Stephen Williams

Gerard Friell

Emperor Theodosius 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 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. --From publisher's description.

The Empire at Bay

Theodosius

Peabody Professor of North American Archaeology and Ethnography Emeritus Stephen Williams

The Rome that Did Not Fall provides a well-illustrated, comprehensive narrative and analysis of the Roman empire in the east, charting its remarkable growth and development which resulted in the distinct and enduring civilization of Byzantium. It considers: * the fourth century background * the invasions of Attila * the resources of the east * the struggle for stability * the achievements of Anastasius.

Gerard Friell

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