Theodosius I, the Great, 379-395
- appointed emperor in the east after Adrianopole - tried to expel the Goths, but couldn't, so they were accepted as “federates,” allied nations living within the borders of the empire, living under their own laws and rulers
- in order to rebuild the army, it took money - Theodosius proclaimed in one law that “No man shall possess any property that is exempt from taxation.” - tenants could not leave their land; if they did they were “stealing” their own person from their landlord
- when Gratian was killed by Magnus Maximus, Theodosius gathered troops, and defeated him, and also defeated Arbogast, Valentinian II's killer - Theodosius only lived 5 more months
- was a devout Christian, perhaps too much so, for he felt it was his duty to persecute the pagans as they had earlier persecuted Christians - paganism was forbidden under threat of heavy penalties
- at Thessalonica in 390, a mob lynched a government official - Theodosius ordered that the army was to massacre several thousand citizens as a punishment - though Theodosius had countermanded the order (and so fewer people had died), Bishop Ambrose refused to give communion to the emperor until he had publicly done penance for the massacre (this, i.e., someone telling the emperor what he had to do, was literally unheard of)
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