The Year 395 in Late Roman Historiography and Imperial Ideology of Unity

Year 2020, Volume: 8, 563 - 579, 30.06.2020

Ceren Pilevneli

https://doi.org/10.13113/CEDRUS.202028

Abstract

The year 395 that Theodosius I died, in late Roman historiography, is generally regarded as the time of the final division of the empire. According to this common notion, the conflict that emerged between east and west during the reigns of Arcadius and Honorius, who succeeded Theodosius I, led to estrangement and hostility between the two parts of the empire. From the same perspective, it is often cited that the Eastern Roman administration remained unconcerned with the situation of Western Rome, which was suffered by "barbarian" invasions. However, in the contemporary sources of the period, there is no indication of a permanent division of the empire in 395 or later. Furthermore, even after 395, it is seen that the Eastern Roman administration continued to emphasize the unity of the empire. In this study, the principles of the division between east and west are discussed based on the main characteristics of the administrative and political structure of the Roman Empire before and after 395. This contribution, besides, aims to reassess this turning point which directs both the historical narrative of the Late Roman Empire and the general perspective of historians, within the framework of the imperial ideology of unity.

Keywords

Theodosius I, Eastern Roman Empire, Western Roman Empire, Late Roman Historiography

Geç Roma Tarih Yazımında 395 Yılı ve İmparatorluğun Birliği İdeolojisi

Abstract

Geç Roma tarih yazımında I. Theodosius’un öldüğü 395 yılı genellikle, imparatorluğun nihai biçimde ikiye bölündüğü yıl olarak kabul edilmektedir. Bu genel kabule göre, I. Theodosius’tan sonra yönetimi devralan oğulları Arcadius ve Honorius döneminde imparatorluğun doğusu ile batısı arasında ortaya çıkan çatışma, idari amaçlarla bölünen imparatorluğun iki yarısı arasında uzaklaşmaya ve düşmanlığa sebep olmuştur. Aynı bağlam içerisinde, “barbar” istilaları ile parçalanan Batı Roma’nın içinde bulunduğu duruma Doğu Roma yönetiminin kayıtsız kaldığı da sıklıkla ifade edilmektedir. Oysa dönemin çağdaş kaynaklarında 395 yılı veya sonrasında imparatorlukta kalıcı bir bölünme yaşandığına dair herhangi bir iz yer almamaktadır. Üstelik 395 yılından sonra da bilhassa Doğu Roma yönetiminin, imparatorluğun birliği fikri ve ideolojisini, her fırsatta vurgulamaya devam ettiği görülmektedir. Bu makalede 395 yılı öncesi ve sonrasında imparatorluğun idari ve siyasi yapısının temel karakteristiklerinden hareketle, doğu-batı eksenindeki bölünmenin esasları tartışılmakta; hem Geç Roma İmparatorluğu’nun tarihi anlatısını hem de tarihçilerin genel perspektifini yönlendirmekte olan bu “dönüm noktası”, imparatorluğun birliği ideolojisi çerçevesinde yeniden değerlendirilmektedir.

Keywords

I. Theodosius, Doğu Roma İmparatorluğu, Batı Roma İmparatorluğu, Geç Roma Tarih Yazımı

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