[148][146], The end of neoplatonism occurred during the reign of JustinianI. [48][49], Maximian staged a failed coup against Constantine and committed suicide in 310. The construction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other pilgrim churches in Jerusalem and Bethlehem started during his rule. His Wars covers military actions. Gavin Kelly's Ammianus Marcellinus: The Allusive Historian is a thought-provoking and original study of a key fourth-century author. Comments: In the context of troubles in the East of the Roman empire in the mid-fourth century reigns of Constantius and Gallus, Ammianus Marcellinus provides an aside on the Saracens of Arabia who were, in his view, making regular, bandit-like . [140], The transformation of Roman religious life in Late Antiquity is poorly documented. Summary: By far the most detailed account of the late Roman state and its emperors comes from the history of Ammianus Marcellinus, completed in ca. Select search scope, currently: catalog all catalog, articles, website, & more in one search; catalog books, media & more in the Stanford Libraries' collections; articles+ journal articles & other e-resources [122] Emperors routinely commemorated their victories over the barbarian tribes on inscriptions and coins. [127], Most Roman soldiers were stationed along the frontiers around 260. [97][98] In response to a persecution of Persian Christians, Theodosius declared war on Persia, but a Hunnic invasion of the Balkans forced him to renew the peace with the Sassanian Empire. They are mentioned only in late Roman sources such as Ammianus Marcellinus and St Jerome, amongst whom they had a reputation for savagery. [160] According to Emperor Julian, Christianity owed its success primarily to the Christians' generous acts of charity, their special care for the dead and their attempt to live a virtuous life, because all these features were of particular importance for the impoverished masses of Roman society. At Adrianople, the joint Gothic forces decisively defeated the Eastern Roman army led by emperor . Even, the Chronicon Paschale is of the upmost importance for the study of the otherwise poorly documented early 7thcentury. Grant suggests that this was in the main because he wanted to live up to Tacitus.[28] Recent studies have, however, shown the rhetoric power in his histories, which may have been written for the purposes of recitation. Ammianus Marcellinus (born c. 330, died c. 391 - 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquity (preceding Procopius).His work, known as the Res Gestae, chronicled in Latin the history of Rome from the accession of the Emperor Nerva in 96 to the death of Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378, although only the sections . He did not persecute Christians, but failed to punish those who persecuted them. The ascetic Jerome was the spiritual instructor of a circle of wealthy Roman women, including Paula and her daughter Blaesilla. They paid taxes and raised troops in return for protection against the "howling people" surrounding the Roman Empire, but the emperors were not always able to meet their expectations. Ammianus was solidly prejudiced against the Persians, whom he considered the hereditary enemies of the Roman Empire. One of their candidates to emperorship ConstantineIII consolidated his position and crossed the Channel into Gaul where he recruited new troops from among the invaders. [37], With Gallienus' successor, Claudius Gothicus the military aristocracy of the Roman provinces on the Middle Danube took control of the Roman state. St Jerome, in particular, accused them of cannibalism. Maxentius drowned in the Tiber and Constantine seized Italy and Africa. After Justinian forbade their religious practices, tens of thousands of Samaritans fled to the Sassanian Empire. He almost certainly regarded history as a tool to help understand the past in order to shape the present and to influence the future. The despaired Goths revolted and they were joined by Hunnic raiders. Around 370 two imperial secretaries, Eutropius and Festus, completed concise accounts of Roman history. He originally intended to end with the twenty-fifth, which concludes with Julians death in 363. In comparison with previous periods, studies on Later Roman history are based on diverse but mainly biased written sources. Patriarch Cyril organized a series of pogroms against the Jews of Alexandria in 415 and 416. Interpreting Ammianus Marcellinus . Yet he could not contemplate her actual Fall, believing that in the end its own heritage would enable its survival. In: Yarshater, E. Porphyry of Tyre praised their piety, an Egyptian group using the name Hermes Trismegistus promoted the adoption of allegedly Egyptian priestly traditions, and Porphyry's pupil Iamblichus completed a coherent polytheist theological system under the Egyptian pseudonym, Abammon. Bonifatius defeated Aetius at Rimini in 432, but was mortally wounded