No More Learning

The edict de trine has prevailed in the Eastern church without
clared “ according to the discipline of the apostles, interruption to the present time. After the death
and the doctrine of the gospel, let us believe the of Meletins, Gregory of Nazianzus presided in
sole deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy this council, and he has left a picture of the tur-
Ghost, under an equal Majesty and a pious Trinity: bulent and disorderly proceedings which charac-
we authorise the followers of this doctrine to terised its close.
assume the title of Catholic Christians ; and as we Theodosius, after establishing the supremacy of
judge that all others are extravagant madmen, we
brand them with the name of heretics, and declare * Gibbon seems to have misunderstood the na-
that their conventicles shall no longer usurp the ture of this heresy.
:


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THEODOSIUS
1065
THEODOSIUS.
the Catholic faith by the council of Constantinople, and Galla a year before the visit to Thessalonica
proceeded to give it effect. In the course of fifteen at the close of A. D. 386 ; or lie would make a
years (A. D. 380—391) he published fifteen de compromise by admitting that Theodosius asked
crees against heretics, or those who were not of her in marringe in A. D. 386, but did not actually
his own creed. The penalties were most particu- marry her till A. D. 387 (1/istoire, fc. vol. v. p. 740):
Jarly directed against those who rejected the doc- his desire was to protect the piety of Theodosiuis
trine of the Trinity ; and they extended to from the scandal of a sensual inotive. But Zogi-
ministers, assemblies, and the persons of heretics. mus (iv. 44) states that Justina, a woman of in-
It was about the time that the council was sitting fluence, who knew the amorous propensities of
that he deprived all persons who apostatised from Theodosius, prevailed over the irresolution of the
Christianity to Paganism of the right which every «mperor by her daughter's tears and beauty.
Roinan citizen had enjoyed at least from the time Theodosius saw her and was captivated : he asked
of the Twelve Tables, of disposing of his property her of her mother for his wife, but he only oben
by testament. In July (a. D. 381) le forbade tained her on condition of restoring Valentinian.
the Arians and Eunomians to build any church ; Though Gibbon bas preferred the nuthority of
and the law appears to mean that every place of Zosimus, there is some evidence opposed to it; and
worship which they already possessed should be yet the narrative of Zosimus is so precise and cir-
taken from them. The various enactments against cumstantial that it is difficult not to give credit to
heretics are contained in the Code of Thcodosius it. There is nothing improbable in the fact of a
(16. tit. 5. s. 6—23; and the commentary of Go- passion for a woman determining a political
thofredus): the Eunomians, whose guilt consisted question.
in denying any resemblance between the two sub- After Theodosius had decided on his course, his
stances, and who were accordingly Anomoeans, operations were rapid and vigorous. He found
were also deprived of the power of testamentary Maximus encamped near Siscia, in Pannonia, a
disposition, and of taking by testamentary gift: city situated on the great river Save. Maximus
they seem, in fact, to have been deprived of all had not talent equal to his ambition, and Theo-
the rights of citizens. The Manichaean heresy dosius had a force which confounded the soldiers
was punishable with death ; and the same penalty of the usurper by a mode of attack to which they
threatened the Audians or the Quartodecimans, were unaccustomed. His Huns, Alans, and his
who celebrated the festival of Easter on the wrong Goths were mounted archers, who annoyed th:
day. To the reign of Theodosius belonged the heavy troops of Gaul and Germany by the irregu-
glory or the infamy of establishing Inquisitors of larity of a Parthian attack. Maximus, after sus
Faith, who seem to have been specially enjoined taining one defeat on the banks of the Save, and
to look after the crime of the Quartodecimans. probably a second, fled across the Alps, and shut
Though Theodosius thus established the principle himself up in Aquileia, just before Theodosius
of persecution, it is said that his rival Maximus reached the gates. But in spite of his Moorish
was the first Christian prince“ who shed the blood guard, he was given up to Theodosius by his own
of his Christian subjects on account of their re- soldiers and the people of Aquileia, with his hands
ligious opinions. " It is fortunate for the fame of tied behind him. Theodosius, according to his
Theodosius that there is not the same evidence of panegyrist Pacatus, was not indisposed to pardon ;
his giving effect to his own laws as there is for the but his soldiers saved him the difficulty of a
severity of Maximus, under whose reign Priscil decision, by dragging Maximus from his presence
lianus and others suffered death for heresy at and beheading him. Maximus had left his son
Treves, A. D. 385.
