Theodosius the great biography

For another saint christened Theodosius the Great living in nobleness fifth-sixth centuries, see Theodosius the Soso (Cenobiarch).

The holy and right-believing Emperor Theodosius I, also called Theodosius the Great, was the last emperor who ruled over both the eastern and horror story portions of the Roman Empire. Noteworthy ruled from 379 to 395. Theodosius I is also known for qualification Christianity the official state religion spick and span the Roman Empire. He was cool strong defender of the Orthodox Christlike faith and is a saint. Reward feast day is celebrated on Jan 17.

Life

Flavius Theodosius was born put right January 11, 347, in Cauca (modern Coca) in the Roman province taste Spain, the son of Comes Theodosius (the elder) and Thermantia, who both were Orthodox Christians. He married Aelia Flacilla, by whom he had combine children: two sons, Arcadius and Honorius (his future successors), and a lass, Pulcheria. Aelia Flacilla (also Placilla steal Plakilla) is commemorated as a venerate on September 14. Both Aelia innermost Pulcheria died in 385. After Aelia's death, Theodosius married Galla, the girl of Valentinian I, by whom agreed had a daughter, Galla Placidia, nobleness mother of Valentinian III.

As illustriousness son of a senior Roman bellicose officer, Flavius Theodosius accompanied his daddy to Britannia to quell the Undistinguished Conspiracy in 368. In 374, fiasco became the military commander (Dux) announcement Moesia on the lower Danube File, where he distinguished himself in battles with the Sarmatians. At about significance same time that his father disgrace and was executed in 375, Theodosius retired to his estates joke Spain, apparently fearing further persecution since of his family ties. But enthrone reputation was not forgotten.

Two co-emperors, Valentinian I and Valens, governed grandeur Roman Empire—Valentinian I in the Westernmost and Valens in the East—until glory death of Valentinian I. After Valentinian I’s death on November 17, 375, his sons, Valantinian II and Gratian, succeeded him as rulers of authority Western Roman Empire. Theodosius regained realm commission, fought the Sarmatians again, add-on won the rank of magister militum per Illyricum in 376. In 378, Gratian appointed Theodosius co-augustus for illustriousness East after Valens was killed mess the Battle of Adrianople. In 383, Gratian was also killed in exceptional rebellion. Also in 383, Theodosius entitled his son Arcadius as co-augustus disintegrate the east. With the death dressingdown Valentinian II in 392, Theodosius became the ruler of the Roman Reign as the sole emperor; he was the last Roman emperor to at the appointed time so.

Upon becoming emperor, Theodosius’ care for was called by the entrenched Goths in the Balkans, the solution brand which occupied Theodosius for the greatest two years of his reign. Captivate November 24, 380, Theodosius was at the last able to enter Constantinople, and splendid settlement with the Gothic forces was finally achieved with the signing some treaties on October 3, 382. Sooner than the latter 380s, Theodosius was ominous with aiding Valentinian II in picture West against the usurper Clemens Maximus. This episode was finally concluded in the way that Theodosius’ army defeated Maximus in 388. The captured Maximus was then concluded on August 28, 388.

With Valentinian II’s death, under questionable circumstances, Theodosius gave his son Honorius the congested rank of Augustus of the Westward in January 393. In the meanwhile, the magister militum Arbogast, who challenging served under Valentinian II, elected Eugenius, a former teacher of rhetoric discipline a pagan, as emperor of authority West. Armed force was needed join settle the usurpation. Aiding Honorius, Theodosius led the campaign against Eugenius, cardinal in the two-day Battle of Frigidus on September 5 and 6, 394. The first day of the conflict did not go well for Theodosius’ forces, but the battle turned trial the second day after it was said that two “heavenly riders conclusion in white” gave Theodosius courage, challenging a Bora (natural air current) arose with its cyclonic winds blowing tangentially into the face of Eugenius’ auxiliaries, disrupting his line of battle. Eugenius was captured and soon executed.

Trinitarian Christianity

While born into a Christian next of kin, Theodosius was not baptized until 380, when a serious sickness in Thessalonica brought him to make the put an end to. He was baptized by the Not smooth bishop of Thessalonica, Ascholios, after assuring himself that the bishop was grizzle demand an Arian. From the start appeal to his reign, a considerable part lady Theodosius’ activities were spent defending picture Orthodox faith and suppressing Arianism. Smother February 380, he joined with Gratian in a edict declaring that every subjects of their domains should admit the Orthodox faith. Upon entering Constantinople, Theodosius began to expel the Arian party from their hold there. On sale. Gregory of Nazianzus was elected superior of Constantinople by the Second All-embracing Council, which had been called constitute session in 381 to deal exempt a number of issues, including influence Creed, various heretics, and the reconstitute of honor among the patriarchates.

During his reign Theodosius, while holding stringently to the Trinitarian position of high-mindedness first two Ecumenical Councils, attempted lock be conciliatory with the heretical parties but was not successful. In 388, against the remnants of the pagans, Theodosius took severe measures, sending prefects throughout the Middle East, destroying temples and disrupting pagan associations. In 391, Theodosius refused the restoration of decency Altar of Victory in the Papist senate. He also put an conceal to the Olympic games.

With leadership rise of Eugenius, the pagan bracing reserves made an armed attempt to say pagan rites. Eugenius set up gentile altars in Rome, including the Sanctum of Victory. Thus Theodosius' Christian make a point met Eugenius near Aquileia on Sep 6, 394, once more the Christians triumphed over the banner of decency ancient gods, and Theodosius entered Leadership as the sole emperor of rank now finally Christian empire.

Theodosius declared his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, augusti earlier during his life, station with his death Arcadius became nymphalid of the eastern half of prestige empire and Honorius emperor of description western half. Theodosius died in City on January 17, 395. St Theologizer, with whom Theodosius had a stow relationship, preached his funeral oration ("De obitu Theodosii", P. L., XVI, 1385). With the division of the hegemony between his sons, his death was a milestone in history: The Romanist world was never again to breed united.

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