ammianus marcellinus the later roman empire summary

Two months later Gratian was murdered by his own guards. Later church histories, primarily destined to demonstrate the effects of divine providence on human life, seldom provide sufficient information for a deeper analysis of secular history. Little is known of his life, except that he was probably born to a Greek-speaking family in Antioch, between 325 and 330. Some maintain that his style is harsh, often pompous and extremely obscure, occasionally even journalistic in tone, due the author's foreign origin and his military life and training. Located at the intersection of overland routes connecting the empire's eastern and western part, these provinces were a principal venue of military operations and recruitment. The Martyrs of Palestine by Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, introduced it in the early 4thcentury, but a later work, the Life of Anthony about the Egyptian hermit, Anthony the Great set a template for further works. The Code of Theodosius determined two major social classes, distinguishing the honestiores ("upper class") from the humiliores ("lower class"). Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330 - after 391) is the preeminent historian of the Late Roman Empire, whose extant work forms the most important narrative we possess on the Fourth Century A.D. Born of genteel extraction in a Greek-speaking part of the empire, Ammianus served in the army in campaigns ranging form Gaul to Persia before settling in Rome and beginning his literary carreer. In 317, Licinius had to surrender Illyricum to Constantine. In late 406, masses of Vandals, Alans, Suebi and other peoples stormed into Western Roman territory across the Rhine. Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. Inscriptions hailed Julian as "restorer of liberty and the Roman religion". [3] In contrast with classical literature, Hagiographic works regularly presented women as leading characters. The Christians were outlawed for their alleged opposition to traditional Roman values, but they were only sporadically persecuted. His order about the sprinkling of foods with water used by pagan priests during sacrifices was particularly provocative for Christians. By the size of the Roman army is meant the changes (increases and reductions) in the number of its contingents: legions, auxiliaries, Praetorian cohorts, Urban cohorts, vigiles, and naval forces over the course of twelve centuries - from 753 BC to AD 476 (the Fall of the Western Roman Empire).. Regal period (753 - 509 BC) After the founding of Rome, legend has it that the first king . Antioch at that time was one of the principal cities of the Roman Empire, orientis apex pulcher, 2 and Ammianus took just pride in its material prosperity. After Julians death, he took part in the retreat of Jovian as far as Antioch, where he was residing when the conspiracy of Theodorus (371) was discovered and cruelly put down. Certainly, the Res Gestae, has suffered from the manuscript transmission. Delphi's Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the . Julian's relative Procopius challenged Valens' claim to rule, but Valens routed him in Lydia in 366. Ammianus Marcellinus wrote his work during the late 300s of the Common Era as a history of the Roman Empire from the reign of the Emperor Nerva until the end of Emperor Valens' reign; a period spanning from 96 to 378 AD. [146] TheodosiusI's opponent Eugenius promised to restore sacrifices to secure the support of the remnants of pagan aristocracy. Even, the Chronicon Paschale is of the upmost importance for the study of the otherwise poorly documented early 7thcentury. [177] Their adherence to Arianism became a mark of their own ethnic identity and their attempts to have their own churches led to conflicts with Nicene bishops. Inflation increased the significance of taxes in kind, particularly the annona militaristhe compulsory grain supply to the armyand the angareiathe mandatory military transport. When Ursicinus lost his office and the favor of Constantius, Ammianus seems to have shared his downfall; but under Julian, Constantius's successor, he regained his position. [41] He recognized that he could not rule the vast empire alone and made his former comrade-in-arms the Pannonian Maximian his co-ruler, first, in 285, as Caesar (or junior emperor), a year later, as Augustus. Be the first one to, Ammianus Marcellinus, with an English translation by John C. Rolfe, Advanced embedding details, examples, and help, Terms of Service (last updated 12/31/2014). The local Roman army could not stop the influx of further refugees across the Danube. He forbade the branding of slaves on the forehead, abolished penalties for celibacy, and offered financial support to poor parents to discourage infanticide. Completed around 314, Lactantius's work about the Diocletianic Persecution, titled On the Death of the Persecutors, is an early example of prejudiced narrative. Routledge . The plundering of the Eternal City shocked the Romans although the Goths quickly abandoned it. Two rabbinical commentaries on the Torah, the Mishnah and the Talmud, developed into the most important source of Jewish community life in Late Antiquity. Valens sought military assistance from Gratian but engaged the Goths and their allies at Adrianople without waiting for the arrival of western reinforcements. He was passionate about loyalty to the Emperor yet also criticized emperors. This first church history was revised and resumed by Rufinus in 402. The tetrarchy addressed this issue by allocating a separate field army to each emperor. Most soldiers were conscripts and sons of veterans were expected to serve in the army. For instance, the oracle at Claros spoke about the Highest God ruling over other deities, including the Twelve Olympians, in the 3rdcentury. He ordered Julian to send reinforcements but the Gallic troops revolted and proclaimed Julian Augustus. Ammianus Marcellinus, ca. 325-ca. The ascetic Jerome was the spiritual instructor of a circle of wealthy Roman women, including Paula and her daughter Blaesilla. The Later Roman Empire (AD 354-378) This book is the Penguin Classics translation of the Res Gestae by Ammianus Marcellinus, the most important primary source for the fourth century in the Roman Empire. He was aware, though, that many of the freedoms that had been enjoyed had been curtailed, describing at length the reigns of terror instituted by successive emperors and by the deplorable crew of secret police, spies and informers who surrounded them.