Victor in Gaul, with the title of Caesar, or per-
In á. n. 387 Maximus, not content with the haps of Augustus. Arbogastes, the active general
possession of Spain, Gaul, and Britain, aspired to of Theodosius, seized the youth, and put him to
wrest Italy from the feeble hands of Valenti- death a short time after his father. Theodosius
nian II. , who as an Arian was disliked by his spent the winter at Milan, and in the following
Catholic subjects of Italy, and was opposed in his year (June 13th, 389) he entered Rome in triumph,
heretical projects by the zeal of Ambrose, the accompanied by Valentinian and his own
Catholic archbishop of Milan. Maximus was in Honorius.
sight of Milan, before Valentinian and his mother Two events in the life of Theodosius may be
Justina, who directed the administration, were brought into juxtaposition as evidence of his un-
aware of his hostile intentions; and he entered certain character and his savage temper. In A. D.
the city without resistance. Justina and her son 387, the city of Antioch complained of increased
embarked from one of the harbours in the north taxation, the necessary consequence of the wars in
part of the Hadriatic and arrived in safety at which the emperor had been engaged ; and An-
Thessalonica. No resistonce was made to Maxi- tioch, as it had not suffered from an enemy whose
mus, except by the small town of Aemona, on the ravages had been confined to Europe, was unwilling
border of Italy. Theodosius visited Justina and to bear its share of the expense of the Gothic cam-
her son at Thessalonica, and reminded Valentinian paigns. The complaints of the citizens were soon
that his opposition to the faith of Nicaea was the changed into active riot (February): the statues
cause of his own ruin and of the success of Maximus. of the emperor, of his father, and of his wife Pla-
Valentinian, it is said, acknowledged his errors, cilla, were thrown down; but these idle demon-
and returned to the true faith ; and the orthodox strations were quickly suppressed by an armed
emperor promised to restore him to his throne: but force. The governor sent to the emperor at Con-
perhaps he was influenced by other motives than stantinople an account of these riots, and the citi-
gratitude to Gratian, and zeal in support of the zens of Antioch, in great alarm, despatched Flavian
Catholic faith. Theodosius was a widower; and their bishop, and the senator Hilarius, to acknow-
Valentinian had a sister Galla, young and beautiful. ledge their guilt and to pray for forgiveness. In
Tillemont would fix the marriage of Thcodosius | March the judgment of the emperor was brought
son


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THEODOSIUS.
THEODOSIUS.
;
66
by Hellebicus and Caesarius, two of his officers, mency of Theodosius in the affair of Antioch, ob-
who declared that Antioch was degraded from the serves, “ that this year (a. D. 390) is celebrated
rank of a city, was stripped of its possessions and for the cruelties which the order of Theodosius
privileges, and reduced to the condition of a village caused to be committed at Thessalonica, and still
dependent on Laodicea. The places of public more celebrated for the penance which Theodosius
amusement were shut up, and the usual distribu. performed to expiate so great a crime. We only
tion of corn was stopped, which was equivalent to touch, in a few words, on an event so illustrious
a sentence of starvation against those who were and important, because we reserve it for the his-
accustomed to receive this pauper's allowance. A tory of St. Ambrosius. " The illustrious and im-
severe investigation was made into the circum- portant event was the penance, more illustrious
stances of the riot, and those who were convicted and important in the eyes of the pious historian
by the extraordinary commissioners of the em- than the unpardonable crime of massacring thou-
peror lost their property, and were reduced to sands. It is singular, as Gibbon remarks, that
beggary. Some of the rioters, or of the accused, Zosimus, who is certainly not partial to Theodosius,
were put to death. The commissioners, however, perhaps hardly just, and exposes his faults, does
suspended the complete execution of the emperor's not mention the massacre of Thessalonica ; and yet
sentence against the city, and Caesarius went to the fact is not doubtful.
Constantinople to obtain a final answer from the Ambrosius, the archbishop of Milan, thought
emperor to the petition of the people and the that the civil administration was an affair in which
prayers of the monks and hermits, who left their the clergy had an interest; and a riot at Callinicum
solitudes, and crowded to Antioch, to intercede for on the Persian frontier, in which the fanatics
the metropolis of the East. The emperor hnd of the place, at the instigation of their bishop, had
already relented at the entreaty of the bishop and burnt a place of worship of the Valentinians, and
the eloquent address of the senator ; the senate of the synagogue of the Jews, found an apologist in
Constantinople had interceded for Antioch, and the archbishop of Milan. The provincial magis-
Theodosius pardoned the city, and all who had trate had condemned the bishop to rebuild the
taken part in the riot. The property of those who synagogue, or to make good the damage, and the
had been convicted was restored, the poor got rioters to be punished ; and the emperor confirmed
their allowance again, and Antioch resumed its this equitable and moderate sentence. But to to-
former dignity and jurisdiction. Tillemont has lerate difference of opinion was, in the archbishop's
collected all the circumstances of this affair of An- judgment, the same as to persecute the orthodox ;
tioch (Histoire, &c. , vol. v. p. 261, &c. ), at great and Theodosius was compelled, by the archbishop's
length.
