A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1064 THEODOSIUS. THEODOSIUS.
the emperor as their sovereign:. but probably re. respectalle appellation -of churches: besides the
taining jurisdiction in all disputes among them- condemnation of divine justice, they must expect
selves. The chieftains still governed their fol- to suffer the severe penalties which our authority,
lowers, but there was no kingly dignity. Forty guided by heavenly wisdom, shall think proper to
thousand Goths were kept in the service of the inflict on them " (Gibbon, vol. v. c. 27). The faith
Eastern empire, under the title of Foederati, and which Theodosius so ardently embraced can hardly
were distinguished from the other troops by golden be supposed to be the result of a subtle inquiry
collars, better pay, and more licence. But though into the metaphysical distinction between the
the Goths were thus converted from enemies into sameness of substance or strict homoousian doctrine
dubious allies, their settlement within the limits of of Athanasius, and the similarity of substance in
the empire is justly viewed as the immediate cause the Father and the Son, or the homoiousian doctrine
of the downfal of the western division. In the in which some of the Arians sought refuge. A
civil war against Maximus (A. D. 388), some of singular anecdote is told of Amphilochius, bishop
those barbarians who were in his army listened to of Iconium and afterwards a saint, who admithe proposals of Maximus, but their treachery nistered to Theodosius a practical lesson on the
being discovered, they fled into the marshes and homoousian doctrine. It was in A. D. 383, just
forests of Macedonia, where they were pursued by after Theodosius had raised his son Arcadius to
Theodosius and cut to pieces. the rank of Augustus, and the two emperors were
Maximus, a native of Spain, like Theodosius, seated on a throne to receive the homage of their
was living in Britain in retirement or in exile. subjects. Amphilochius saluted Theodosius with
When this province revolted against Gratian, reverence; his son he addressed with the famiMaximus was chosen their leader, and he invaded liarity of an equal. The emperor, indignant at
Gaul with a powerful army. Gratian fled from this rudeness, ordered the bishop to be dragged from
Paris to Lyon, where he was overtaken by An- his presence, when he exclaimed, "Such is the
dragathius, the commander of the cavalry of Maxi- treatment, O emperor, which the King of heaven
mus and put to death (A. D. 383). Maximus sent has prepared for those impious men who affect to
an envoy to Theodosius to explain and justify his worship the Father, but who refuse to acknowledge
conduct, to excuse the assassination of Gratian as the equal majesty of his divine Son." Theodosius
having been accomplished without his orders, and embraced the bishop, and never forgot the lesson.
to offer to the emperor of the East peace or war. Arcadius was at this time about six years of age.
A war with the fierce soldiers of the north would Constantinople was the head-quarters of Arianperhaps have been an unequal contest for Theo- ism at the time of the accession of Theodosius;
dosius, whose dominions had recently suffered but his baptism in the orthodox faith and his
from the ravages of the Goths; and reluctantly, as edict gave the Catholics hopes of their supremacy
we may conclude, he made a treaty with Maximus, being re-established. The emperor entered Conwhom he acknowledged emperor of the countries stantinople with his army, and offered Di:mophilus
north of the Alps, but he secured to Valentinian the the Arian prelate the alternative of subscribing to
brother of Gratian, Italy, Africa, and western II- the creed of Nicaea or of resignation. Damophilus
lyricum. Thus the empire was divided into three resigned his dignities, and retired into exile and
parts; one of which, an empire won by usurpation, poverty. Gregory of Nazianzus, who had laboured
consisted of three rich countries, - Spain, Gaul, hard to restore the Catholic faith at Constantinople,
and Britain. was placed on the archiepiscopal throne which
Theodosius was the son of a Christian father, Damophilus had left vacant. Early in A. D. 381,
whose ancestors acknowledged the creed of Nicaea; Theodosius declared his intention to expel from all
and next to Constantine he became the great the churches both bishops and clergy who should
glory of the Christian church. The merits of refuse to profess the creed of Nicaea; and Sapor,
Gratian secured him from the orthodox Christians his lieutenant, was armed with full powers to effect
a rank equivalent to that of a saint; and after his a change, which was accomplished without disturbdeath they found a worthy successor to his ortho- ance in all the Eastern empire. In the month of
doxy in the more vigorous emperor of the East. May (A. D. 381) a meeting of one hundred and
Theodosius was not baptized until the end of the fifty bishops who formed the first general council
first year of his reign, when he was admonished of Constantinople, and the second of the oecuby a serious illness no longer to delay this cere- menical general councils, was assembled to confirm
niony. In A. D. 380, before he commenced opera- and complete the creed that had been established
tions against the Goths, he was baptized at Thes- by the council of Nicaea. The council had to
salonica by the archbishop Ascolius, in the orthodox explain some things which were ambiguous, and to
faith of the Trinity; and his baptism was im- dispose of the sect of the Macedonians, who, to
umediately followed by a solemn edict which fixed the heresy of homoiousianism, added that of a belief
the faith of his subjects (Tillemont, Histoire des that the Holy Ghost was created (Ke'ord).~ The
Emopereurs, vol. v. p. 198; Cod. Theod. 16. tit. 1. council declared the equal divinity of the Holy
s. 2), and branded with the name of heretics all who Ghost, the third person in the Trinity, which doc.
dissented from the imperial creed. The edict de- trine has prevailed in the Eastern church without
dared "according to the discipline of the apostles, interruption to the present time. After the death
and the doctrine of the gospel, let us believe the of Meletius, Gregory of Nazianzus presided in
sole deity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy this council, and he has left a picture of the turGhost, under an equal Majesty and a pious Trinity: bulent and disorderly proceedings which characwe authorise the followers of this doctrine to terised its close.
assume the title of Catholic Christians; and as we Theodosius, after establishing the supremacy of
judge that all others are extravagant madmen, we
brand them with the name of heretics, and declare " Gibbon seems to have misunderstood the inathat their conventicles shall no longer usurp the I ture of this heresy.