacians. It was named by the ancient Hellenes ( Greeks) " Getae " Pannonia is an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, The Gothic crisis was so dire that his co-Emperor Gratian relinquished control of the Illyrian provinces and retired to Trier in Gaul to let Theodosius operate without hindrance. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Trier (Trèves Luxembourgish: Tréier; Augusta Treverorum is a City in Germany on the banks of the Moselle River. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western A major weakness in the Roman position after the defeat at Adrianople was the recruiting of barbarians to fight against other barbarians. Edirne (anc Hadrianopolis; Greek Adrianople; Slavic/Bulgarian Одрин, see also its other names) is a city in Thrace, the westernmost "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived In order to reconstruct the Roman Army of the West, Theodosius needed to find able bodied soldiers and so he turned to most capable men most readily at hand: the barbarians recently settled in the Empire. This caused many difficulties in the battle against barbarians since the newly recruited fighters had little to no loyalty to Theodosius.

Theodosius was reduced to the costly expedient of shipping his recruits to Egypt and replacing them with more seasoned Romans, but there were still switches of allegiance that resulted in military setbacks. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Gratian sent generals to clear the dioceses of Illyria (Pannonia and Dalmatia) of Goths, and Theodosius was able finally to enter Constantinople on November 24, 380, after two seasons in the field. In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. Pannonia is an ancient province of the Roman Empire bounded north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, Dalmatia was an ancient Roman province Its name is probably derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae which lived in the area of the eastern Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Events By Place Roman Empire January / February – Emperor Theodosius I is baptized. The final treaties with the remaining Gothic forces, signed October 3, 382, permitted large contingents of primarily Thervingian Goths to settle along the southern Danube frontier in the province of Thrace and largely govern themselves. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Events By Place Roman Empire October 3 — Theodosius I commands his general Saturninus to conclude a peace treaty with the The Thervingi, Tervingi, or Teruingi (sometimes pluralised "Tervings" or "Thervings" were a Gothic people of the Danubian plains west The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe

The Goths now settled within the Empire had, as a result of the treaties, military obligations to fight for the Romans as a national contingent, as opposed to being fully integrated into the Roman forces. ^[1] However, many Goths would serve in Roman legions and others, as foederati, for a single campaign, while bands of Goths switching loyalties became a destabilizing factor in the internal struggles for control of the Empire. Foederatus (pl foederati) is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the In the last years of Theodosius' reign, one of their emerging leaders named Alaric, participated in Theodosius' campaign against Eugenius in 394, only to resume his rebellious behavior against Theodosius' son and eastern successor, Arcadius, shortly after Theodosius' death. Alaric I ( Alareiks in the original Gothic; Alarik or Alarich in modern Germanic languages Alaricus in Latin and Alarico Flavius Eugenius (died 6 September 394 was a Roman usurper (392-394 against Emperor Theodosius I. Flavius Arcadius (377/378&ndash May 1, 408) was Byzantine Emperor in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire from 395 until his death

Civil wars in the Empire

The administrative divisions of the Roman Empire in 395, under Theodosius I.

After the death of Gratian in 383, Theodosius' interests turned to the Western Roman Empire, for the usurper Magnus Maximus had taken all the provinces of the West except for Italy. For other figures with this name see Gratian (disambiguation. The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Magnus Maximus (ca 335&ndash August 28, 388) also known as Maximianus, was an Hispanic usurper of the Western Roman Empire This self-proclaimed threat was hostile to Theodosius' interests, since the reigning emperor Valentinian II, Maximus' enemy, was his ally. Flavius Valentinianus Junior (371 – 15 May 392) known usually by his Anglicised name Valentinian II, was a Roman Emperor Theodosius, however, was unable to do much about Maximus due to his still lacking military and was forced to keep his attention on local matters. However when Maximus began an invasion into Italy in 387, Theodosius was forced to take action. The armies of Theodosius and Maximus met in 388 at Poetovio and Maximus was defeated. On August 28, 388 Maximus was executed. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Events By Place Roman Empire The rebellion of Magnus Maximus is put down at the Battle of the Save, and Valentinian II ^[2]

Trouble arose again, after Valentinian was found hanging in his room. It was claimed to be a suicide by the magister militum, Arbogast. Magister militum ( Latin for "Master of the Soldiers" was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Flavius Arbogastes (died September 6 394) or Arbogast was a Frankish general in the Roman Empire. Arbogast, unable to assume the role of emperor, elected Eugenius, a former teacher of rhetoric. Flavius Eugenius (died 6 September 394 was a Roman usurper (392-394 against Emperor Theodosius I. Eugenius started a program of restoration of the Pagan faith, and sought, in vain, Theodosius' recognition. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world In January of 393, Theodosius gave to his son Honorius the full rank of Augustus in the West, suggesting Eugenius' illegitimacy. Flavius Honorius ( September 9, 384 &ndash August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395 and then Western Roman Emperor ^[3]

