Theodosius II

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Theodosius II (

Theodosius was born on 10 April 401 as the only son of Emperor Arcadius and his wife Aelia Eudoxia.^[4] On 10 January 402, at the age of 9 months, he was proclaimed co-augustus by his father,^[5] thus becoming the youngest to bear the imperial title up to that point. On 1 May 408, his father died and the seven-year-old boy became emperor of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire.

Reign

Early reign

The government was at first administered by the

According to Theophanes the Confessor and Procopius, the Sasanian king Yazdegerd I (399–420) was appointed by Arcadius as the guardian of Theodosius, whom Yazdegerd treated as his own child, sending a tutor to raise him and warning that enmity toward him would be taken as enmity toward Persia.^[6] Though this story is assumed to be inconclusive, Antiochus, a eunuch of Persian origin, became a tutor and an influence on Theodosius. He also became praepositus sacri cubiculi later but Theodosius dismissed him when he reached his adulthood.

In 414, Theodosius' older sister Pulcheria vowed perpetual virginity along with her sisters. She was proclaimed augusta, and acted as a guardian of her brother. The guardianship ended when he reached his majority, but it is assumed that his sister continued to exert an influence on him until his marriage. In June 421, Theodosius married Aelia Eudocia, a woman of Athenian origin.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} The two had a daughter named Licinia Eudoxia, another named Flaccilla, and possibly a son called Arcadius.

In 423, the Western Emperor

Theodosius is often seen by both ancient and modern historians as being constantly pushed around by his sister, wife, and eunuchs, particularly Chrysaphius among them.^[12] In the later decades of his life, Chrysaphius rose to prominence as one of the emperor's favorites. He favored the pro-Monophysite policy, influenced the foreign policy towards the Huns, and was resented by Pulcheria, general Zeno, and ancient writers.^[13] According to Theodorus Lector, Theodosius was so unmindful of his surroundings that he accidentally signed his sister's note selling his wife, Eudocia, into slavery.

However, some scholars argue that contrary to hostile ancient sources, Theodosius was more in control of his government.^[14] Others view that the government was controlled mostly by civilian officials, and not by a particular individual.^[15] Among ancient and medieval writers, Monophysites had a favorable opinion of Theodosius.^[16]

University and Law Code

In 425, Theodosius founded the University of Constantinople with 31 chairs (15 in Latin and 16 in Greek). Among the subjects were law, philosophy, medicine, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music and rhetoric. It is likely that his wife Eudocia encouraged him in this matter and was behind the establishment of the university; she had been born in Athens, where the Neoplatonic School of Athens was the last great center for pagan, classical learning. Eudocia was known for her great intellect.

In 429, Theodosius appointed a commission to collect all of the laws since the reign of

^[17]

Eudocia reached the height of her influence with the emperor from 439 to 441, a period in which the emperor's sister Pulcheria was sidelined in favor of his wife. Eudocia's power was undone by a certain

The Eastern Empire was plagued by raids by the Huns. Early in Theodosius II's reign Romans used internal Hun discord to overcome Uldin's invasion of the Balkans. The Romans strengthened their fortifications and in 424 agreed to pay 350 pounds of gold to encourage the Huns to remain at peace with the Romans. In 433 with the rise of Attila and Bleda to unify the Huns, the payment was doubled to 700 pounds.

Theodosius became engaged with the affairs of the West after installing Valentinian III as his Western counterpart. When Roman Africa

Theodosius frequently attempted to resolve doctrinal controversies regarding the nature of

Almost twenty years later, the theological dispute broke out again, this time caused by the Constantinopolitan abbot

Theodosius died on 28 July 450^[21] as the result of falling off his horse. On 25 November, his sister Pulcheria married the newly elected emperor Marcian, a domesticus under the influential general Aspar. The eunuch Chrysaphius was executed shortly after by the new imperial couple.^[22]

Like

Saint Right-Believing Theodosius II the Younger is commemorated in Eastern Orthodox Church on 29 July.^[24]

