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Theodosius: The Empire at Bay
Emperor Theodosius (379-95) was the last Roman emperor to rule a unified empire of East and West and his reign represents a turning point in the policies and fortunes of the Late Roman Empire. In this imperial biography, Stephen Williams and Gerry Friell bring together literary, archaeological and numismatic evidence concerning this Roman emperor, studying his military and political struggles, which he fought heroically but ultimately in vain.
Summoned from retirement to the throne after the disastrous Roman defeat by the Goths at Adrianople, Theodosius was called on to rebuild the armies and put the shattered state back together. He instituted a new policy towards the barbarians, in which diplomacy played a larger role than military might, at a time of increasing frontier dangers and acute manpower shortage. He was also the founder of the established Apostolic Catholic Church. Unlike other Christian emperors, he suppressed both heresy and paganism and enforced orthodoxy by law.
The path was a diffucult one, but Theodosius (and his successor, Stilicho) had little choice. This new study convincingly demonstrates how a series of political misfortunes led to the separation of the Eastern and Western empires which meant that the overlordship of Rome in Europe dwindled into mere ceremonial. The authors examine the emperor and his character and the state of the Roman empire, putting his reign in the context of the troubled times.
Summoned from retirement to the throne after the disastrous Roman defeat by the Goths at Adrianople, Theodosius was called on to rebuild the armies and put the shattered state back together. He instituted a new policy towards the barbarians, in which diplomacy played a larger role than military might, at a time of increasing frontier dangers and acute manpower shortage. He was also the founder of the established Apostolic Catholic Church. Unlike other Christian emperors, he suppressed both heresy and paganism and enforced orthodoxy by law.
The path was a diffucult one, but Theodosius (and his successor, Stilicho) had little choice. This new study convincingly demonstrates how a series of political misfortunes led to the separation of the Eastern and Western empires which meant that the overlordship of Rome in Europe dwindled into mere ceremonial. The authors examine the emperor and his character and the state of the Roman empire, putting his reign in the context of the troubled times.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 22, 2025
The book helped me answer questions regarding the end of the Western Roman Empire. I was able to gather that, among many other things, the problems stemmed from:
- [ ] border/immigration problems
* a lower birth rate among Romans coupled with an increasing non-Roman (Gothic) population
- [ ] an unwillingness to relinquish pagan beliefs
- [ ] military corruption
- [ ] poor planning for the next emperor
Rampant corruption meant that Officers were not chosen for skill, troops were poorly supplied and trained, and military discipline eroded. This made it easier for barbarians to exploit Roman weaknesses and overwhelm frontier defenses.
The strength of the Catholic Church was shown in the episode of "Penance before Ambrose." In response to a massacre, Bishop Ambrose of Milan demanded that Theodosius perform public penance for his sins. Theodosius submitted, appearing in church without imperial regalia and kneeling in repentance. This incident is often cited as a crucial moment demonstrating the power of the church over the state.
- [ ] border/immigration problems
* a lower birth rate among Romans coupled with an increasing non-Roman (Gothic) population
- [ ] an unwillingness to relinquish pagan beliefs
- [ ] military corruption
- [ ] poor planning for the next emperor
Rampant corruption meant that Officers were not chosen for skill, troops were poorly supplied and trained, and military discipline eroded. This made it easier for barbarians to exploit Roman weaknesses and overwhelm frontier defenses.
The strength of the Catholic Church was shown in the episode of "Penance before Ambrose." In response to a massacre, Bishop Ambrose of Milan demanded that Theodosius perform public penance for his sins. Theodosius submitted, appearing in church without imperial regalia and kneeling in repentance. This incident is often cited as a crucial moment demonstrating the power of the church over the state.
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 - 6 of 6 reviews