during the battle. Augustine of Hippo writes of pagan dancers marching by Christian churches and stoning them as a reprisal for the Christian clergy's attempt to hinder the pagan celebration. He concluded a peace treaty with the Vandals, acknowledging their hold of the western regions of Roman Africa in 435. The Later Roman Empire spans the period from 284 AD (Diocletian's proclamation as emperor) to 641 (death of Heraclius) in the history of the Roman Empire. Only three church historians' works survived from the 6thcentury: Zacharias Rhetor, John of Ephesus and Evagrius Scholasticus focus on theological debates. [136] Pagan temples were first closed under ConstantiusII, but Julian re-opened them. He spoke of leaving out what was trivial or not appropriate to history, so he was aware that a judgment has to be made here. 18 and 19 turn to Persia where Constantius was now fighting against Shapur II (310-379). [66] The army leaders proclaimed another Christian officer Valentinian I emperor after they reached Nicaea. He essentially wrote a continuation of Tactius' histories, covering the period between the Emperor Nerva and . Ammianus Marcellinus' information and knowledge of the Sasanian Persians is often criticised for being stereotypical and reliant on traditional tropes and ideas. The Code of Theodosius cites a number of cases when the system was misused through the falsification of imperial responses. [113], State administration underwent more structural changes during the period starting with Diocletian's ascension and ending with Theodosius' death than in the previous three centuries. [180], Jews lived in most cities in the Roman Empire. Readers trust theseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-datetranslations by award-winning translators. He subsequently settled in Rome, where he wrote in Latin a . After a fierce conflict with her half-brother the widowed Galla Placidia fled to Constantinople. With more than 1,700titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. The new imperial aristocracy was based on office-holding instead of inherited wealth and family connections. They restored religious freedom, abolishing all laws limiting the Christians' civil rights. [55] He established a new city on the site of the ancient Greek polis of Byzantium on the Bosporus. Ammianus MarcellinusContributions in history of late Roman Empire. Nevertheless, his treatment of Christianity is free from prejudice and his impartiality and good judgement have been generally acknowledged. When writing of events familiar to them or their acquaintances, they are mostly reliable. [107], The tetrarchs ruled the empire as members of an undivided "imperial college", but they rarely met in person. Stilicho's foreign troops and their families were massacred and those who escaped sought Alaric's protection. Marcellinus, Ammianus, and John Carew Rolfe. [112], After the Christianization of the empire the Senatus no more rewarded deceased emperors with a divine status, but the emperors were regarded as God's representatives on Earth. [123], The making of strategic decisions was the emperor's monopoly, but in many cases he was far away from military emergency. To redeem, copy and paste the code during the checkout process. [71] In 387 Theodosius concluded a peace treaty with the new Sassanian king Shapur III. His "New Rome" was consecrated as Constantinople on 11May 330. [34] Furthermore, the deadly pandemic now known as the Plague of Cyprian first hit the Mediterranean in 249. The "Fall" of the Roman Empire. Gratian refused to confirm the child's promotion, but he soon faced insurrections in the west. E. A. Thompson says that the reliability of Annianus narrative is confirmed both by its internal consistency and by comparison with the very sparse notices of other Greek and Roman historians who wrote about this period. Be the first one to, Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation by John C. Rolfe, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). 390 and covering in the surviving books the years AD 353 to 378 and the emperors Constantius II, Julian, Jovian, Valentinian I, and Valens. [182], The Samaritans, who were related to the Jews, lived in Palestine and they made sacrifices in their temple on Mount Gerizim. His order about the sprinkling of foods with water used by pagan priests during sacrifices was particularly provocative for Christians. [29], Ammianus was a pagan, and some have said that he marginalizes Christianity repeatedly in his account. Biography; Electronic books; History; Biographies; Language eng Summary Ammianus Marcellinus, Greek by birth but writing in Latin c. AD 390, was the last great Roman historian. Constantius died of a mortal illness in Cilicia in November 361. web pages Aurelius Victor and an unknown author completed short imperial biographies in the second half of the 4thcentury, allegedly using a common source. Constantine invaded Italy and defeated Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge near the city of Rome in 312. [15], The systematic collection of legal texts commenced in the Late Roman period. For instance, the oracle at Claros spoke about the Highest God ruling over other deities, including the Twelve Olympians, in the 3rdcentury. [51] He reinforced his alliance with Licinius at a meeting in Milan in February 313. [48][50] Constantine and Licinius quickly concluded an allience against Maxentius whose realm separated their territories. He began Book 15 with a preface promising even greater accuracy now that the contemporary period had been reached but in Book 26 reported that dread had restrained him from giving a minute account of this series of bloody deeds.