350-369 Julian Reverts Empire to Paganism & Persia Invades
In this 20 year period the Western Emperor Constans was murdered and his place usurped by Magnentius who was killed in battle in 353 by the Eastern Emperor Constantius II (pictured).
The Eastern Emperor Constantius II died in 361 leaving the entire empire to his Pagan cousin Julian who died in battle in 364 and was replaced by Jovian who met a similar fate in same year and was replaced by Valentinian.
The Western Emperor Constans supported the Nicene Creed, but Constantius II - the Eastern Emperor, with his court in Constantinople - favored the newly respectable creed of Arianism and this split in Christianity led to the murder of Constans in Gaul in 350 and his replacement with a German officer, Magnentius from the elite troops.
This usurper was challenged by Vetranio, the local commander in Illyricum, and Constantius II left Constantinople to intervene, persuaded Vetranio to abdicate but Magnentius had to be fought in battle and he was eventually defeated in 353, making Constantius II the sole emperor.
Returning to the East in 355, Constantius turned his attention to the only living male descendant of his father's extended family - the young Julian who was 5 at the time of the massacre of 337. He promoted the young Julian to the command of Gaul, where he became a successful general and when Constantius ordered him to send the best of his troops to the East to fight the Persians, Julian took advantage of the soldiers' reluctance to leave him and accepted their proclamation of him as Emperor in 360.
When Constantius heard this, the Persian threat was so great that he could do nothing - and when Julian boldly invaded Constantius' territory in 361 the old man led his troops to meet his enemy but died on the way - leaving Julian the sole Emperor.
The Arian doctrine supported by Constantius II was detested in the West and in 359 he had forced the Italian bishops to adopt the Arian creed. So, when Julian came to power and reverted the Empire to the old Pagan ways there was a lot of confusion among the Christians - but a great deal of relief among those who had converted without believing.
Religious affairs were interrupted by a Persian Invasion, necessitating Julian in 363 to go to war. He split his army, sending half down the Tigris while he took the traditional route along the Euphrates - expecting to meet up at Ctesiphon. Julian reached his destination, defeated the Persians, then burnt his fleet to increase mobility but the other half of his army failed to arrive leaving him stranded - a situation that the straggling Persians took advantage of and finally he was wounded and died of blood loss.
The new Emperor, Jovian, a Christian, was forced to abide by humiliating terms in order to extricate the Roman army in Persian territory (returning to the Persians the five provinces across the Tigris that Galerius had won in 298).
Jovian died mysteriously in 364 and was replaced by Valentinian, a devout Christian with a bad temper and a hatred of the educated, who had risen through the ranks. He was required to appoint a colleague, and he chose his brother Valens to rule the East.
In 367 Emperor Valentinian sent general Theodosius to restore order in the north of England and in the same year he fell ill and proclaimed his 8 year old son, Gratian, as emperor.
The Eastern Emperor Constantius II died in 361 leaving the entire empire to his Pagan cousin Julian who died in battle in 364 and was replaced by Jovian who met a similar fate in same year and was replaced by Valentinian.
The Western Emperor Constans supported the Nicene Creed, but Constantius II - the Eastern Emperor, with his court in Constantinople - favored the newly respectable creed of Arianism and this split in Christianity led to the murder of Constans in Gaul in 350 and his replacement with a German officer, Magnentius from the elite troops.
This usurper was challenged by Vetranio, the local commander in Illyricum, and Constantius II left Constantinople to intervene, persuaded Vetranio to abdicate but Magnentius had to be fought in battle and he was eventually defeated in 353, making Constantius II the sole emperor.
Returning to the East in 355, Constantius turned his attention to the only living male descendant of his father's extended family - the young Julian who was 5 at the time of the massacre of 337. He promoted the young Julian to the command of Gaul, where he became a successful general and when Constantius ordered him to send the best of his troops to the East to fight the Persians, Julian took advantage of the soldiers' reluctance to leave him and accepted their proclamation of him as Emperor in 360.
When Constantius heard this, the Persian threat was so great that he could do nothing - and when Julian boldly invaded Constantius' territory in 361 the old man led his troops to meet his enemy but died on the way - leaving Julian the sole Emperor.
The Arian doctrine supported by Constantius II was detested in the West and in 359 he had forced the Italian bishops to adopt the Arian creed. So, when Julian came to power and reverted the Empire to the old Pagan ways there was a lot of confusion among the Christians - but a great deal of relief among those who had converted without believing.
Religious affairs were interrupted by a Persian Invasion, necessitating Julian in 363 to go to war. He split his army, sending half down the Tigris while he took the traditional route along the Euphrates - expecting to meet up at Ctesiphon. Julian reached his destination, defeated the Persians, then burnt his fleet to increase mobility but the other half of his army failed to arrive leaving him stranded - a situation that the straggling Persians took advantage of and finally he was wounded and died of blood loss.
The new Emperor, Jovian, a Christian, was forced to abide by humiliating terms in order to extricate the Roman army in Persian territory (returning to the Persians the five provinces across the Tigris that Galerius had won in 298).
Jovian died mysteriously in 364 and was replaced by Valentinian, a devout Christian with a bad temper and a hatred of the educated, who had risen through the ranks. He was required to appoint a colleague, and he chose his brother Valens to rule the East.
In 367 Emperor Valentinian sent general Theodosius to restore order in the north of England and in the same year he fell ill and proclaimed his 8 year old son, Gratian, as emperor.
Labels: 350, arianism, constans, constantius ii, jovian, julian, magentius, magnentius, nicene creed, valentinian, vetranio
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