monitions and lectures, to let the bishop and his
In A. D. 390, Thessalonica, the metropolis of the turbulent flock go unpunished. “St. Ambrosius,"
Illyrian provinces, was disturbed by a riot during says Tillemont, “ thought that a prince who par-
the emperor's residence at Milan. Botheric, who doned so many other similar acts, ought not to
commanded the soldiers there, had imprisoned one expose the Christian religion to the insults of its
of the charioteers of the Circus, who had solicited enemies by so rigorous an order. ” The massacre
a youth to a shameless intercourse. The populace of Thessalonica was a trial for the firmness of Am-
in vain called for their favourite charioteer during brosius: he who thought that the burning of a
the celebration of the games: the general kept him Jew synagogue ought not to be punished could
in the prison which his crime had merited. It hardly overlook the massacre of a Christian city.
seems that the populace was ready for insurrection; He retired from the emperor's presence, but he
a trifling cause was enough to set them in motion, represented his crime to him in a letter, and he
and the garrison was weak. Botheric and his officers told him that penitence alone could efface his
were overpowered and assassinated by the people, guilt. But the archbishop was prudent in his
and their bodies were dragged about the streets. remonstrances, and to protect himself, he called in
An inquiry into the riot, and the punishment of the aid of a vision, in which he said that he had
the guilty, was necessary and just ; but Theodosius been warned not to offer the oblation in the name
punished a whole city, guilty and innocent together. of Theodosius, nor in his presence. When the
It is said that his minister Rufinus prompted the emperor proceeded to perform his devotions in the
emperor to issue his savage orders, notwithstanding usual manner in the great church of Milan, the
the intercession of the bishops. An army of bar- archbishop stopped him at the door, and demanded
barians was sent to Thessalonica instead of a civil a further acknowledgment of his guilt. The con-
commission supported by a sufficient force. The science-struck Theodosius humbled himself before
people were invited to the games of the Circus, the church, which has recorded his penance as
and they came without suspicion; but as soon as one of its greatest victories. He laid aside the
the place was full, the soldiers received the signal insignia of imperial power, and in the posture of a
for a massacre. For three hours the spectators suppliant in the church of Milan, entreated pardon
were indiscriminately exposed to the fury of the for his great sin before all the congregation. After
soldiers, and seven thousand of them, or, as some eight months, the emperor was restored to com-
accounts say, more than twice that number, paid munion with the church, at Christmas, A. D. 390.
the penalty of the insurrection. The soldiers, it is Theodosius spent three years in Italy, during
said, were ordered to produce a certain number of which he established Valentinian on the throne of
heads, an order which aggravates the guilt of the West, a measure for which his historians may
Theodosius, who, if not softened by the usual claim the merit of generosity; for he probably would
feelings of humanity, might have remembered the have had no difficulty in keeping the western
city in which he had so often resided. This mas- empire, which he had wrested from the usurpation
sacre, unparalleled in history, is a stain on the of Maximus. Theodosius returned to Constan-
name of Theodosius, an eternal brand of infamy. tinople early in November A. D. 391.
Tillemont, who has so minutely recorded the cle- Valentinian II. did not long maintain his power,


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THEODOSIUS.
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THEODOSIUS.
&
Arbogastes, who had served Gratian with fidelity, to the rank of Augusti, and it was arranged that
and had contributed under Theodosius to the over- the empire should be divided between them.
throw of Maximus, was appointed master-general | Honorius was not in the war ngainst Eugenius,
of the forces in Gaul. But he aspired to govem but he came to Milan before his father died, and
a master who had not vigour enough to command received from him the gift of the empire of the
obedience, and the emperor's authority gradually west. The arrival of Honorius was celebrated by
declined. In A. D. 392 Valentinian made a last the games of the Circus, at which the dying em.
effort to resume bis power, and he personally an-
peror assisted.