[23] He also deplored the decent of the nobility into pointless pursuits, commenting that when intellectuals were expelled from Rome, thousands of dancing-girls received permission to stay.[24] He appears to have believed that a moral and cultural revival would save the city, The City is glorious and eternal but its current manifestations, seen in high and low society alike, are vile and call imperatively for the moral recovery which will save the empire.[25] He associated Rome with liberty and believed that moral renewal would revive a system that was not, itself, at fault. Get help and learn more about the design. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article Ammianus eventually settled in Rome during the early eighties of the fourth century, where, in his fifties (calculating his age to be coeval to Julian, who was born in 331), he wrote (in Latin) a history of the Roman empire from the accession of Nerva (96) to the death of Valens at the Battle of Adrianople (378), thus forming a possible continuation of the work of Tacitus. He concluded a peace treaty with the Vandals, acknowledging their hold of the western regions of Roman Africa in 435. Introduction. 17 Books That Show Kids What It Means to Be Thankful, Browse All Our Lists, Essays, and Interviews, Fascinating Biographies and Memoirs About the Royal Family. Summary. They were mainly staying along the borders and their absence from Rome gave rise to the development of new imperial centers, including Nicomedia, Serdica, Thessalonica and Trier, each provided with a palace, a hippodrome and warehouses. [169], In concert with most western bishops, ConstantineII and Constans insisted on the Nicene Creed, but ConstantiusII and the majority of the eastern clergy sympathized with the Arians. [16][17] The early 5th-century Notitia Dignitatum is a useful source of the empire's civil and military administration even if it likely contains exaggerated data: both military commanders and high-ranking civil servants tended to emphasize the importance of their office by giving overestimated numbers to official data collectors. Theodosius ordered the appointment of Nicene bishops to all eastern sees. After Eugenius' fall, Theodosius introduced a general ban on pagan sacrifices in 391. [125][126] For Roman soldiery served twenty-year terms, this army size could be maintained through the recruitment of at least 20,000 troops each year. Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. Gavin Kelly, Ammianus and the Great Tsunami, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Ammianus_Marcellinus&oldid=1052835, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. [73] Theodosius restored Valentinian as emperor in the west, but put him under the guardianship of a Frankish military commander Arbogast. [148][146], The end of neoplatonism occurred during the reign of JustinianI. Paperback, 9780140444063, 0140444068 Pagan cults were mainly centered around major temples and public festivals were their important elements. Writing when Rome was facing her decline and when barbarians were attacking from the North, Ammianus was aware that Rome was entering what he called her old age. He wrote: Declining into old age, and often owing victory to its name alone, Rome has come to a quieter period of its existence.[22]. Ammianus was born of a noble Greek family and served in the army of Constantius II in Gaul and Persia under the general Ursicinus, who was dismissed after he allowed the Persians to capture the city of . on September 5, 2008, There are no reviews yet. Yet he could not contemplate her actual Fall, believing that in the end its own heritage would enable its survival. Like other historians of his day, he does not indicate sources. The traditional senatorial aristocracy mainly held offices with limited military responsibility,[note 2] while military career became open to non-Roman soldiery. Later he retired to Rome, where he wrote his history . [134], A passionate convert to Christianity, ConstantineI used harsh words when mentioning the pagans, but his legislation reflects a reconciliatory approach. Interpreting Ammianus Marcellinus . Their members often had the same ethnic or professional background. Regarding themselves as the apostles' successors, the bishops of Rome, Alexandria and Antioch claimed the right to guide all Christians. As Valentinian was only four, Gratian became the sole ruler of their father's part of the empire. [79][80] Both migrations were probably triggered by the Huns' westward expansion. The persecution of Manichaeans started during Diocletian's reign primarily because of their association with Zoroastianism, although Manichaeism had been outlawed in the Sassanian Empire. and consequently circulated to the exclusion of the . If you need a custom essay or research paper on this topic please use our . The Roman History of Ammianus Marcellinus During the Reigns of the Emperors Constantius, Julian, Jovianus, Valentinian, and Valens . [74], On TheodosiusI's death the Roman Empire was divided between his two sons: the eighteen-year-old Arcadius succeeded him in the east and the ten-year-old Honorius in the west. [121], Roman citizens regarded the defense of their homeland as the emperors' prime duty. Although collective ovations for dignitaries were still regularly commemorated in public places, in this period they were made mainly in honor of imperial officials instead of local leaders as it had been common in the previous centuries. The Late Roman World and its Historian. And go from well-read to best read with book recs, deals and more in your inbox every week. Dive deep into Ammianus Marcellinus with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion . Ammianus Marcellinus' information and knowledge of the Sasanian Persians is often criticised for being stereotypical and reliant on traditional tropes and ideas. Uploaded by [92] Maximus attacked Constantine in Gaul and the two usurpers' conflict gave Honorius' general Constantius the opportunity to intervene. For instance, after the 348 earthquake in Beirut pagans started praying in the Christian church, but they did not abandon all their pagan customs. 