Theodosius in Roman Biography

Theodosius (the-o-do'she-us) [Fr. Theodose, ti'o'- doz'; It. Teodosio, ta-o-do'se-oj I., Flavius, a Roman emperor, sumamed the Great, was the son of the preceding, and was born in Spain in 346 A.D. He accompanied his father in his various campaigns, and acquired at an early age great proficiency in the art of war. In 379 A.D. the emperor Gratian conferred upon him the title of Augustus, with the command over the Eastern provinces. Having been received into the Christian Church, he distinguished himself by his zeal against the Arians, and in 380 appointed Gregory Nazianzen Archbishop of Constantinople. He carried on a successful war with the Goths, whom he induced to become the allies of the Romans. After the death of Gratian, Maximus, who had usurped his empire and invaded Italy, was defeated by Theodosius, with the assistance of the Huns and Goths, in 388. Theodosius reigned at Constantinople, and Valentinian II. was emperor at Rome until his death, in 392. After this event Theodosius became sole emperor of the Roman world. Before his death he divided his dominions between his two sons Arcadius and Honorius, to the former of whom he gave the Eastern empire, and to the latter the Western. Died in 395 a.d. Although he was guilty of several acts of cruelty, his character is generally eulogized by historians. See Gibbon, " History of the Decline and Fall " ;" Tii.i.emont, Histoire des Empereurs ;" Fi.schier, " Histoire de Theodose le Grand," 167Q ; Socrates, " Historia ecclesiaslica ;" Le Beau " Histoire du Bas- Empire ;" " Nouvelle Biograplue Ge'nerale."