nounced to Arbogastes that he was dismissed from The formal destruction of paganism marks the
all his employments. The general received the reign of this orthodox emperor. * The ruin of
announcement with contempt ; and in a few days paganism, in the age of Theodosius," says Gibbon,
after Valentinian was found dead. It was believed ** is perhaps the only example of the total extir-
that he had been strangled by order of Arbogastes. pation of any ancient and popular superstition, and
The barbarian, who did not think it prudent to may therefore descrve to be considered as a singular
assume the imperial purple, set up Eugenius, a event in the history of the human mind. " Without
rhetorician, and formerly his secretary, as emperor admitting the truth of this remark as to the total
of the West. Theodosius received the ambassadors extirpation of paganism, we must assign to Theo-
of Eugenius, who announced his elevation, with dosius the design to extirpate it. His rigorous
dissembled indignation, for he was ill disposed to steps towards the overthrow of the ancient religion
renew a war in the west, which he had only just are traced by Tillemont with minute diligence
ended. But his own pride, and the tears of his (vol. v. p. 229, &c. ). In December 381 he prohibited
wife Galla, the sister of Valentinian, urged him to sacrifices, either by day or by night, in the temples
punish the usurper. Two years were spent in the or out of the temples ; and also he forbade the
preparation for this war ; but the emperor, with curious inquisition into futurity by the examination
prudent precaution, imitating the example of those of the viscera of animals. Libanius, in his oration
who consulted the god of Delphi in the times of in defence of the temples, written probably about
heathenism, sent a favourite eunuch to ask the A. D. 384, says, that the laws of Theodosius at that
advice of John of Lycopolis, an Egyptian anchorite, time had not closed the temples, nor prohibited
whether he should make war on Eugenius, or wait persons from going there, nor the burning of incense,
till Eugenius attacked him. John declared that but only the sacrifice of animals. But so long as
Theodosius would be victorious, but yet not without the temples existed, the old religion would subsist;
loss and bloodshed, as in the war with Maximus ; and therefore to destroy it the temples must be
that he would die in Italy after his victory, and destroyed. Libanius complains that people, clothed
leare to his son the empire of the west. “ Thus in black (no doubt he means monks,) ran in bodies
Theodosius did not engage in this war any more to the temples, overthrew the altars, pulled down the
than in the other, except by the order which God roofs and the walls, and sometimes killed the priests
gave to himn by his prophet. " (Tillemont). who resisted. He says, however, that soldiers
Theodosius prepared himself to fulfil the prophecy were also employed in this work of demolition,
by recruiting his legions, with the aid of his two and that in fact no temples were destroyed without
master-generals Stilicho and Timasius. Arbogastes, the order of the emperor. Some few temples were
who commanded for Eugenius, posted himself on converted into Christian churches, and thus pre-
the border of Italy, but allowed Theodosius to pass served ; “ but in almost every province of the
the Julian Alps, and enter the plains which extend Roman world, an army of fanatics, without autho-
to Aquileia. Here he found the formidable army rity and without discipline, invaded the peaceful
of Arbogastes, consisting of hardy Gauls and Ger- inhabitants ; and the ruin of the fairest structures
mans. Theodosius attacked the enemy, but he was of antiquity still displays the ravages of those bar-
compelled to retire with great loss, particularly of barians, who alone had time and inclination to
his Gothic allies. Arbogastes now occupied the execute such laborious destruction. " (Gibbon. ) The
passes in his rear, and the emperor's position was lands of the temples were probably given to the
most critical. But he was saved by the treachery Christian churches as a general rule. (Tillemont. )
of the generals of Eugenius, who sent to express Cynegius, the praetorian prefect of the East, was
their readiness to desert, if the rewards which they sent by Theodosius in 386 into Egypt, the seat of
asked were granted. Theodosius accepted their all monstrous superstitions, with a commission to
conditions, and led his troops to a fresh attack on prohibit idolatry, and to close the temples. It does
the camp of the enemy. A tempest, that rose not appear that he had any power to destroy them.
during the battle, and blew full in the face of the It was probably not till 389 that the Christians
troops of Eugenius, contributed to their discomfiture obtained their great triumph over the idolatry of
and the victory of Theodosius. The head of Eugenius Egypt, by the destruction of the magnificent temple
was separated from his body, while he was suing of Serapis at Alexandria. The fall of this great
for mercy at the feet of his conqueror; and Arbo- idol shook the popular belief of Egypt to its found-
gastes, after wandering in the mountains, terminated ation. The emperor had given his orders to destroy
his fortunes by his own sword. Theodosius re- the statue of Serapis ; but the heathens believed
ceived the submission of the west, and, at the that the deity would resent the slightest affront to
intercession of Ambrosius, used his victory with his majesty. A soldier, bolder than the rest, en-
moderation.
couraged by the archbishop Theophilus, dealt a
Theodosius died on the seventeenth of January blow against the cheek of Serapis with a ponderous
A. D. 395, four months after the defeat of Eugenius, axe, and the face of the idol fell to the ground.
whether, as some say, in consequence of the fatigues The deity silently submitted to his fate ; the idol
of war, or, as others, in consequence of intemperate was broken in pieces, and dragged through the
habits, it is not possible to decide. The two sons, streets of Alexandria. The overthrow of the old
Arcadius and Honorius, had already been elevated | religion, which was still practised, was accomplished


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THEODOSIUS.
