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37-528: Some scholars have claimed that the Magnaura was founded in 425 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Theodosius II . However, others dispute this assertion on the grounds that it arises from an incorrect conflation of the University of Constantinople with the later palace school ( ekpaideutērion ) housed at the Magnaura that was founded by caesar Bardas in the mid-9th century. The location and architectural features of

74-546: A fully formalized system of law. This plan was left unfinished, but the work of a second commission that met in Constantinople, assigned to collect all of the general legislations and bring them up to date, was completed; their collection was published as the Codex Theodosianus in 438. The law code of Theodosius II, summarizing edicts promulgated since Constantine, formed a basis for the law code of Emperor Justinian I ,

111-511: A man in Christ, and the other rejected the title, based on God being eternal and thus could not be born. Nestorius' compromise, the title Christotokos ("birth-giver of Christ"), was rejected; he was accused of separating Christ's divine and human natures, resulting in "two Christs", in a doctrine later called Nestorianism . Nestorius was strongly opposed by Archbishop Cyril of Alexandria and eventually lost Theodosius's support. At Nestorius's request,

148-447: A man presented the emperor with an "apple huge beyond any exaggeration." The emperor thanked the man with 150 solidi , and promptly sent the apple to his wife as a present. Eudocia decided to give the apple to Paulinus, a friend of both her and the emperor. Paulinus, unknowing of where Eudocia had gotten the apple, thought it was fit for only the emperor, and gave it to him. Theodosius was suspicious, and asked Eudocia what she had done with

185-643: A similar structure of subordinate officials. In the Western Roman Empire , the post continued in existence until its fall, and was also used in the court of the Ostrogoth king Theodoric the Great , where it was held by a Goth , Triwila. In the mid-6th century, however, the supervision of the Cappadocian estates was entrusted to a separate official in charge of the imperial patrimony, and its authority declined. In

222-510: Is likely that his wife Eudocia encouraged him in this matter and was behind the establishment of the university; she had been born in Athens, where the Neoplatonic School of Athens was the last great center for pagan, classical learning. Eudocia was known for her great intellect. In 429, Theodosius appointed a commission to collect all of the laws since the reign of Constantine I , and create

259-537: The Corpus Juris Civilis , in the following century. Eudocia reached the height of her influence with the emperor from 439 to 441, a period in which the emperor's sister Pulcheria was sidelined in favor of his wife. Eudocia's power was undone by a certain Phrygian apple in a story conveyed by the sixth-century historian John Malalas of Antioch. Malalas wrote that one day, the emperor was on his way to church when

296-451: The cubicularii (κουβικουλάριοι, koubikoularioi ), also eunuchs, and was responsible for the imperial bedchamber, wardrobe and receptions. Originally under the control of the castrensis sacri palatii , he soon became directly subordinated to the Byzantine emperor. His proximity to the Byzantine emperor gave him great power, and several praepositi wielded considerable influence in

333-423: The prōtomagistros and the eparch of Constantinople used to form a regency in the emperor's absence. The continuing actual office of praipositos , however, is not to be confused with the dignity ( διὰ βραβείου ἀξία , dia brabeiou axia ) of the same name, which was a court rank created in the 7th or 8th century and restricted to eunuchs. According to Philotheos's Klētorologion of 899, it ranked below

370-403: The prōtovestiarios , was also made into a separate department. The praipositos continued to supervise the remainder of the koubikoularioi , with the primikērios tou kouboukleiou as his chief aide. He retained a considerable role in court ceremonies, and ranked in the higher class of the patrikioi . According to Constantine VII ( r.  913–959 ), the praipositos , together with

407-634: The Eastern Empire 's sole emperor after the death of his father, Arcadius , in 408. His reign was marked by the promulgation of the Theodosian law code and the construction of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople . He also presided over the outbreak of two great Christological controversies, Nestorianism and Eutychianism . Theodosius was born on 10 April 401 as the only son of Emperor Arcadius and his wife Aelia Eudoxia . On 10 January 402, at

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444-450: The 4th-5th centuries, the praepositus gained in power: in the late 4th century, he gained control over the imperial estates of Cappadocia (the domus divina per Cappadociam of the Notitia ), and was elevated in rank to vir illustris and the equivalent of quaestor . A separate praepositus was also established for the household of the Byzantine empress ( praepositus Augustae ), with

481-578: The 7th-8th centuries, paralleling changes in many other administrative offices, the position of praepositus , or praipositos in Greek, was much reduced in power, as parts of his officium were split off. The cubicularii of the bedchamber (distinguished as κοιτωνῖται , koitōnitai in Greek) were separated under the parakoimōmenos , while the imperial wardrobe ( Latin : vestiarium , Greek : [βασιλικὸν] βεστιάριον , [basilikon] vestiarion ) under its head,