See also

• List of Byzantine emperors
• Theodosian dynasty

References

Citations

Sources

• Kelly, Christopher (2013). Theodosius II: Rethinking the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Miller, Fergus (2006). A Greek Roman Empire: Power and Belief Under Theodosius II. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Elton, Hugh (2009). "Imperial politics at the court of Theodosius II," in Andrew Cain (ed), The Power of Religion in Late Antiquity: The Power of Religion in Late Antiquity (Aldershot, Ashgate, 2009), 133–142.
• Ostrogorsky, George (1956). History of the Byzantine State. Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell.
• ISBN 978-0-88-141056-3
  .
• S. Crogiez-Pétrequin, P. Jaillette, J.-M. Poinsotte (eds.), Codex Theodosianus V. Texte latin d'après l'édition de Mommsen. Traduction, introduction et notes, Brepols Publishers, 2009,
  ISBN 978-2-503-51722-3
• Vasiliki Limberis, Divine Heiress: The Virgin Mary and the Creation of Christian Constantinople (London: Routledge, 1994) has a significant section about Theodosius II and his sister Pulcheria.
• Caspari, Maximilian Otto Bismarck (1911). "Theodosius (emperors)" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
•  Stokes, George Thomas (1911). "Theodosius II., emperor" . In Wace, Henry; Piercy, William C. (eds.). Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century (3rd ed.). London: John Murray.
• "Theodosius II" in
  ISBN 0195046528
• Rösch, Gerhard (1978). Onoma Basileias: Studien zum offiziellen Gebrauch der Kaisertitel in spätantiker und frühbyzantinischer Zeit. Byzantina et Neograeca Vindobonensia (in German). Verlag der österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
  ISBN 978-3-7001-0260-1
  .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Theodosius II.

• Reign of Theodosius II (chapter of J. B. Bury's History of the Later Roman Empire)
• Theodosian Code: Sections concerning religious observances (English)
• George Long, "Codex Theodosianus"
• Nathan, Geoffrey, "Theodosius II (408–450 A.D.)" (Archive). De Imperatoribus Romanis.

Theodosius II Theodosian dynasty Born: 10 April 401 Died: 28 July 450
Regnal titles
Preceded by Arcadius	Eastern Roman emperor 408–450	Succeeded by Marcian
Political offices
Preceded by Arcadius Augustus V Honorius Augustus V	Roman consul 403 with Rumoridus	Succeeded by Honorius Augustus VI Aristaenetus
Preceded by Arcadius Augustus VI Anicius Petronius Probus	Roman consul II 407 with Honorius Augustus VII	Succeeded by Anicius Auchenius Bassus Philippus
Preceded by Anicius Auchenius Bassus	Roman consul III 409 with Honorius Augustus VIII Constantine Augustus	Succeeded by Varanes Tertullus
Preceded by Varanes Tertullus	Roman consul IV–V 411–412 with Honorius Augustus IX (412)	Succeeded by Lucius Heraclianus
Preceded by Constantius Constans	Roman consul VI–VII 415–416 with Honorius Augustus X Junius Quartus Palladius	Succeeded by Honorius Augustus XI Flavius Constantius II
Preceded by Honorius Augustus XI Flavius Constantius II	Roman consul VIII 418 with Honorius Augustus XII	Succeeded by Monaxius Plinta
Preceded by Monaxius Plinta	Roman consul IX 420 with Constantius III	Succeeded by Eustathius Agricola
Preceded by Eustathius Agricola	Roman consul X 422 with Honorius Augustus XIII	Succeeded by Asclepiodotus Avitus Marinianus
Preceded by Castinus Victor	Roman consul XI 425 with Valentinian Caesar Iohannes Augustus (only in Rome)	Succeeded by Theodosius Augustus XII Valentinian Augustus II
Preceded by Theodosius Augustus XI Valentinian Caesar	Roman consul XII 426 with Valentinian Augustus II	Succeeded by Hierius Ardabur
Preceded by Florentius Dionysius	Roman consul XIII 430 with Valentinian Augustus III	Succeeded by Anicius Auchenius Bassus Antiochus
Preceded by Aetius Valerius	Roman consul XIV 433 with Petronius Maximus	Succeeded by Aspar Areobindus
Preceded by Aspar Areobindus	Roman consul XV 435 with Valentinian Augustus IV	Succeeded by Anthemius Isidorus Flavius Senator
Preceded by Aetius II Sigisvultus	Roman consul XVI 438 with Anicius Acilius Glabrio Faustus	Succeeded by Theodosius Augustus XVII Festus
Preceded by Theodosius Augustus XVI Anicius Acilius Glabrio Faustus	Roman consul 439 with Festus	Succeeded by Anatolius
Preceded by Petronius Maximus II Paterius	Roman consul XVII 444 with Caecina Decius Aginatius Albinus	Succeeded by Valentinian Augustus VI Nomus