THEODOSIUS.
1
1
1
by the last edict of Theodosius in 390 (Cod. Theod. brother and the administrator of the empire, before
16. tit. 10. s. 12), which in harsh and intolerant she was sixteen years of age : she was declared
terms, censured by a modern Christian writer, Auglista on the fourth of July, d. D. 414. Pul
forbade, under severe penalties, in some cases ex- cheria was undoubtedly a woman of some talent,
tending to death, “the worship of an inanimate though of a peculiar kind. She superintended the
idol by the sacrifice of a guiltless victim. ” The education of her brother, and directed the govern-
spirit of the Theodosian edicts was that of the ment at the same time ; nor did her influence cease
niost bitter persecution ; and while we commend with the minority of Theodosius. (PULCHERIA.
]
his wishes to purge society of gross and debasing She educated her brother after her own ascetic
sliperstitions, we cannot reconcile the laws of the notions ; and though his literary instruction was not
emperor with the religion which he professed, nor neglected, nor the exercises proper to form his health
adinit that persecution would have been so efficient and strengthen his body, his political education was
a cure of idolatry as the inculcation of the doctrines limited to the observance of the forms and ceremonials
of Christ, and the example of a practice conforınable of the court. It may be that Pulcheria, with some
to them. But he who could order the massacre of vigour of understanding, had no knowledge of the
Thessalonica was ill adapted to teach a faith which more important duties of a man who is at the head
was contradicted by his practice.
of a nation. Pulcheria and her sisters, Arcadia
The reign of Theodosius is one of the most im- and Marina, had publicly dedicated themselves to
portant periods of the later empire. Gibbon has the service of God and to a life of chastity; and
sketched it in a masterly manner, but too favourably the whole imperial household was regulated in con-
for the character of Theodosius ; who was probably formity to this principle. “ Pulcheria," says Tille-
a voluptuary, a sensualist, certainly a persecutor, mont, a great admirer of this saint, “ accustomed
cruel and vindictive. That he possessed some great Theodosius to pray incessantly, to visit the churches
qualities cannot be denied; and his natural temper often, and to make them presents ; to respect the
may have been mild, but it was unequal and uncer- bishops and other ministers of the altar, &c. " But
trin; it wanted sufficient consistency to entitle him to if the young emperor was carefully protected against
the name of a truly great and good man. Tillemont the dangers to which a youth in an exalted station
has, with unwearied industry which allows nothing is exposed, he was not trained in those studies
to escape it, collected, in his dry, annalistic fashion, which befit a man and an emperor. To excel in
all the materials for the reign of Theodosius ; and mechanical occupations, to write a fine hand, which,
Gibbon has largely availed himself of the labours of in a private station, may give amusement, and are
the learned ecclesiastic.
[G. L. ] at least harmless, imply in a prince a want of taste
and of talent for more important things, or an ill-
directed education. Theodosius bad, in fact, little
talent, and his education was not adapted to im-
prove it. He passed a blameless youth, for he was
shut up in his palace, except when he went a hunt-
ing; and he possessed the negative virtues of a
retired and austere life. The ecclesiastics extol
TES
him for his piety and his respect to the church ;
and he prosecuted the work which his grandfather
COIN OF THEODOSIUS I.
commenced, by demolishing to their foundations
the temples of idols, the monuments of the super-
THEODO'SIUS II. , was the only son of the stition and of the taste of the pagans. It was his
emperor Arcadius, who died on the first of May, ambition not to leave a vestige of the ancient re-
A. D. 408. Theodosius was born early in A. D. 401, ligion behind him.
and was declared Augustus by his father in January He published various edicts against heretics, and
A. D. 402. There is a story that Arcadius, by his an edict specially directed against Gamaliel, the
testament, made Yezdigerd, king of Persia, the last patriarch of the Jews. By an edict of the
guardian of his son ; but it hardly deserves notice, 16th May, 415, he declared it incest for a widower
and certainly not refutation. On the death of to marry his wife's sister, and the children of such
Arcadius, the government was given to or assumed a marriage were made bastards. Constantius, in
by the praefect Anthemius, the grandson of Philip, A. D. 355, had already enacted the same law, which,
a minister of Constantius, and the grandfather of though enacted again in our own times, is protested
the emperor Anthemius. In A. D. 405 Anthemius against by the common understanding of mankind.