Theodosius campaigned against Eugenius. The two armies faced at the Battle of Frigidus in September of 394. The Battle of the Frigidus, also called the Battle of the Frigid River, was fought between September 5&ndash6 394 between the army of the Eastern Emperor ^[4] The battle began on September 5, 394 with Theodosius' full frontal assault on Eugenius' forces. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Events By Place Roman Empire September 6 — Battle of the Frigidus: Emperor Theodosius I defeats and kills the usurper Theodosius was repulsed and Eugenius thought the battle to be all but over. In Theodosius' camp the loss of the day decreased morale. It is said that Theodosius was visited by two "heavenly riders all in white"^[3] who gave him courage. The next day, the battle began again and Theodosius' forces were aided by a natural phenomenon known as the Bora,^[3] which produces cyclonic winds. The Bora blew directly against the forces of Eugenius and disrupted the line.

Eugenius' camp was stormed and Eugenius was captured and soon after executed. Thus Theodosius became the only emperor.

Theodosius the patron

Theodosius offers a laurel wreath to the victor, on the marble base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III at the Hippodrome of Constantinople

Theodosius oversaw the raising in 390 of the Egyptian obelisk from Karnak. Thutmose III (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis III and meaning Thoth is Born) was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Meydanı At Meydanı was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of An obelisk (from Greek ὀβελίσκος - obeliskos, diminutive of ὀβελός - obelos, "spit nail pointed pillar" The Karnak temple complex, universally known only as Karnak, describes a vast conglomeration of ruined temples chapels pylons and other buildings As Imperial spoils, it still stands in the Hippodrome, the long racetrack that was the center of Constantinople's public life and scene of political turmoil. The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Meydanı At Meydanı was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of A race track (or 'racetrack' or 'racing track' is a purpose-built facility for Racing of animals (eg Re-erecting the monolith was a challenge for the technology that had been honed in siege engines. A siege engine is a device that is designed to Break or circumvent City walls and other Fortifications in Siege warfare. The obelisk, still recognizably a solar symbol, was removed to Alexandria in the first flush of Christian triumphalism at mid-century, but then spent a generation lying at the docks while people figured how to ship it to Constantinople, and was cracked in transit nevertheless. In Greek mythology the Sun was personified as Helios (ˈhiliˌɑs ( Ἥλιος Latinized as Helius) Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια The white marble base is entirely covered with bas-reliefs documenting the Imperial household and the engineering feat itself. Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of A bas-relief (baʁəljɛf in French; French for "low relief" derived from the Italian basso rilievo) or low relief is a Sculpture Theodosius and the imperial family are separated from the nobles among the spectators in the Imperial box with a cover over them as a mark of their status. The naturalism of the Roman tradition in such scenes is giving way to a conceptual art: the idea of order, decorum and respective ranking, expressed in serried ranks of faces, is beginning to oust the mere transitory details of this life, celebrated in Pagan portraiture. Conceptual art is Art in which the Concept (s or Idea (s involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns A portrait is a painting, photograph, Sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person in which the face and its expression is predominant Christianity had only just been appointed the new state religion.

The Forum Tauri was renamed and redecorated as the Forum of Theodosius in Constantinople. The Forum of Theodosius (today Beyazit Square was an area in Constantinople. A triumphal arch and column were erected in his glory.

Nicene Christianity becomes the state religion

Theodosius promoted Nicene Trinitarianism within Christianity and Christianity within the empire. In 391, he declared Christianity as the only legitimate imperial religion, ending state support for the traditional Roman religion.

Nicene Creed

In the 4th century, the Christian Church was wracked with controversy over the divinity of Jesus Christ, his relationship to God the Father, and the nature of the Trinity. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In 325, Constantine I convened the Council of Nicea, which asserted that Jesus, the Son, was equal to the Father, one with the Father, and of the same substance (homoousios in Greek). Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine The council condemned the teachings of the theologian Arius: that the Son was a created being and inferior to God the Father, and that the Father and Son were of a similar substance (homoiousios in Greek) but not identical (see Nontrinitarian). Arius ( AD ca 250 or 256 - 336 was a Christian priest from Alexandria Egypt in the early fourth century whose teachings now called Arianism Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine Despite the council's ruling, controversy continued. By the time of Theodosius' accession, there were still several different church factions that promoted alternative Christology. Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with

Arians

While no mainstream churchmen within the Empire explicitly adhered to Arius (a presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt) or his teachings, there were those who still used the homoiousios formula, as well as those who attempted to bypass the debate by merely saying that Jesus was like (homoios in Greek) God the Father, without speaking of substance (ousia). Arius ( AD ca 250 or 256 - 336 was a Christian priest from Alexandria Egypt in the early fourth century whose teachings now called Arianism All these non-Nicenes were frequently labeled as Arians (i. e. , followers of Arius) by their opponents, though they would not have identified themselves as such. ^[5]