518-733: The Confessor and Procopius , the Sasanian king Yazdegerd I (399–420) was appointed by Arcadius as the guardian of Theodosius, whom Yazdegerd treated as his own child, sending a tutor to raise him and warning that enmity toward him would be taken as enmity toward Persia. Though this story is assumed to be inconclusive, Antiochus , a eunuch of Persian origin, became a tutor and an influence on Theodosius. He also became praepositus sacri cubiculi later but Theodosius dismissed him when he reached his adulthood. In 414, Theodosius's older sister Pulcheria vowed perpetual virginity along with her sisters. She

555-526: The Huns. Anatolius negotiated a peace agreement; the Huns withdrew in exchange for humiliating concessions, including an annual tribute of 2,100 Roman pounds (c. 687 kg) of gold. In 447 the Huns went through the Balkans, destroying among others the city of Serdica ( Sofia ) and reaching Athyra ( Büyükçekmece ) on the outskirts of Constantinople. In 449, an Eastern Roman attempt to assassinate Attila failed, however

592-420: The Magnaura as a material projection of Byzantine imperial power over all subjects of the oikoumene . This Byzantine Empire –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Theodosius II Theodosius II ( Ancient Greek : Θεοδόσιος Theodosios ; 10 April 401 – 28 July 450) was Roman emperor from 408 to 450. He was proclaimed Augustus as an infant and ruled as

629-429: The Magnaura is thought to have followed a basilican plan with two side aisles supporting galleries and multiple apses at its eastern end. One of the most remarked upon features in this building was the so-called Throne of Solomon situated in its central apse, which is said to have been surrounded by automata in the form of trees, singing birds, and roaring lions that awed and delighted visitors. Scholars have described

666-459: The Magnaura seem to correspond with those provided by Procopius in his description of the Senate House , which was rebuilt by Justinian I . Around 682, the Magnaura was restored. Later on, this site was often used as a throne room for receptions of foreign ambassadors as well as for public addresses by the emperor and for public assemblies which were often held in the atrium on the western side of

703-637: The Romans and the Sassanids deteriorated in 420 due to the Persian persecution of Christians, and the Eastern empire declared war against the Sassanids (421–422); the war ended in an indecisive stalemate, when the Romans were forced to accept peace as the Huns menaced Constantinople . Peace was arranged in 422 without changes to the status quo . The later wars of Theodosius were generally less successful. The Eastern Empire

740-507: The Western Emperor Honorius , Theodosius's uncle, died and the primicerius notariorum Joannes was proclaimed emperor. Honorius's sister Galla Placidia and her young son Valentinian , who had earlier fled to Constantinople to escape Honorius's hostility, sought Eastern assistance to claim the throne for Valentinian, and after some deliberation in 424 Theodosius opened the war against Joannes. On 23 October 425, Valentinian III

777-621: The affairs of the West after installing Valentinian III as his Western counterpart. When Roman Africa fell to the Vandals in 439, both Eastern and Western Emperors sent forces to Sicily , intending to launch an attack on the Vandals at Carthage, but this project failed. Seeing the borders without significant forces, the Huns and Sassanid Persia both attacked and the expeditionary force had to be recalled. During 443 two Roman armies were defeated and destroyed by

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814-504: The age of 9 months, he was proclaimed co-a ugustus by his father, thus becoming the youngest to bear the imperial title up to that point . On 1 May 408, his father died and the seven-year-old boy became emperor of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire. The government was at first administered by the praetorian prefect Anthemius , under whose supervision the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople were constructed. According to Theophanes

851-575: The apple. "I ate it," she replied, and then Theodosius asked her to confirm her answer with an oath, which she did. Theodosius then presented her with the enormous apple. The emperor was enraged and suspected an affair between Eudocia and Paulinus; he had his lifelong friend Paulinus executed, and Eudocia asked to be exiled to Jerusalem. A separation ultimately occurred between the imperial couple around 443, with Eudocia's establishment in Jerusalem where she favored monastic Monophysitism . The situation between

888-399: The building. Amongst the different ceremonies held at the Magnaura was the silention held at the beginning of Lent , at which the imperial household and members of the Byzantine bureaucracy would gather on its great staircase. In his description of the area, Procopius tells of a large marble gateway that led to a peristyle courtyard which stood in front of the Magnaura. The structure of

925-455: The council the "robber synod". Theodosius supported the outcome, but it was reversed by the Council of Chalcedon after his death in 450. Theodosius died on 28 July 450 as the result of falling off his horse. On 25 November, his sister Pulcheria married the newly elected emperor Marcian , a domesticus under the influential general Aspar . The eunuch Chrysaphius was executed shortly after by

