Flavius Arcadius was born about 377 to General (later Emperor) Theodosius and Aelia Flaccilla. In 379 he was declared Caesar, and he was raised to the rank of Augustus in 383, though this was most likely only for the purpose of establishing a dynasty, due to his young age. As a child, Arcadius was left in the hands of a regent when Theodosius went on campaign.
When Theodosius died in 395, he had the empire divided between his sons - Arcadius ruled the east from Constantinople, and Honorius ruled the west from Rome. Though the divison of east & west under local rulers had occurred off and on for almost 150 years, this was the first time the two halves were ruled as independant empires. Because of this, Arcadius is considered by some to have been the first Byzantine emperor. During his reign he enacted several laws to persecute heretics and pagans.
Though emperor, Arcadius never really ruled - he was dominated by a succession of strong-willed advisors. The first was Rufinus, the praetorian prefect of the east. In the west the general Stilicho had been left to advise Honorius, and Stilicho and Rufinus were immediately at odds. Rufinus was murdered in 397 by troops left behind by Stilicho, as he was battling against the Visigoths. The next power behind the throne was Eutropius, the Court Chamberlain. He declared Stilicho a public enemy, and gave the Visigoth leader a title in the Balkans, in efforts to end their incursions. He was also probably involved in the revolt of the military governor of North Africa, which took the valuable African grain supply from Rome to Constantinople. Through diplomatic intrigue, Stilicho had Eutropius banished. In 400 power briefly fell to Gainas, and then to Arcadius' wife Eudoxia who continued to rule over him until her death in 404. Power next went to Anthemius, a Praetorian Prefect.
Arcadius died of natural causes in May of 408, leaving behind a legacy of a weak Eastern emperor ruled by advisors. He was a remote figure to his subjects, and left an image of a pious Christian ruler which continued through Byzantine times. There were tensions between the eastern and western empires due to the military pressure and incursions by Stilicho, political intrigue, religious differences, and a mistrust by the east of the Germanic western generals.
Bronze AE2 (22mm) minted in Constantinople from 383-392
Bronze AE4 (12mm) minted in Cyzicus from 402-408
Bronze AE4 (14mm) minted 402-408Aelia Eudoxia was the daughter of a Roman mother and Bauto, a Frank who had risen to a very high position in the army under the emperors Gratian and Valentinian II. Bauto dominated Valentianian II through most of his reign, but died in 388. Eudoxia was raised in Constantinople, and came to the court of Arcadius through court intrigues, being used as a pawn by the various factions in order to gain or maintain control of the emperor.
Eudoxia learned these games well, gradually gaining power for herself. By the birth of her first child in 400, she was the power behind the throne, and continued to rule through Arcadius. Her luxurious lifestyle did not sit well with the Patriarch of Constantinople, John Chrysostom who was openly critical of her. She succeeded in having him banished, but died from a miscarriage in October of 404.
Her coins reflect the religious saturation of the times, and many have symbols relating to Christianity either as the primary design element or in a supporting position. Though she and Arcadius married in 395 no coins were issued in her name until 400, when she was proclaimed Augusta.
Bronze AE4 (14mm) minted in Antioch
Bronze AE4 (16mm) minted in AntiochIf you have an comments, questions, or corrections, please email me.
All coins from the author's collection. Not a commercial site, these coins are not for sale.