On the reverse of this coin minted under Valentinian II, the co-ruler of Theodosius in 379-392, both Valentinian and Theodosius are depicted with halos. Flavius Valentinianus Junior (371 – 15 May 392) known usually by his Anglicised name Valentinian II, was a Roman Emperor A halo (ἅλως also known as a nimbus, Aureole, glory, or gloriole) is a ring of light that surrounds a person in art

The Emperor Valens had favored the group who used the homoios formula; this theology was prominent in much of the East and had under the sons of Constantine the Great gained a foothold in the West. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Theodosius, on the other hand, cleaved closely to the Nicene Creed: this was the line that predominated in the West and was held by the important Alexandrian church.

Establishment of Nicene orthodoxy

On November 26, 380, two days after he had arrived in Constantinople, Theodosius expelled the non-Nicene bishop, Demophilus of Constantinople, and appointed Meletius patriarch of Antioch, and Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the Cappadocian Fathers from Antioch (today in Turkey), patriarch of Constantinople. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Events By Place Roman Empire January / February – Emperor Theodosius I is baptized. Demophilus (died 386 was Bishop of Berea and bishop of Constantinople from 370 until expelled in 380 Saint Meletius of Antioch (Μελέτιος (died 381 was the Christian Bishop, or Patriarch of Antioch, from 360 until his death Gregory of Nazianzus (329 – January 25 389) (also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen) was a 4th-century Archbishop The Cappadocians (or Cappadocian philosophers, Cappadocian Fathers) are significant figures in the history of the Church Fathers, who significantly Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also Theodosius had just been baptized, by bishop Acholius of Thessalonica, during a severe illness, as was common in the early Christian world. In February he and Gratian published an edict that all their subjects should profess the faith of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria (i. e. , the Nicene faith). The move was mainly a thrust at the various beliefs that had arisen out of Arianism, but smaller dissident sects, such as the Macedonians, were also prohibited. This article is about the Byzantine Greek Christian sect of the 4th century AD

In May 381, Theodosius summoned a new ecumenical council at Constantinople to repair the schism between East and West on the basis of Nicean orthodoxy. ^[6] "The council went on to define orthodoxy, including the mysterious Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Ghost who, though equal to the Father, 'proceeded' from Him, whereas the Son was 'begotten' of Him. "^[7] The council also "condemned the Apollonian and Macedonian heresies, clarified church jurisdictions according to the civil boundaries of dioceses and ruled that Constantinople was second in precedence to Rome. "^[7] His first attempt to inhibit paganism was in 381 when he reiterated Constantine's ban on sacrifice. But for the most part in his early reign he was very tolerant on pagans in the Empire.

In 388 he sent a prefect to Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor with the aim of breaking up pagan associations and the destruction of their temples. The Serapeum at Alexandria was destroyed during this campaign. A Serapeum is a Temple or other religious institution dedicated to the syncretic Hellenistic - Egyptian god Serapis, who combined aspects ^[8] In a series of decrees called the "Theodosian decrees" he progressively declared that those Pagan feasts that had not yet been rendered Christian ones were now to be workdays (in 389). In 391, he reiterated the ban of blood sacrifice and decreed "no one is to go to the sanctuaries, walk through the temples, or raise his eyes to statues created by the labor of man"^[9]. Animal Sacrifice is the Ritual killing of an Animal as part of a Religion. The temples that were thus closed could be declared "abandoned", as Bishop Theophilus of Alexandria immediately noted in applying for permission to demolish a site and cover it with a Christian church, an act that must have received general sanction, for mithraea forming crypts of churches, and temples forming the foundations of 5th century churches appear throughout the former Roman Empire. Theophilus of Alexandria (died 412 was Patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt from 385 to 412 The Mithraic Mysteries or Mysteries of Mithras (also Mithraism) was a Roman mystery religion which became popular among the military in the late Theodosius participated in actions by Christians against major Pagan sites: the destruction of the gigantic Serapeum of Alexandria by soldiers and local Christian citizens in 392, according to the Christian sources authorized by Theodosius (extirpium malum), needs to be seen against a complicated background of less spectacular violence in the city: (That a large library was resident in the Serapeum, however, which was destroyed along with the temple, is a modern tale, generated by a single sentence in Gibbon; no ancient evidence supports it, and even pagan sources show it to be false: Ammianus, for instance, indicates that the Serapeum library was no longer in existence in 392, and Eunapius of Sardis's angry account of the demolition seems to make it clear that no library was destroyed. A Serapeum is a Temple or other religious institution dedicated to the syncretic Hellenistic - Egyptian god Serapis, who combined aspects ) ^[10] Eusebius mentions street-fighting in Alexandria between Christians and non-Christians as early as 249, and non-Christians had participated in the struggles for and against Athanasius in 341 and 356. "In 363 they killed Bishop George for repeated acts of pointed outrage, insult, and pillage of the most sacred treasures of the city. "^[11]

