Theodosian Dynasty
The dynasty of Roman emperors founded by Emperor Theodosius I is known as the Theodosian dynasty . It is the longest-lived dynasty of the late Roman Empire . Through Theodosius' marriage to Galla , a daughter of Valentinian I , the family was related to the Valentinian dynasty , which they inherited: The last emperor of the dynasty, Valentinian III, was therefore not only the grandson of Theodosius I, but also the Great-grandson of Valentinian I (364 to 375). One can therefore also say that the Valentinian-Theodosian dynasty ruled the Roman Empire from 364 to 455/457.
The Theodosian dynasty ruled the east of the Roman Empire from 379, when Theodosius I took office . In 394 Theodosius I became de facto sole ruler (with his two young sons as co-emperors). After the division of the empire in 395 , it ruled until 450 (death of Theodosius II.) In the east and 455 (death of Valentinian III.) In the west of the empire. One can also count Markian (450 to 457) in the east and Petronius Maximus (455); both emperors had married into the dynasty.
Even after 455 the family remained important for a long time. Placidia , daughter of Valentinian III. , was later married to the Western Roman Emperor Olybrius . His predecessor, Emperor Anthemius , was a son-in-law of Markian through his marriage to Euphemia; Anthemius' son Flavius Marcianus also tried repeatedly from 479 to grab power in the Eastern Roman Empire, but failed. Also Anicia Juliana , daughter of Placidia, played until her death in the year 530 an important role. The ruling house of the Vandals was also related to the family, since King Hunerich Eudocia , daughter of Valentinian III., Married; from this connection came King Hilderich , who ruled the Vandal Empire in North Africa from 523 to 530 and was a great-great-grandson of Theodosius I. Even when the troops of Emperor Justinian conquered the Vandal Empire in 533, the descendants of Theodosius were treated with exquisite respect.
Roman emperors from the Theodosian dynasty
- Theodosius I , the Great (379–395)
Emperor of the Theodosian Dynasty in the West:
- Honorius (395-423)
- Valentinian III. (425-455)
- Petronius Maximus (455)
Emperor of the Theodosian dynasty in the east:
- Arcadius (395-408)
- Theodosius II (408-450)
- Markian (450–457)
literature
- Roger C. Blockley : The Dynasty of Theodosius. In: Averil Cameron et al. (Ed.): The Cambridge Ancient History . 2nd Edition. Vol. 13, Cambridge 1998, pp. 111-137.
- Anja Busch: The women of the Theodosian dynasty. Power and Representation of Imperial Women in the 5th Century. Steiner, Stuttgart 2015, ISBN 978-3-515-11044-0 .
- Alan Cameron : Claudian. Poetry and Propaganda at the Court of Honorius. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1970.
- Rosa García-Gasco, Sergio González Sánchez, David Hernández de la Fuente (eds.): The Theodosian Age (AD 379–455). Power, Place, Belief and Learning at the End of the Western Empire. Archaeopress, Oxford 2013, ISBN 978-1-4073-1107-4 .
- Hartmut Leppin : Theodosius the Great. Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2003, ISBN 3-534-15431-2 .
- John HWG Liebeschuetz : Barbarians and Bishops. Army, Church, and State in the Age of Arcadius and Chrysostom. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1990, ISBN 0-19-814886-0 .
In addition, the 16th volume of the magazine Antiquité Tardive (L'Empire des Théodoses) from 2008 contains a number of current articles on this topic.