TEODOSIO I EL GRANDE (INGLÉS)

Theodosius the Great

Roman Emperor Theodosius FLavio imposed Catholicism as the official religion and divided the Empire between East and West. He gained military experience fighting in Britain under the command of his father, then he was dux of Moesia (modern Serbia) in 374, effectively defending that border province against the Sarmatians. But retired to their domains in the current Coca (Segovia) after the execution of his father. And there was in 378, when Emperor Gratian called to commission Mesia defending against the invasion of the Goths.

In 379 he was appointed Augustus with authority in the East, beginning his reign over that part of the Empire. He defeated the Visigoths and their king agreed Athanaric installing this village as federated Germanic Empire Mesia. Then the title of Augustus sent his son Arcadio, which established a new imperial dynasty that would rule the moment only in the East.

Theodosius was Catholic Christian, faithful to the doctrine of Athanasius, adopted as orthodox line from the Council of Nicaea in 325. It was he who adopted Catholicism as the religion of the Empire, banning Arianism (Christian doctrine of the followers of Arius, widespread in the Orient) by the Edict of Thessalonica (390). His initial attitude was more conciliatory toward the heathen, as he tried to maintain a balance in his administration between Christians and pagans, while resisting attempts by the Christian clergy to enforce their dominance.

His attitude changed after being excommunicated by the Archbishop of Milan, St. Ambrose, because of the suppression of the revolt of Thessaloniki, which killed about 7,000 people (390). Theodosius did public penance for forgiveness and, since then, became a political instrument of ecclesiastical intolerance: banned pagan cults in Rome (391), as then spread throughout the empire (392).

The discontent created by the persecution of paganism led the revolt of the usurper Eugenius, who, with the support of the military chief of the West took possession of Gaul, Italy and Africa, killed Valentinian II and proclaimed himself emperor of the West (392 ). Theodosius was in Constantinople, absorbed in the problems of the eastern border, where they had just negotiated peace with the Persians and the division of Armenia.

As he returned to Italy, he faced Eugene, beat him and killed him near Aquileia, and temporarily restored the unity of the Empire, it was officially proclaimed Emperor of the East and West, (394). But the cultural, economic and political relations between the western territories (controlled from Rome) and the eastern territories (controlled from Constantinople) were already too big to be feasible the unit.

When he died the following year, leaving Theodosius recognized this imperial inheritance divided between his two sons: Arcadius (at 17) in the East and Honorius (a 11) in the West, under the tutelage of Stilicho. The division was irreversible and allowed that while the Western Roman Empire succumbed after eighty years of crisis and penetration of the barbarians, in East bind a Byzantine Empire that would last until 1453.