The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 07 : $b the history of the later Roman Empire
World history
As soon as the empress perceived that the affection of Theodosius was
irretrievably lost, she requested the permission of retiring to the
distant solitude of Jerusalem. She obtained her request; but the
jealousy of Theodosius, or the vindictive spirit of Pulcheria, pursued
her in her last retreat. The remainder of the life of Eudocia, about
sixteen years, was spent in exile and devotion; and the approach of age,
the death of Theodosius, the misfortunes of her only daughter, who was
led a captive from Rome to Carthage, and the society of the holy monks of
Palestine, insensibly confirmed the religious temper of her mind. After
a full experience of the vicissitudes of human life, the daughter of the
philosopher Leontius expired at Jerusalem, in the sixty-seventh year of
her age; protesting with her dying breath that she had never transgressed
the bounds of innocence and friendship (460).[2]
The gentle mind of Theodosius was never inflamed by the ambition of
conquest or military renown, and the slight alarm of a Persian war
scarcely interrupted the tranquillity of the East. The motives of this
war were just and honourable. In the last year of the reign of Jezdegerd,
the Persian king, a bishop, who aspired to the crown of martyrdom,
destroyed one of the fire-temples of Susa. His zeal and obstinacy were
revenged on his brethren: the Magi excited a cruel persecution; and the
intolerant zeal of Jezdegerd was imitated by his son Varanes, or Bahram,
who soon afterwards ascended the throne. Some Christian fugitives, who
escaped to the Roman frontier, were sternly demanded and generously
refused; and the refusal, aggravated by commercial disputes, soon kindled
a war between the rival monarchies. The mountains of Armenia and the
plains of Mesopotamia were filled with hostile armies; but the operations
of two successive campaigns were not productive of any decisive events.
A truce of one hundred years was solemnly ratified, and although the
revolution of Armenia might threaten the public tranquillity, the
essential conditions of the treaty were respected near fourscore years by
the successors of Constantine and Artaxerxes.[b]
Before taking up the subject of the coming of the Huns the following
extract from J. B. Bury’s _History of the Later Roman Empire_ will enable
the reader to understand how it was that the barbaric invasions had such
different effects on the Eastern and Western divisions of the Empire.[a]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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