Theodosius II
Theodosius II was the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire from 408 to 450 CE. Ascending to the throne at a young age after his father's death, he was initially guided by regents, notably Anthemius, who fortified Constantinople against external threats from the Huns and the Persian Empire. His reign was marked by significant internal developments, such as the expansion of educational institutions in Constantinople, fostering a more efficient civil service through the addition of faculty members. Theodosius's influence on religious matters included his support for the controversial teachings of Nestorius, which ultimately led to the latter's condemnation by a council in Ephesus. Additionally, he compiled the Codex Theodosiusianus, an important legal code that aimed to standardize laws in the Christianized Roman Empire. His rule faced ongoing pressures from barbarian tribes and domestic issues, including conflicts involving his wife Eudoxia, who embarked on various building projects during their separation. Theodosius II's reign concluded with his death in 450 CE, leaving no male heir and marking a significant period in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire.
Theodosius II
Related civilizations: Byzantine Empire, Imperial Rome, Persia, Huns
Major role/position: Emperor
Life
Theodosius II’s father, Arcadius, was tenth emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. He died when Theodosius was only seven years old. Anthemius, Arcadius’s last adviser, became regent for the infant emperor.
The Roman Empire, both Western and Eastern, was in a precarious state in the fifth century c.e.; in 410 c.e., Rome fell to the Huns, a barbarian tribe. The Eastern Empire was threatened by the Persian Empire to the east and the Huns to the north and west. Anthemius managed to keep these threats at bay and, in 413 c.e., began new fortifications for Constantinople, called the Theodosian Walls. He died circa 415 c.e.
The next influence over Theodosius was his older sister Pulcheria, an ardent Christian. She persuaded Theodosius to ban all pagans from public service in 416 c.e. In 421 c.e., he married Eudoxia the Younger. An attempt that year to alleviate the plight of Christians in Persia had to be abandoned to save Constantinople from a Hun attack. From this began a history of paying an annual tribute to the Huns. After each defeat (in 431, 441, and 447 c.e.), the tribute increased until it became a serious drain on the empire. Various attempts to help the Western Empire against barbarian tribes in Italy and North Africa were constantly hindered by these threats from the north and east.
Internally, Theodosius greatly expanded Constantinople as a seat of learning, adding thirteen Latin-speaking and fifteen Greek-speaking professors to the university faculty, especially with a view to increasing the efficiency of the civil service.
Theodosius became involved in several theological controversies that threatened the unity of the church. The main one concerned Nestorianism. Nestorius was patriarch of Constantinople and supported by Theodosius. However, a council in Rome in 430 c.e. condemned his teachings about the nature of Christ. Theodosius called an ecumenical council of all bishops at Ephesus in 431 c.e., but this agreed with the previous decision and Nestorius’s teachings were declared heretical. The church was confused, but eventually most Nestorians moved to Persia.
In 440 c.e., Theodosius suspected his influential and often headstrong wife of adultery. She went to live in Jerusalem for sixteen years, starting many building projects there. When Theodosius died in mid-450 c.e. from a fall from his horse, he left no male heir. Pulcheria married Marcian, who was then proclaimed emperor.
Influence
Possibly Theodosius’s main contribution to the empire was the compilation of the Codex Theodosiusianus (438 c.e.; The Theodosian Code, 1952), the first official attempt to codify Roman law. It included only laws made after 312 c.e., when the empire officially became Christian. It did make administering the law more uniform, and though still unwieldy, lasted until the Codex Iustinianus (529, 534 c.e.; English translation, 1915; better known as Justinian’s Code).
Though not a strong ruler, either militarily or intellectually, Theodosius managed to keep the Eastern Empire intact at a difficult period, to keep the church relatively united with Christianity as the dominant faith, and to build up Constantinople as a place of learning.
Bibliography
Kaegi, W. E., Jr. Byzantium and the Decline of Rome. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1968.
Treadgold, Warren. A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1997.