Category: Late Empire
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Roman Survival in the East under Theodosius II
Attila sized up the East and felt that Constantinople, with its vast defensive walls constructed in Theodosius’ time (that still stand today), was too formidable an enemy. He turned instead to the West, which he correctly perceived as far weaker and more vulnerable to conquest and plunder. Though Attila wreaked havoc in Gaul, earning the…
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Late Roman Imperial Art as Seen on Coin Weights
The design of both these weights is a wonderful example of fourth/fifth-century artistic style. Most contemporary weights have similar silver inlays, but they are usually just Greek letters or a cross and rarely boast a design as interesting as two imperial busts. Most of these double-bust weights depict members of the family of Theodosius I…
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The City of Rome’s Final Destruction in the Gothic War
Perhaps no city suffered more than Rome. After its conquest by Belisarius in 536, the Romans successfully held off the Goths during a year-long siege (March 537-March 538). But the Goths then succeeded in recapturing the city in 546, only to lose it again in 547. The Romans then held the city for two years…
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Constantine III – Usurper in a Time of Crisis
But Stilicho’s Italian victory had a price; with Stilicho occupied in the Mediterranean, the northern frontier was neglected. A massive group of Germans, including Vandals and Sueves, crossed the undefended Rhine River on 31 December 406. This had the immediate effect of opening up the provinces in Germania and Gaul to invasion, lawlessness, and the…
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The Elegant Gold Coins of Theodosius I
The Roman world was also divided in its faith. Ascendant Christianity, through the persistent efforts of Constantine and his family, was now the religion of the majority of the empire’s citizens. Christianity had survived the brief two-year attempt of Julian the Apostate to restore paganism, and its momentum seemed unstoppable. It is likely that by…