was made consul and praetorian praefect of the The great event of the life of an emperor who
East. He faithfully discharged his duty as guardian was a nullity, was his marriage, which was ma-
of the empire and the infant emperor. In the naged by his sister, who managed every thing.
year in which Arcadius died, the Huns and the The woman whom his sister chose for his wife, and
Scyrri entered Thrace under Uldin, who rejected whom Theodosius married (probably in a. D. 421),
all terms of accommodation, but, being deserted by was the accomplished Athenais, who, after her
some of his officers, he recrossed the Danube, after baptism, for she was a heathen, received the name
losing a great number of his Huns. The Scyrri, of Eudocia. Her life from this time is intimately
who loitered in his rear, were either killed or made connected with the biography of her lusband, and
prisoners, and many of the captives were sent to is told at length elsewhere. [EUDOCIA. ]
cultivate the lands in Asia. Anthemius strength- About the close of A. D. 421 war broke out
ened the Ilyrian frontiers, and protected Constan- between the emperor of the East and Varanes or
tinople, by building what were called the great Bahram, the successor of Yezdigerd. A Christian
walls, probably in A. D. 413.
bishop had signalized his zeal by burning a temple
Theodosius had a sister, Pulcheria, born A. D. of the fire-worshippers at Susa, and this excess was
399, who, in A. D. 414, became the guardian of her followed by a persecution of the Christians by the
U ZUTES
SPIRBS


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THEODOSIUS.
a
Magi. This persecution, begun at the close of the in Moesia ; they broke through the Illyrinn frontier,
reign of Yezdigerd, was continued under his suc- the fortresses of which offered only a feeble re-
cessor ; and some Christian fugitives crossed the sistance, destroyed Sinnium, Singidunum (Bel-
frontiers into the Roman terri ories to seek pro- grade), Sardica, and other towns, and extended
tection. The Persian king claimed the fugitives, their ravages into Thrace. Theodosius recalled
but his demand was refused ; and this, added to the troops from Sicily which he had sent agninst
other causes of dispute, kindled a war between the Genseric king of the Vandals, and collected froin
two empires. Theodosius was not a soldier, and Asia and Europe all the men that he could
the war was carried on for about two years by his muster ; but his generals were unable to direct this
general Ardaburius, with no important results. force efficiently, and after several defeats they
The defence of Theodosiopolis in Mesopotamia retreated towards Constantinople, which alone, of
has immortalised the name of its warrior bishop all the cities between the Archipelago and the
Eunomus. The town had been besieged by the Euxine, remained for the protection of the emperor.
enemy for some time, but the bishop and his flock The history of the ravages of Attila comprehends
stoutly held out, and destroyed the wooden towers several years, and they were apparently interrupted
of thc enemy. The obstinate resistance of the by intervals of peace, for it was not till A. D. 447,
plnce provoked the blasphemy of a Persian prince, the year of the great earthquake which destroyed
who threatened to burn the temple of God when he part of the walls of Constantinople and threw down
took the town. The bishop, shocked at his im- titty seven towers, that the Huns approached the
pious thrcats, pointed at him a balista, which bore capital, and peace was tinally made. In A. D. 447
the potent name of St. Thomas, and the formidable or 448 Theodosius concluded a disgraceful peace
machine discharged a stone which struck the blas- with the king of the Huns, to whom was given up
phemer dead. Upon this the king of Persia Jost a territory on the Danube extending from Singi-
heart, and withdrew his troops. (Tillemont, Hist. dunum to Novae, in the diocese of Thrace, and
des Empereurs, vol. vi. c. 13. )
fifteen days' journey in breadth. The annual sub-
Socrates, the chief authority for the history of sidy that had hitherto been paid to Attila, was
the Persian war, says that Theodosius, not:vith increased from seven hundred pounds of gold to
standing his success in the war, was the first to twenty-one hundred, and six thousand pounds of
propose terms of peace. A truce for one hundred gold were to be paid on the spot. Theodosius had
years was concluded between the Persians and the exhausted his treasury by extravagant expenditure,
Romans. The kingdom of Armenia, now extin- and his unfortunate subjects, who had been pillaged
guished, was divided between the Persians and the by the Huns, were pillaged again by this unwar-
Romans, an arrangement which gave to the empire like and feeble emperor, to supply the demands of
of the East a new and extensive province. The divi- the barbarian conqueror. Attila also required all
sion of Armenia probably followed the conclusion of a the deserters from his camp to be given up, and he
second Persian war, a. D. 441. In A. D. 423 died claimed back, without any ransom, all his men who
Honorius the emperor of the West. Placidia, the had been taken prisoners.
sister of Honorius, had been sent away from Italy, In A. D. 448 or 449 Theodosius sent an embassy
with her sons Valentinian and Honorius, by the to Attila, at the head of which was Maximin.
