Roman Imperial Theodosius II coins
Emperor Theodosius II (408-450)
Theodosius II is the son of Emperor Arcadius
of the Eastern Empire, born on April 10, 401. Since he is the
grandson of Theodosius the Great, he is sometimes called
Theodosius the Younger. About a year later Arcadius declared him
co-emperor, and after another six years the emperor died.
Until 414 the empire was officially ruled by a regent (Anfimius).
In 412 he repelled the Hun raid, then built a fortified wall
from the Marmara Horn to the Golden Bay.
Theodosius II and after reaching adulthood did not particularly
seek to participate in the ruling. He was greatly influenced by
his elder sister Pulcheria. Thanks to her Theodosius received a
brilliant education. He read a lot and copied books himself with
unusually beautiful handwriting, for which he received the
nickname "Calligrapher". Theodosius was pious, loved church
hymns, and once even arranged a prayer service at the immodrome
instead of competitions (hardly the gathered spectators were
very grateful to him). Of amusements he preferred hunting to
military exercises.
All this is good for a private man, but not for a sovereign.
"Theodosius was a sovereign gullible, therefore often signed
papers without reading them at all. By the way, the wise
Pulcheria once offered him a paper on the slavery to her of his
wife, Eudocia, which he signed without looking, for which then
she [reproached him]" (Theoph., [82, p. 80]).
However, Theodosius was lucky with his advisers and higher
dignitaries. Despite the numerous wars and other troubles, there
was no catastrophe in his reign. In 420-422 an attack of the
Persians was repulsed. In 423 the Western emperor Honorius
Honorius died and Constantinople fought against the usurper
John. In 425 Valentinian III, who was Theodosius' cousin, was
made emperor of the Western Empire.
Weakened by the battles of the rival Western generals Aecius and
Boniface, Spain and Africa had fallen prey to the Vandal leader
Gizerich by 435. After a series of unsuccessful attempts to
repel the conqueror's onslaught, the Western government was
forced to recognize his authority over the conquered
territories. Theodosius II decided to intervene, but the
campaign of the Eastern Roman legions, undertaken around 443,
ended unsuccessfully and did not change the situation.
In 441 the leader of Huns Attila has occupied set of cities in
Thrace and Illyria, and two years later threatened already and
Constantinople. From Huns it was possible to buy off, however,
having spent a colossal sum.
In the reign of Theodosius the empire was shaken by religious
turmoil, which was more significant because he himself
considered himself an expert in the canons.
About 441 Theodosius suspected his wife Eudocia of adultery with
the military commander Paulinus. It is not known to what extent
there were grounds for this, but both Pavlin and Eudocia went
into exile.
Under Theodosius the first state higher school was opened, and
in fact the first university - the Auditorium, and the "Codex
Theodosius" (a generalized code of laws) was published, which
has survived to this day.
Theodosius II died on July 27, 450, after a fall from a horse.
D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG
GLORIA ROMANORVM
408-423
copper
Heraclea
15 mm.
Bust right in draped armor and diadem / Our Lord Theodosius Pious Happy Augustus
Three imperators stand side by side, on the edge holds spears / Glory of Romans
Value - $20-40