962-708: The emperor convened the First Council of Ephesus in 431 to allow Nestorius to contest Cyril's accusations of heresy. The council was divided between the Cyrillians and the Nestorians, with Theodosius ultimately favoring the Cyrillians. The council affirmed the title Theotokos and condemned Nestorius, who returned to his monastery in Syria and was eventually exiled to a remote monastery in Egypt. Constantinopolitan abbot Eutyches reignited

999-526: The governance of the Byzantine Empire. In the Notitia Dignitatum , the praepositus is listed immediately after the praetorian prefects , the urban prefect and the magistri militum . However, due to the loss of the relevant pages of the Notitia , we do not know the structure of his officium . Senior assistants were the primicerius sacri cubiculi and the comes sacrae vestis . During

1036-552: The later decades of his life, Chrysaphius rose to prominence as one of the emperor's favorites. He favored the pro-Monophysite policy, influenced the foreign policy towards the Huns , and was resented by Pulcheria, general Zeno , and ancient writers. According to Theodorus Lector , Theodosius was so unmindful of his surroundings that he accidentally signed his sister's note selling his wife, Eudocia, into slavery. However, some scholars argue that contrary to hostile ancient sources, Theodosius

1073-729: The new imperial couple. Like Constantine I and several of his successors, he was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles , in a porphyry sarcophagus that was described in the 10th century by Constantine VII in the De Ceremoniis . Saint Right-Believing Theodosius II the Younger is commemorated in Eastern Orthodox Church on 29 July. Praepositus sacri cubiculi The praepositus sacri cubiculi ( Latin : "provost of

1110-538: The relations between the two did not deteriorate further. Theodosius frequently attempted to resolve doctrinal controversies regarding the nature of Christ . During a visit to Syria , Theodosius met the monk Nestorius , a renowned preacher. Nestorius was appointed as archbishop of Constantinople in 428 and became involved in a Christology dispute between two groups. One group called the Virgin Mary Theotokos ("birth-giver of God"), based on God being born

1147-590: The sacred bedchamber", in Greek : πραιπόσιτος τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου κοιτῶνος , romanized :  praipositos tou eusebestatou koitōnos ) was one of the senior palace offices in the Late Roman Empire . Its holder was usually a eunuch , and acted as the grand chamberlain of the palace, wielding considerable authority and influence. In the 7th or 8th century, the title was also given to an order of rank for eunuch palace servants. The title and office continued in use in

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1184-465: The simplified form of praipositos (πραιπόσιτος) in the Byzantine Empire until the late 11th century. The first securely identifiable holder of the office was Eusebius under Emperor Constantius II ( r.  337–361 ), but the position may have been introduced already under Constantine the Great ( r.  306–337 ), in replacement of the older a cubiculo . He controlled the corps of

1221-472: The theological dispute almost twenty years later by asserting the Monophysite view that Christ's divine and human nature were one. Eutyches was condemned by Archbishop Flavian of Constantinople but supported by the powerful Dioscurus of Alexandria , Cyril's successor. The Second Council of Ephesus in 449 restored Eutyches and deposed Flavian. The Chalcedonians opposed the decision, with Pope Leo I calling

1258-557: Was installed as emperor of the West with the assistance of the magister officiorum Helion , with his mother taking an influential role. To strengthen the ties between the two parts of the empire, Theodosius's daughter Licinia Eudoxia was betrothed to Valentinian. She married Valentinian III later on 29 October 437, and became empress of the western portion of the empire. Theodosius is often seen by both ancient and modern historians as being constantly pushed around by his sister, wife, and eunuchs, particularly Chrysaphius among them. In

1295-507: Was more in control of his government. Others view that the government was controlled mostly by civilian officials, and not by a particular individual. Among ancient and medieval writers, Monophysites had a favorable opinion of Theodosius. In 425, Theodosius founded the University of Constantinople with 31 chairs (15 in Latin and 16 in Greek). Among the subjects were law, philosophy, medicine, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music and rhetoric. It

1332-485: Was plagued by raids by the Huns . Early in Theodosius II's reign Romans used internal Hun discord to overcome Uldin 's invasion of the Balkans. The Romans strengthened their fortifications and in 424 agreed to pay 350 pounds of gold to encourage the Huns to remain at peace with the Romans. In 433 with the rise of Attila and Bleda to unify the Huns, the payment was doubled to 700 pounds. Theodosius became engaged with

1369-414: Was proclaimed augusta , and acted as a guardian of her brother. The guardianship ended when he reached his majority, but it is assumed that his sister continued to exert an influence on him until his marriage. In June 421, Theodosius married Aelia Eudocia , a woman of Athenian origin. The two had a daughter named Licinia Eudoxia , another named Flaccilla, and possibly a son called Arcadius. In 423,

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