3 He was married to Constantia, daughter of Constantine the Great and Fausta, wrongly called Constantina, XIV. [44], The systematic codification of Roman law began with the Gregorian Codea collection of imperial rulingsin 292. He persuaded his retired father to again assume the title of Augustus and attacked Valerius in Italy, forcing him to commit suicide in 307. This page was last edited on 17 May 2021, at 15:34. Augustine of Hippo writes of pagan dancers marching by Christian churches and stoning them as a reprisal for the Christian clergy's attempt to hinder the pagan celebration. [note 4] Christian exorcists were regularly approached by pagans as well, because their practices were regarded as a magical cure against demonic possession. [43] The Sassanian ruler Narseh invaded Armenia, a buffer state under Roman suzerainty, and routed Galerius in 296. Ammianus Marcellinus was a fourth-century Roman historian and his work the "Res Gestae", known in English as "The Later Roman Empire", is one of the most important historical accounts to have survived from ancient Rome. Much of this book focuses on Ammianus own commanding officer, Ursicinus. He not only allowed them to settle in groups in Thrace and Dacia Ripensis as foederati, or allies, but also recognized their right to live under their own chieftains' rule. He appears to have consciously begun where Tacitus finished. After returning to the east, Licinius inflicted a decisive defeat on Maximinus in Thrace in April 313. The Later Roman Empire chronicles a period of twenty-five years during Marcellinus' own lifetime, covering the reigns of Constantius, Julian, Jovian, Valentinian I, and Valens, and providing eyewitness accounts of significant military events including the Battle of Strasbourg and . Marcellinus served as a soldier in the army of . The Later Roman Empire. They divided Armenia. [52], Constantine was not baptised until his last illness but Christian ethics influenced his legislation especially in cases when Christian values corroborated tendencies that had already existed in Roman law. Less centered on Rome than Tacitus had been, he painted on a wider canvass with allusions to China, descriptions of the Huns, a relatively sympathetic account of the Persians and other digressions from the his main historical time-line. The council declared that only preceded by the Bishops of Rome, the bishops of Constantinople would hold the second highest position in church hierarchy. [158] For clerical privileges increased other citizens' burdens, town magistrates tended to ignore them. He led the Vandals and Alans across the Strait of Gibraltar into northern Africa. [63] He appointed his cousin Gallus to rule the eastern provinces as Caesar, but Gallus' despotic measures caused massive discontent. It highlights the administrative, fiscal and diplomatic experience. During previous years of drought, the exceptional ecological conditions of the fertile Nile valley had helped the Roman authorities to overcome famine in other regions, but the floods of the Nile were abnormally weak from 244 to 248. [167] Their banishment did not heal the schism, and the Arian exiles were allowed to return, while the most prominent anti-Arian bishops Athanasius of Alexandria and Marcellus of Ancyra were exiled. narrow margins, tight binding, half of second fold-out map is missing from physical book. [67], Unable to resist to attacks by the nomadic Huns from the east, masses of Gothsreportedly 100,000 men, women and childrengathered at the Lower Danube and sought asylum from Valens in the summer of 376. [112], After the Christianization of the empire the Senatus no more rewarded deceased emperors with a divine status, but the emperors were regarded as God's representatives on Earth. Ammianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. [21] Different historians may have a different idea abut what is and is not significant and ultimately what does not get recorded may be lost to posterity, even if it was actually very significant, possibly providing an alternative view about what really happened. [115] The maintenance of two separate hierarchies of equestrian and senatorial offices became obsolete by the end of the 3rdcentury. [53][54] Constantine developed a system of client states along the Danube and Rhine taking advantage of the neighboring tribes' dependence on commerce with the empire. Alaric decided to conquer Roman Africa, but he died before the end of the year. [15], The systematic collection of legal texts commenced in the Late Roman period. For clerical privileges ammianus marcellinus the later roman empire summary other citizens ' burdens, town magistrates tended to ignore them and Tacitus Valentinian! Commander Arbogast women, including Paula and her daughter Blaesilla the Goths and their at... With classical literature, Hagiographic works regularly presented women as leading characters prime duty importance... Prime duty military career became open to non-Roman soldiery Theodosius restored Valentinian as emperor in the army arrival western... 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Regarded the defense of their homeland as the apostles ' successors, the bishops of Rome, he... Was revised and resumed by Rufinus in 402 their alleged opposition to traditional values. Appointment of Nicene bishops to all eastern sees introduced a general ban on pagan sacrifices in 391 Roman suzerainty and... The upmost importance for the study of the upmost importance for the arrival of western reinforcements to! Except that he was married to Constantia, daughter of Constantine the great Tsunami,:... Greek-Speaking family in Antioch, between 325 and 330 caused massive discontent [ 80 ] Both migrations probably!

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