The Beginning of the Last Dynasty of the Roman Empire

Abstract

The article focuses on the principles and mechanisms of the supreme
 power transition from one ruler of the Roman Empire to another one and on
 Theodosius’ the Great accession to power. Hereditary monarchy principle was
 not always basic in the history of imperial Rome in spite of dynasties. Actually, throughout the era of the Empire, the army proclaimed each new emperor; also, the recognition of the legal heir required the soldiers’ approval. An attempt to create an artificial mechanism, presented by the system of tetrarchy, failed,
 therefore after Constantine the supreme power transition by hereditary principle seemed to be affirmed. However, the sudden death of Julian, who had no heirs, made the Empire return to the choice of emperor by the army. It led to the establishment of the Valentinian dynasty. After the Battle of Adrianople and the death of the eastern emperor Valens, the power succession problem was resolved in an unexpected way: Spaniard Theodosius, retired military commander was proclaimed the new emperor
 and he was the third one, because two Augusti from the Valentinian dynasty had already existed. The circumstances of his rise and accession to power are differently covered in the sources and do not allow researches to make firm conclusions
 about how it actually happened. As is often the case in history, not the only one factor could play a role, but their combination and intermingle. Theodosius had founded a dynasty, which remained in power for almost a century and which could be considered the last dynasty of the Roman Empire that reigned both in western and eastern parts of the Roman Empire.