Saint Ambrose and Emperor Theodosius, Anthony van Dyck. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century

By decree in 391, Theodosius ended the subsidies that had still trickled to some remnants of Greco-Roman civic Paganism too. The eternal fire in the Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum was extinguished, and the Vestal Virgins were disbanded. The Sacred fire of Vesta, who in Roman mythology was the goddess of the Hearth and goddess of Fire, and of smoke was central to Roman piety Vesta was the Virgin goddess of the Hearth, home and family in Roman mythology. This page refers to the main forum in the center of Rome See Imperial forums or Other forums in Rome (below for other forums in Rome and In Ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins ( sacerdos Vestalis) were the virgin Holy female Priests of Vesta, the Goddess of the Taking the auspices and practicing witchcraft were to be punished. An auspice ( Latin: auspicium from auspex, literally "one who looks at birds" is a type of Omen already familiar Witchcraft, in various historical anthropological religious and mythological contexts is the use of certain kinds of Supernatural or magical powers Pagan members of the Senate in Rome appealed to him to restore the Altar of Victory in the Senate House; he refused. The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. The Altar of Victory was located in the Roman Senate House (the Curia) bearing a gold statue of the goddess Victory. After the last Olympic Games in 393, Theodosius cancelled the games, and the reckoning of dates by Olympiads soon came to an end. The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic An Olympiad is a period of four years associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. Now Theodosius portrayed himself on his coins holding the labarum. The Labarum (☧ was a military standard that displayed the first two Greek letters of the word " Christ " ( Greek: ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ or Χριστός

The apparent change of policy that resulted in the "Theodosian decrees" has often been credited to the increased influence of Ambrose, bishop of Milan. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century It is worth noting that in 390 Ambrose had excommunicated Theodosius, who had recently ordered the massacre of 7,000 inhabitants of Thessalonica^[12], in response to the assassination of his military governor stationed in the city, and that Theodosius performed several months of public penance. The Massacre of Thessaloniki was a retaliatory action by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 390 against the inhabitants of the Greek city of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia The specifics of the decrees were superficially limited in scope, specific measures in response to various petitions from Christians throughout his administration.

Some modern historians question the consequences of the laws against pagans. ^[13]

Death

Theodosius died, after battling the vascular disease oedema, in Milan on January 17, 395. Oedema (or Edema in American English formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is the increase of Interstitial fluid in any organ &mdash swelling Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half Ambrose organized and managed Theodosius's lying in state in Milan. Saint Ambrose (c 338 &ndash 4 April 397) was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century Ambrose delivered a panegyric titled De Obitu Theodosii^[14] before Stilicho and Honorius in which Ambrose detailed the suppression of heresy and paganism by Theodosius. A panegyric is a formal public speech, or (in later use written verse delivered in high praise of a Person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (ca 359 &ndash August 22, 408) was a high-ranking general ( Magister militum Honorius may refer to Honorius (emperor (Flavius Augustus Honorius western Roman emperor 395-423 Honorius of Canterbury (Saint Honorius Theodosius was finally laid to rest in Constantinople on November 8, 395. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Events By Place Roman Empire After the death of emperor Theodosius I, the Empire is re-divided into an eastern and a western half ^[15]

See also

• Galla Placidia, daughter of Theodosius
• Serena, niece of Theodosius and wife of Flavius Stilicho
• Carranque, Spain, the site of a villa attributed to Maternus Cinigius, uncle of Theodosius. Aelia Galla Placidia (392 – November 27, 450) was the Empress consort of Constantius III, Western Roman Emperor. Serena was a noblewoman of the late Western Roman Empire. Her parents were Honorius brother of the Emperor Theodosius I, and his wife Maria Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (ca 359 &ndash August 22, 408) was a high-ranking general ( Magister militum Carranque is a town in the Toledo province, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. Includes marble from the Emperor's quarries.
• Zosimus Pagan Historian from the time of Theodosius His son the toke over The Empire. Zosimus ( ''fl'' 490s-510s was a Byzantine historian who lived in Constantinople during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius

References

• Brown, Peter, The Rise of Western Christendom, 2003, p. 73-74
• Williams, Stephen and Gerard Friell, Theodosius: The Empire at Bay, Yale University Press, 1994.

Notes

External links

• De Imperatoribus Romanis, Theodosius I
• This list of Roman laws of the Fourth Century shows all the laws passed by Theodosius relating to Christianity, in chronological order.