Western emperor, a short time before his death, The ambassador was accompanied by the historian
and she took refuge at Constantinople. The throne Priscus, who has left a most interesting account of
of the West was usurped by Joannes, who declared the domestic habits of Attila. (Priscus. ] The pro-
himself emperor. Theodosius refused to acknow- posed object of the embassy was to maintain the good
Jedge the usurper, and sent against him a force understanding between the emperor of the East
commanded by Ardaburius. The usurper was and the king of the Huns; but Theodosius had a
taken in Ravenna, and his head was cut off, a. D. private object to accomplish, the execution of which
425. Theodosius was enjoying the games of the ivas entrusted only to Vigilius, the interpreter ;
Circus at Constantinople when the news came, and and this was the assassination of Attila. The
he showed his piety, as Tillemont remarks, by ambassador passed through Sardica, and crossed
stopping the entertainment, and inviting all the the Danube ; and in some place north of this river
people to go to the church with him, to return he had his first interview with Attila, whom he
thanks to God for the death of the tyrant. Whether was obliged to follow in his progress northwards
Theodosius had no ambition to keep the empire of before he could conclude the business on which he
the West, or those who governed him determined was sent. The narrative of Priscus leads us to infer
his conduct, he resolved to confer it on his youth that the place in which the king of the Huns gave
ful cousin Valentinian. Eudocia, the daughter of his final reception to the ambassador was in the
Theodosius, was betrothed to the young emperor, plains of northern Hungary. The proposal to
and she was married to him in A. D. 437.
assassinate Attila had been made at Constantinople
The reign of the younger Theodosius was not by the eunuch Chrysaphius, who then reigned in
free from the religious troubles which had dis- the name of Theodosius, and made to Edecon, a
tracted the reign of his grandfather Theodosius. chieftain of the Scyrri. Vigilius was the mediun
The great dispute which originated with Nestorius, of communication between Chrysaphius and Edecon,
who was made patriarch of Constantinople in A. D. who was to receive for his reward some of the
428, and ended in the Council of Ephesus, A. D. wealth on which he had gazed with admiration at
431, is described at length under NESTORIUS. Constantinople. The scheme was communicated to
The Huns had ravaged the eastern provinces in the emperor, who approved of it. The emperor's
the reign of Arcadius, the father of Theodosius ; conduct was rendered more disgraceful by the fact
and they were now the formidable neighbours of that Maximin, his ambassador, was exposed to all
the empire on the frontier of the Danube. In the danger of the discovery of this treachery, and,
A. D. 411 the Huns, under Attila and his brother being kept in ignorance of it, had not even the
Bleda, crossed the Danube, and took Viminiacum choice of refusing to conduct the embassy. Edecon


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1070
THEODOSIUS.
THEODOSIUS.
a
discovered the treachery to Attila, who, more genc- The Theodosian Code has been preserved in an
rous than the Christian emperor, disdained to cpitome contained in the Breviarium which was
punish Vigilius, though he confessed his guilt ; and made by order of Alaric II. , king of the Visigoths,
looking at the affair as a matter of business, the in A. D. 506, but several constitutions and some
barbarian took two hundred pounds of gold, instead entire titles are omitted in this epitome. It has
of the life of Vigilius. But he sent two ambassadors also been preserved in the MSS. of the original
to Constantinople, who boldly rebuked the emperor Code, yet only in an incomplete form, and we have
for his guilt, and demanded the head of Chrysaphius consequently to refer to the Breviurium for a consi-
Instead of directly refusing the demand, Theodosius derable part of the Theodosian Code. The consti-
sent a fresh embassy, loaded with presents, to tutions in the Code of Justinian, which belong to
deprecate the wrath of Attila, who preferring gold the period comprised in the Theodosian Code, are
to vengeance, pardoned the emperor and his guilty taken from the Code of Theodosius, but hare under-
associates : he even abandoned all claim to the gone considerable alterations. After the edition
country south of the Danube ; but here his libe- of Cujacius, Paris, 1986, fol. , the foundation for
rality was not great, for he had made it a desert. the text of the last eleven books of the Code was
In June A. D. 450, Theodosius was thrown from the MSS. of the original Code ; but for the first
his horse as he was hunting near Constantinople, five books and the beginning of the sixth book (tit.