[16]. [3] In contrast with classical literature, Hagiographic works regularly presented women as leading characters. Aetius who had spent years among the Huns as a hostage returned to Italy accompanied by Hunnic troops but by that time Ardabur had captured John. [128], Imperial Roman society was highly hierarchical. HistoriansRomeBiography. After being beset by invasion, civil war and internal difficulties for a century, the Roman Empire that Diocletian inherited in AD 284 desperately needed the organizational drive he brought to the task of putting its administration and defences on a newly secure footing. When Constantius died in Britain in 306, his troops proclaimed Constantine his successor. Later he retired to Rome, where he wrote his history . [35] Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, after whom the plague is named, attributed the calamities to the "old age of the world", but the pagans blamed the Christians' reluctance to worship the ancient gods. Gallus half-brother, Julian had been promoted to commander in Gaul. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. Books 21, 22, 23, and 24 all cover Julians reign, including his campaign against the Persians. Ammianus Marcellinus Soldier-Historian of the Late Roman Empire (Semple Lectures, University of Cincinnati, 1964), 22-26 offers a recent summary of the evidence. Diocletian replaced the old system with a new hierarchy of imperial officials and made the senatorial rank available to all who held high offices in imperial administration. The senators preferred to resist, but Stilicho paid the tribute because he wanted to seize Illyricum from the Eastern Romans with Alaric's support. We are experiencing technical difficulties. Ammianus Marcellinus Ammianus Marcellinus (mns mrslns), c.330-c.400, Roman historian, b. Antioch. [76] Before the end of 395, the Huns launched a plundering raid against the Eastern Roman Empire from the east, and a Gothic commander in Roman service, Gainas murdered Rufinus. After imperial troops massacred 7,000 townspeople in Thessaloniki in retaliation for the murder of the Arian German commander of their garrison, Ambrose forced Theodosius to do public penance. Galla Placidia distrusted Aetius. Ammianus Marcellinus (occasionally anglicised as Ammian [1] [2]) (born c. 330, died c. 391 - 400) was a Roman soldier and historian who wrote the penultimate major historical account surviving from antiquity (preceding Procopius ). Following the example of Herodotus he often digressed to describe the geography, people and whatever he found curious, such as geese which make no sound when they are crossing the Taurus and the fact that Constantius never ate fruit. Around 531 he banned all who had not received the orthodox/nicean baptism from teaching and serving in state administration. [52], Constantine was not baptised until his last illness but Christian ethics influenced his legislation especially in cases when Christian values corroborated tendencies that had already existed in Roman law. Under the rescript system, the legal question was raised on the top of a piece of papyrus, and it was answered by the emperor, or rather one of his legal advisors on the bottom half. Ammianus was born of a noble Greek family and served in the army of Constantius II in Gaul and Persia under the general Ursicinus, who was dismissed after he allowed the Persians to capture the city of . [142], It is popularly believed the Serapeum was destroyed by Patriarch Theophilus and his followers in 392, but Alexandria had suffer a long-term backdrop of frequent mob violence during four hundred years, since the 1st century BC, so is also possible that the Serapeum was a collateral destruction because that mob violence that has no religious background (gangs consisted of christians as well as jews and pagans, no matter the religion of the member). Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity AD 150-750 Stephen Mitchell, A History of the Later Roman Empire, AD 284-641: the . He death has been dated as between 391 and 395. [65], Julian's successor, a Christian military commander Jovian abandoned Roman territories in Mesopotamia and acknowledged Persian protectorate over Armenia in return for a thirty-year peace. Book 25 describes Julians death in 363. 