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Theodosius: The Empire at Bay
Theodosius I, a towering figure in the history of the late Roman Empire and the early Church, was the last Roman emperor to rule a unified empire of East and West. His reign from 379 to 395 represents a turning point in the policies and fortunes of the late Roman Empire. In this fascinating biography, Stephen Williams and Gerard Friell examine Theodosius's life and character, placing the military, religious, and political struggles of his reign in the context of the troubled times of the empire.
Drawing on literary, archaeological, and numismatic evidence, the authors describe how Theodosius was summoned to the throne after the disastrous Roman defeat by the Goths at Adrianople and was called upon to rebuild the armies and put the shattered state back together. They show how Theodosius instituted a new policy toward the barbarians, in which diplomacy played a larger role than military might at a time of increasing frontier dangers and acute manpower shortages, and how a series of political misfortunes led to the separation of the Eastern and Western empires despite his efforts. They also discuss Theodosius's importance in the Christian Church. Baptized in 380, Theodosius established the Apostolic Catholic Church as the only State religion; unlike Constantine and the other Christian emperors, he suppressed both heresy and paganism and enforced orthodoxy by law.
By fully exploring these various facets of Theodosius's life and reign, Williams and Friell present a new and absorbing picture of this important emperor.
Drawing on literary, archaeological, and numismatic evidence, the authors describe how Theodosius was summoned to the throne after the disastrous Roman defeat by the Goths at Adrianople and was called upon to rebuild the armies and put the shattered state back together. They show how Theodosius instituted a new policy toward the barbarians, in which diplomacy played a larger role than military might at a time of increasing frontier dangers and acute manpower shortages, and how a series of political misfortunes led to the separation of the Eastern and Western empires despite his efforts. They also discuss Theodosius's importance in the Christian Church. Baptized in 380, Theodosius established the Apostolic Catholic Church as the only State religion; unlike Constantine and the other Christian emperors, he suppressed both heresy and paganism and enforced orthodoxy by law.
By fully exploring these various facets of Theodosius's life and reign, Williams and Friell present a new and absorbing picture of this important emperor.
247 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 4, 2022
***2.5 out of 5 Stars***
This was written in a sporadic manner; that is, narration here and analysis there. Perhaps the story of Theodosius' reign is very short - I do not know. However, I would have enjoyed the text more had Mr. Williams tell the story of this emperor's bitter sweet role when wearing the Imperial Purple of Ancient Rome. After which the author could then analyse the context in which Theodosius ruled, the politics, the reasons for the split between East and West, the senseless coups, and finally the Western Empire's end. Despite my misgivings, this book is a useful source on Theodosius' relatively long rule, and how he ultimately contributed to the West's downfall in the fifth century AD. A decent read.
Please note that a five stars rating for me means a thoroughly perfect read. A four star rating means a respectable albeit unperfect read. Anything less must be compared relatively to the prior two standards.
This was written in a sporadic manner; that is, narration here and analysis there. Perhaps the story of Theodosius' reign is very short - I do not know. However, I would have enjoyed the text more had Mr. Williams tell the story of this emperor's bitter sweet role when wearing the Imperial Purple of Ancient Rome. After which the author could then analyse the context in which Theodosius ruled, the politics, the reasons for the split between East and West, the senseless coups, and finally the Western Empire's end. Despite my misgivings, this book is a useful source on Theodosius' relatively long rule, and how he ultimately contributed to the West's downfall in the fifth century AD. A decent read.
Please note that a five stars rating for me means a thoroughly perfect read. A four star rating means a respectable albeit unperfect read. Anything less must be compared relatively to the prior two standards.
May 23, 2022
Unlike most imperial biographies about ancient Roman Emperors, this book is actually extremely easy to read through. Avoids academic jargon and doesn't assume excessive prior knowledge while managing to be a very in depth look at late fourth century Rome. If you are interested in this era of Roman history at all, this book is a must read.
October 6, 2011
Wonderful narrative of the latter times of the Western Roman Empire and about one of its outstanding emperors. The narrative includes the assassination of one of the most faithful barbarian-heritage servers of Rome: Stilicho, as well as one of the most treacherous barbarian one-time servers of Rome: Alaric. Arbogastes and his Western-Empire-usurping agent Eugenius met their end when they lost the Battle of the Frigidus in early September AD 394. The narrative gives us a clear idea of the power that Bishop Ambrose had over the Theodosius, who was so interested in securing his eternal life, that he gave up justice in the here and now by allowing the mobs who destroyed some synagogues to get away with not making restitution for their destruction. Wonderful book!
March 27, 2017
The authors style of writing flows very well, no real dry points if you are interested in this period. I appreciated how he addressed the cavalry myth that resulted from Adrianople and does a good job of examining the entire political and military situation of the time.
February 22, 2021
Theodosius was the last great Roman Emperor. He ruled judiciously and was a great ruler.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews