Byzantine Empire under the Theodosian dynasty
Roman Empire
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| 379–457 | |||||||||
 Emperor | | ||||||||
• 379–395 | Theodosius I | ||||||||
• 395–408 | Arcadius | ||||||||
• 408–450 | Theodosius II | ||||||||
• 450–457 | Marcian | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• accession of Theodosius I | 19 January 379 | ||||||||
• death of Marcian | January 457 | ||||||||
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| History of the Byzantine Empire |
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The
The Eastern Empire was largely spared the difficulties faced by the West in the third and fourth centuries, due in part to a more firmly established urban culture and greater financial resources, which allowed it to placate invaders with tribute and pay foreign mercenaries. Throughout the fifth century, various invading armies overran the Western Empire but spared the east.
The Theodosian dynasty also ruled the Western Roman Empire from 392 to 455 AD.
Theodosius I, 379-395
Theodosius is also remembered for making a series of decrees (see
With the death of Theodosius in 395, the Roman Empire was divided once more between his two sons.
Arcadius, 395-408
Arcadius was a weak ruler, dominated by a series of figures behind the throne as he was more concerned with appearing to be a pious Christian than he was with political and military matters. The first such figure, Rufinus, engendered intense competition with the counterpart of Western Emperor Honorius, magister militum of half-Vandal origin Flavius Stilicho, who might have had him assassinated in 395 AD. Later figures in actual power would include consul Eutropius risen from eunuch, general Gainas of Gothic origin, his wife Aelia Eudoxia, the Patriarch John Chrysostom and Praetorian Prefect Anthemius.
Theodosius II, 408-450
The older sister of Theodosius,
The death of Honorius of the West in 423 led Theodosius to supporting and eventually installing Valentinian III as Western Emperor in 425. To strengthen ties between East and West, Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of Theodosius, was betrothed to Valentinian.
Theodosius died in 450 as the result of a riding accident and was succeeded by Marcian, husband of his sister Pulcheria, as Eastern Emperor.
Marcian, 450-457
Marcian would reverse many of the actions taken by Theodosius II, particularly in terms of treaties with the Huns and in religious affairs. All Eastern Roman tributary payments to Attila ceased under Marcian while Attila was busy invading Italy. Marcian launched preemptive expeditions across the Danube into the Hunnic heartland, winning significant victories against them. The actions of Marcian, combined with famine in Italy, forced Attila to retreat back to the Hungarian plains where he would die in 453. After the death of Attila, Marcian would settle many formerly hunnic vassal tribes within Eastern Roman lands as foederati, taking advantage of the fall of the Hunnic empire.
He would be succeeded by
