So Emperor Theodosius recovers from his illness and lives another 10-15 years. What's the result? Impact on both Western and Eastern half of empire? Goths? Stilicho? Honorius and Arcadius?
WI: Longer Lived Emperor Theodosius?
- Thread starter hasdrubal barca
- Start date
Arcadius is around 18 when Theodosius died,so I don't think anything's gonna change about him.
Something very well could. Theodosius could give him valuable experience governing as he helped him along. Probably Theodosius would make him at least a Caesar in the west, if not full co-Augustus at some point.
The eldest son gets the west? What about when theo dies does he get the east while little brother gets the west?
I imagine if he's already established in the west, with political connections, his own men in power, etc. he will want to stay there.
So a compentet arcadius might be okay with the poorer west if he can boss little brother around? Also love the idea of a competent arcadius ruling the west.
But he is still ruling the poorer,less powerful part of the empire.
How does he even boss his younger brother if he doesn't control the money and men?
I didn't realize that alot of people don't like Theodosius. Imposing Christianity and ending the Olympics didn't get him too many fans I suppose.
And for destroying the Western Empire's army and leaving it in a shit state when he died.Not to mention,he fathered two of some of the most useless pieces of shit to have ever graced the imperial throne.It's bad luck when your heir is crap,but when both of them are equally as trash as Arcadius and Honorius?
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There was no set rule in the matter. Iirc Constantine's eldest son got the Gallic Prefecture. And Valentinian I took the West while his younger brother Valens got the East.
But by 395,it's pretty clear that the Western Empire was in a extremely shit state.I pity the guy that would have to clean it up while watching his colleague ruling the wealthy and powerful Eastern Empire in relax(not to mention not getting a single sesterce from that other guy).
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Was it? At that time, iirc, the biggest menace, Alaric, was still in the Balkans and more of a threat to the East than to the West.
And the East still has an army and plenty of cash.The West?It's poor and depopulated.
Most of the East's good fighting me did go down at Adrianople. Whatever Theodosius is using I imagine are the lesser quality scraps, still better off then the West though.
On another note I'm curious how Theodosius would manage all these ambitious generals and political figures around: Alaric, Stilicho, Sarus, Symmachus, Rufinus, Eutropius, Gildo, Mascezel, Gainas, Tribigild, Fravitta, Radagaisus, Timasius and many more i'm sure.
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Adrianople happened many years ago.The East was able to recover rapidly.The West after Frigidus River?Not so much.
I agree the West is pretty totaled after two rounds of civil war. Though I still don't think the East has totaled recovered and they do take heavy casualties during Theodosius' wars.
The Goths took the blunt of that.It's why they were so pissed.