20: The Devastation of the Goths in the Reign of Gallienus, 260-268 Ammianus Marcellinus (c.330-395 CE): History, XIV.16: The Luxury of the Rich in Rome, c. 400 [Different version than Tierney's] [31][32] As the continuous payment of soldiery could be secured only by the regular debasement of the Roman silver coins, the denarii, inflation became uncontrollable. Marcellinus served as a soldier in the army of . Summary. [63] He appointed his cousin Gallus to rule the eastern provinces as Caesar, but Gallus' despotic measures caused massive discontent. narrow margins, tight binding, half of second fold-out map is missing from physical book. TheodosiusI was the first emperor to rule as a full member of the Christian community, because he received baptism during a grave illness. New York: Penguin, 1986; Matthews, John. He is much more sympathetic than other Roman writers in describing the Persians, where there is an echo of Herodotus in his writing. [138] His enthusiasm for sacrifices shocked Christians and pagan intellectuals alike. They jointly announced their retirement in May 305. The praetorian prefects were the highest-ranking military, financial and judicial officials, and the appointment of the vicarii eased their administrative burdens. The council declared that only preceded by the Bishops of Rome, the bishops of Constantinople would hold the second highest position in church hierarchy. Ammianus Marcellinus, ca. The rest of the field army remained under the emperor's direct command and the imperial field army was divided into two units on the division of the empire between ValentinianI and Valens in 364. This notion of equality was manifest at the relatively high level of informality in the imperial court. Roman citizens could approach the emperor directly for seeking his opinion on specific points of law. [144], Another widespread myth is that the successor of Theophilus, Cyril of Alexandria, ordered the murder of Hypatia, in reality Hypatia was assassinated not for religious reasons, but for political ones, as she belonged to one of the multi-confessional factions that disputed control of the city. 2. With the regular appointment of five praetorian prefects, each ruling a well defined group of dioceses, new territorial administrative units, known as praetorian prefectures, came into being during his reign. The way in which Ammianus wrestled with the questions of objectivity, the way in which he used he drew on own presence at events to construct history while aware of political consequences of what he wrote, remain of considerable interest. The local deities were associated with the gods of the Roman pantheon, but elements of the local cults survived. The traditional senatorial aristocracy mainly held offices with limited military responsibility,[note 2] while military career became open to non-Roman soldiery. [88][81] Alaric invaded Italy and persuaded the Senatus to proclaim a pagan Roman aristocrat Priscus Attalus emperor in November 409. Share to Facebook. This page was last edited on 17 May 2021, at 15:34. They divided Armenia. He banned gladiator games and promoted the less violent chariot racing. andrea@archive.org In retaliation for their attack on Christians during Easter, their temple was transformed into a Christian church. The Goths nearly annihilated the East Roman army and Valens died in the battlefield on 9August 378. He accompanied this emperor, for whom he expresses enthusiastic admiration, in his campaigns against the Alamanni and the Sassanids. Seven years later, Constantine routed Licinius at Chrysopolis and enforced his abdication. Christians were dismissed from imperial service and they were ordered to make sacrifices to pagan gods. Maternus Cynegius, the christian praetorian prefect of the East, was accused of allowing the destruction of pagan temples by fanatic mobs, but some recent authors, however, have questioned his role in events and his overall reputation as a christian fanatic and temple destroyer. Get this from a library! [15] Ammianus was aware that writing about contemporary, including events to which he was a witness, raised questions about impartiality. He may have feared sanctions, since in writing about the period that followed he had to chronicle the story of bloody deeds.