When the Emperor Theodosius I died in Milan on 17 January 395, he left the empire to his two sons: Honorius, aged ten, received the west, and Arcadius, aged seventeen, the east, with the general Stilicho and the prefect Rufinus as their real powers. The empire had been divided in the past for convenience, but this time the split proved permanent. The eastern half, with its capital at Constantinople, was richer and more stable and lasted another thousand years, while the western empire collapsed within eighty years.
Before and after
- 386 CEOrigins of Sümela Monastery
- 386 CEConstruction of Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls
- from 386 CE to 535 CENorthern Wei
- from 5 September 394 CE to 6 September 394 CEBattle of the Frigidus
- 17 January 395 CEThe Roman Empire is permanently divided
- 399 CEThe monk Faxian sets out for India
- 5th centuryOrigins of Monastery of Stoudios
- 5th centuryConstruction of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
- 5th centuryConstruction of San Pietro in Vincoli
More in Wars, politics & history
- c. 3,101 BCENarmer unifies Egypt
- from c. 1,258 BCE to 1,180 BCETrojan War
- c. 510 BCEThe Roman Republic is founded
- 147 BCERome destroys Carthage
- from 74 BCE to 72 BCEThe slave revolt of Spartacus
- 24 August 410 CEAlaric and the Visigoths sack Rome
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 4th century.