Arcadius
A young boy named Arcadius stood in Hispania during the year 377. He was born as the eldest son of Emperor Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla. His brother Honorius would later rule the western half of the empire. On the 19th of January 383, a five-year-old Arcadius received the title of Augustus. This declaration made him co-ruler for the eastern portion of the Roman Empire. Ten years passed before Honorius received a similar title for the west. During these early years, Arcadius lived under the guidance of Themistius. Themistius served as a rhetorician who taught the young prince. Arsenius Zonaras also provided instruction to the child emperor. Zonaras was a monk who guided Arcadius through his formative period.
Eutropius held the position of praepositus sacri cubiculi within the imperial court. He was a eunuch who managed the private chambers of the emperor. In 395, he arranged a marriage between Arcadius and Aelia Eudoxia. The ceremony took place on the 27th of April that same year. Rufinus had previously sought to marry his own daughter to the emperor but failed in this ambition. Eutropius consolidated power by marginalizing military officers like Timasius and Abundantius. He transferred administrative duties from praetorian prefects to the magister officiorum. An edict issued in autumn 397 declared treason against any conspiracy involving soldiers targeting high-ranking officials. These conspirators faced death sentences while their descendants lost citizenship. By 398, Eutropius led a successful campaign against Huns in Roman Armenia. The following year he convinced Arcadius to grant him the consulship. Traditional Romans viewed this appointment as an insult to their system. Protests erupted across the empire when a former slave became consul. Ostrogoths settled in Asia Minor revolted demanding Eutropius's removal.
Alaric I commanded Gothic forces during a revolt beginning in 395. He marched toward Constantinople while plundering Macedonia and Thrace. The eastern court could not respond because most of its army accompanied Theodosius westward. Stilicho traveled east with both his own troops and Gothic mercenaries. Upon landing in Thessaly, Stilicho received orders to send eastern regiments forward while halting himself. Gainas led the remaining Goths to Constantinople on the 27th of November 395. Rufinus was assassinated by Goths at the Campus Martius parade ground. This murder created opportunities for Eutropius and Empress Eudoxia to assume control. Alaric remained active in Greece while the government failed to react effectively. In 400, Gainas joined rebel Ostrogoths after being dismissed from power. A general riot broke out in Constantinople by July that year. As many as 7,000 Goths were killed during the unrest. Those seeking refuge inside churches faced stoning and burning. Gainas eventually withdrew his forces into Thrace before attempting to cross the Hellespont. Fravitta intercepted and defeated him near the Danube river. Uldin the Hun ultimately killed Gainas in Thrace.
John Chrysostom served as Archbishop of Constantinople during Arcadius's reign. He criticized extravagant displays of wealth especially among wealthy women. Eudoxia believed these attacks targeted her directly. In 401, Chrysostom preached a sermon calling Eudoxia Jezebel. This biblical reference linked her to the infamous wife of King Ahab. Riots erupted supporting the archbishop when he spoke against imperial excess. The emperor and empress publicly backed down and begged Chrysostom to revoke an excommunication. Theophilus of Alexandria presided over a synod in 403 charging Chrysostom with heresy. Arcadius initially supported the archbishop but changed his mind when Chrysostom refused to attend. Chrysostom was banished to Abkhazia in the Caucasus by the 20th of June 404. Soldiers escorted him away despite his refusal to submit peacefully. A silver statue of Eudoxia stood in the Augustaion near the Magna Ecclesia church. Chrysostom denounced dedication ceremonies as pagan during a mass. He quoted scripture comparing Eudoxia to Herodias dancing for John the Baptist's head. A new synod condemned Chrysostom again in early 404. He remained in exile until his death later that year.
Arcadius died on the 1st of May 408 after ruling for twenty-five years. His son Theodosius succeeded him as emperor at a young age. Historian J.B. Bury described Arcadius as short, dark-complexioned, thin, and inactive. His speech betrayed dullness while his eyes appeared sleepy and drooping. Modern scholars debate whether anti-barbarian factions existed within his court. Thomas S. Burns argues personal ambition drove court intrigue rather than ethnic divisions. The gradual decline of Gothic mercenaries began due to recruitment issues beyond the Danube. Huns made regions inaccessible forcing the empire to seek recruits in Asia Minor. An edict issued on the 13th of July 399 ordered demolition of all non-Christian temples. A forum bearing Arcadius's name was built on the seventh hill of Constantinople called Xērolophos. A column commemorating victory over Gainas stood incomplete until Theodosius II finished it. Four solidi coins depicting Arcadius survive today in museum collections. Warren Treadgold notes that legal continuity maintained stability despite maladministration. Arcadius delegated responsibilities to Praetorian Prefect Anthemius who sought peace with Stilicho.
Common questions
Who was Arcadius and when did he become co-ruler of the Roman Empire?
Arcadius was the eldest son of Emperor Theodosius I and Aelia Flaccilla. He received the title of Augustus on the 19th of January 383, making him co-ruler for the eastern portion of the Roman Empire.
What role did Eutropius play in the court of Arcadius during 395?
Eutropius held the position of praepositus sacri cubiculi within the imperial court as a eunuch managing private chambers. In 395, he arranged a marriage between Arcadius and Aelia Eudoxia and later led a successful campaign against Huns in Roman Armenia by 398.
How did Alaric I influence events during the reign of Arcadius starting in 395?
Alaric I commanded Gothic forces during a revolt beginning in 395 and marched toward Constantinople while plundering Macedonia and Thrace. His actions created opportunities for Eutropius and Empress Eudoxia to assume control after Rufinus was assassinated at the Campus Martius parade ground.
Why was John Chrysostom banished from Constantinople under Arcadius?
John Chrysostom was banished to Abkhazia in the Caucasus by the 20th of June 404 because he criticized extravagant displays of wealth and called Empress Eudoxia Jezebel in a sermon. He remained in exile until his death later that year following condemnation by synods presided over by Theophilus of Alexandria.
When did Arcadius die and who succeeded him as emperor?
Arcadius died on the 1st of May 408 after ruling for twenty-five years. His son Theodosius succeeded him as emperor at a young age, completing the column commemorating victory over Gainas that had stood incomplete since Arcadius's time.
All sources
8 references cited across the entry
- 1webPortrait head for insertion of Emperor, Arcadius (?). Constantinople. Late fourth to early fifth centuryJ. Lenaghan — University of Oxford — 2012
- 2bookThe Oxford Handbook of Warfare in the Classical WorldOxford University Press — July 2017
- 4bookNicene and Post-Nicene FathersSocrates Scholasticus — Hendrickson Publishers — 1995
- 5webSt John Chrysostom the Archbishop of ConstantinopleOrthodox Church in America
- 8journalImperial Porphyry Sarcophagi in ConstantinopleA. A. Vasiliev — 1848