Barbarians and Politics at the Court of Arcadius, Cameron Alan, Long Jacqueline

In 394/95, during the last four months of his life, the emperor Theodosius I ruled as sole Augustus over a united Roman Empire that had been divided between at least two emperors for most of the preceding one hundred years. Not only did the death of Theodosius set off a struggle between Roman officeholders of the two empires, but it also set off renewed efforts by the barbarian Goths to seize both territory and office. Theodosius had encouraged high-ranking Goths to enter Roman military service; thus well placed, their efforts would lead to Alarics sack of Rome in 410. Though the authors interest is in the particularities of events, Barbarians and Politics at the Court Of Arcadius conveys a wonderful sense of the general time and place. Cameron and Longs rebuttal of modern scholarship, which pervades the narrative, enhances the readers engagement with the complexities of interpretation. The result is a sophisticated recounting of a period of crucial change in the Roman Empires relationship to the non-Roman world.
This title is part of UC Presss Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Presss mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1993.