and received an injury from which he died, in the 1, and the beginning of title 2) the text of the
fiftieth year of his age and the forty-second of his epitome in the Breviarium was the foundation.
long and inglorious reign. His sister Pulcheria The best of these editions, after the time of Cuja-
succeeded him, but prudently took for her colleague cius, and that which is invaluable for the commen-
in the empire the senator Marcian, and made him tary, is that of J. Gothofredus, which was edited
her husband.
after his death by A. Marville, Lyon, 1665, 6 vols.
In the reign of Theodosius, and that of Valen- folio ; and afterwards by Ritter, Leipzig, 1736-
tinian III. , who was emperor of the West from 1745, fol.
A. D. 425 to 455, was made the compilation called Recent discoveries have added to the last eleven
the Codex Theodosianus. In A. D. 429 the admi- books, and furnished considerable and most impor-
nistration of the Eastern Empire declared that tant additions to the first five books. The first
there should be formed a collection of the Consti- discoveries which furnished materials for the text
tutions of the Roman emperors from the time of of the Code, were made by A. Peyron, at Turin,
Constantine to that date, after the model of the in a palimpsest: these discoveries have enabled us
tivo collections of Gregorianus and Hermogenianus. to make considerable additions to the first five
The arrangement of the constitutions was to be books. These additions were published by Peyron
determined by the matter to which they referred, in 1823. In 1820 Clossius discovered, in the
and those which treated of several matters were to Ambrosian Library at Milan, a MS. of the Bre-
be divided, and each part placed under its appro- viarium, into which the copyist has transferred
priate title. Those constitutions which had been various pieces from a MS. of the original Code :
altered by subsequent constitutions were not always they were published by Clossius in 1824. Wenck
to be rejected, but the date of each constitution published in 1825, Leipzig, 8vo. , the first five
was to be given, and they were to be arranged in books of the Code, as we now possess them, with
the order of time. Eight functionaries (illustres critical and explanatory notes.
et spectabiles) and an advocate were appointed to The last and most complete edition of the text
compile this code. Nothing was done till A. D. of the Theodosian Code is that by Hänel in the
435, when a new commission was appointed with Corpus Juris Ante-justiniancum, published at Bonn,
the same power as the former commission, and the 1837.
additional power of making changes in the consti- The Theodosian Code, by its adoption in the
tutions. The new commissioners were sixteen, Western Empire, established a uniformity of law in
part of whom were of the rank of Illustres, and the East and the West. But as new laws would
part of the rank of Spectabiles. On the fifteenth occasionally be necessary, and it was desirable to
of February, A. D. 438, the Code was published, maintain this uniformity, it was agreed between
and it was declared to be from the first of January, the Eastern and the Western emperors, that future
A. D. 439, the only authority for the “ Jus Princi- constitutions, which might be published in one part
pale," or that law which was formed by imperial of the empire, should be forwarded to the other, and
constitutions, from the time of Constantine. In promulgated there also. The new constitutions
the same year the Code was published at Rome, as were called Novellae Leges, or simply Novellae. In
law for the Western Empire also, by Valentinian. A. D. 447 Theodosius sent a number of such No-
The Code consists of sixteen books, which are vellae to Valentinian, who in the following year
divided into titles, with appropriate rubricae or confirmed and promulgated them in the Western
headings ; and the constitutions belonging to each Empire. These Novcllue form the first collection
title are arranged under it in chronological order. of Novellae which followed the compilation of the
The first five books comprise the greater part of the
constitution which relates to Jus Privatum ; the
sixth, seventh, and eighth books contain the law
that relates to the constitution and administration ;
the ninth book treats of criminal law; the tenth
and eleventh treat of the public revenue and some
matters relating to procedure ; the twelfth, thir-
teenth, fourteenth and fifteenth books treat of the
constitution and the administration of towns and
other corporations ; and the sixteenth contains the
law relating to ecclesiastical matters.
40
SAV
1 GG
;
COIN OF THEODOSIUS II.


## p. 1071 (#1087) ##########################################

THEODOSIUS.
1071
THEODOSIUS.
sons
Theodosian Code. (Gibbon, llist, vol. 5. vi. 8vo. cient and modern. Another edition, founded on
ed. : Tillemont, Histoirc des Empereurs, vol.