Roman Emperor. He was born in 347 AD, and had a distinguished military career before retiring to Spain following the disgrace and execution of his father, a General. The Emperor Gratian made him Emperor of the East in 379 AD, and a year later he won a victory against the Goths and held a triumph in Constantinople. He was baptized in 380 AD and actively promoted Catholicism, passing laws against the "heretic" Arians from Constantinople. He also ordered the destruction of all remaining pagan temples, including the Serapeum at Alexandria. In 388 AD he defeated and executed Clemens Maximus, who had usurped power in the Western Empire and restored the deposed Valentinian II to power. After Valentinian's death, possibly at the hands of his tutor Argobast, in 392 AD, he was forced to march on Rome to reclaim the city from Argobast's prodigy Eugenius. In 390 AD he was excommunicated by St. Ambrose for ordering the massacre of seven thousand citizens of Thessalonica in retaliation for the murder of his army commander, and was forced to accept eight months penance. When he died in 395 AD he left his domain divided between his two sons, and was the last Roman Emperor to rule a united Empire.
Roman Emperor. He was born in 347 AD, and had a distinguished military career before retiring to Spain following the disgrace and execution of his father, a General. The Emperor Gratian made him Emperor of the East in 379 AD, and a year later he won a victory against the Goths and held a triumph in Constantinople. He was baptized in 380 AD and actively promoted Catholicism, passing laws against the "heretic" Arians from Constantinople. He also ordered the destruction of all remaining pagan temples, including the Serapeum at Alexandria. In 388 AD he defeated and executed Clemens Maximus, who had usurped power in the Western Empire and restored the deposed Valentinian II to power. After Valentinian's death, possibly at the hands of his tutor Argobast, in 392 AD, he was forced to march on Rome to reclaim the city from Argobast's prodigy Eugenius. In 390 AD he was excommunicated by St. Ambrose for ordering the massacre of seven thousand citizens of Thessalonica in retaliation for the murder of his army commander, and was forced to accept eight months penance. When he died in 395 AD he left his domain divided between his two sons, and was the last Roman Emperor to rule a united Empire.
Bio by: js
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