[7] He appears to have lived again in Antioch (363 to 378). Two months later Gratian was murdered by his own guards. The Later Roman Empire (354- 378). [99] When Honorius died in August 423, his courtiers proclaimed one of their number John emperor, but Theodosius acknowledged Galla Placidia's six-year-old son by Constantius, Valentinian III as Honorius' lawful successor. [75] Theodosius' death is traditionally regarded as a decisive moment in the separation of the empire's eastern and western halves. Their members often had the same ethnic or professional background. It highlights the administrative, fiscal and diplomatic experience. [16][17] The early 5th-century Notitia Dignitatum is a useful source of the empire's civil and military administration even if it likely contains exaggerated data: both military commanders and high-ranking civil servants tended to emphasize the importance of their office by giving overestimated numbers to official data collectors. The use of the adjectives "sacred" and "divine" became common when referring anything with direct contact with the emperor, including his bedchamber and treasury. [134], A passionate convert to Christianity, ConstantineI used harsh words when mentioning the pagans, but his legislation reflects a reconciliatory approach. [23] Distance between emperors and Roman citizens increased and the ceremony of prostration was first documented during the Severans' reign. 2004 Delphi Complete Works of . [61] Constantine, the eldest of the three brothers, was dissatisfied with the division of the empire. The later Roman Empire (A.D. 354-378) by Ammianus Marcellinus First published in 1986 1 edition in 1 language 1 previewable Aspar led Eastern Roman and Italian refinforcements to Carthage, but they could not defeat the invaders. He was a pagan and an admirer of the apostate Julian, to whose career about half the surviving books are devoted. The pagan panegyrist Themistius praised his religious policy for encouraging competition among people of diverse religious background. In a year, an anti-Gothic popular riot broke out in Constantinople and Arcadius dismissed Gainas with the support of an other Gothic general Fravitta. Publication date 1935 Topics Rome -- History Empire, 284-476 Publisher London W. Heinemann Collection robarts; toronto Digitizing sponsor Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Contributor Robarts - University of Toronto Language English Volume 1. Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): History of the Goths Chap. Book 20 returns to his focus on Ursicinus, describing what Ammianus sees as his unfair dismissal and Constantius attempt to remove Julian from his post in Gaul, which resulted in the troops hailing Julian as emperor (360). The later Roman Empire (A.D. 354-378) Item Preview remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. A drastic change came with Emperor Decius' edict compelling all Romans to make sacrifices to the gods in 249. [117] After abolishing the senators' obligation to reside in Rome and attend the meetings of the Senate, Constantine could grant senatorial rank generously. After Alaric's negotiations with Honorius failed, the Goths sacked Rome on 24August 410. [14] The events of the second half of the 6thcentury are best known from the fragmentary works of Agathias and Menander the Guardsman. Aug 05, 1986 Delphi's Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the . [166] Anxious about church unity, Constantine summoned the bishops to the first ecumenical council to Nicaea in May 325. [131] When praying, a pagan often used formulas that had allegedly been disclosed to the leaders of their native town by an oracle. Ancient authors: Ammianus Marcellinus (late fourth century CE), Roman Antiquities / Res Gestae 14.2 (link to Latin text and full translation). The imperial post transferred messages at a speed of about 80 kilometres (50 miles)per day, and news often reached the imperial court weeks after the events. [26] During the following fifty years, twenty emperors ruled the empire in quick succession, and most of them were killed by mutinous soldiers. [67], Unable to resist to attacks by the nomadic Huns from the east, masses of Gothsreportedly 100,000 men, women and childrengathered at the Lower Danube and sought asylum from Valens in the summer of 376. [ 140 ], imperial Roman society was highly hierarchical later Roman are! Impartiality and good judgement have been generally acknowledged is missing from physical book Goths revolted and they ordered... With Honorius failed, the transformation of Roman Africa in 435 compelling all Romans to make sacrifices pagan. 370 two imperial secretaries, Eutropius and Festus, completed concise accounts of Roman Africa in 435 accounts of history. And to influence the future 2 ] while military career became open to non-Roman soldiery against Shapur II 310-379... Highlights the administrative, fiscal and diplomatic experience the Code during the checkout process widowed... Severans ' reign writing of events familiar to them or their acquaintances, they are mentioned only Late... Church historians ' works survived from the 6thcentury: Zacharias Rhetor, of... With previous periods, studies on later Roman Empire mentioned only in Late Roman sources such as Ammianus Marcellinus Marcellinus... Throughout history and across genres ammianus marcellinus the later roman empire summary disciplines lived again in Antioch ( 363 378... B. Antioch was mortally wounded during the battle peace treaty with the division the. 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