Ebook: Panegyric to the Emperor Theodosius

Translated with an introduction by C. E. V. Nixon.

The Emperor Theodosius I 'the Great' is remembered as a champion of Catholicism and for his confrontations with Ambrose, bishop of Milan. Pacatus’ "Panegyric", here made available in English for the first time, celebrates rather Theodosius' victory over the usurper Magnus Maximus, whose rebellion in Britain, murder of Gratian and occupation of Gaul rent the Western Empire and threw the court of Milan into turmoil in the 380s. But Pacatus' fulsome praise of Theodosius and his vilification of Maximus cannot disguise the fact that Theodosius was curiously slow to avenge the death of his colleague Gratian and to come to the rescue of the Italian court. When he did come, it was at the head of an army with large contingents of barbarian Goths, Huns and Alani to oppose a fellow Catholic who claimed both his kinship and his support. A historical introduction and detailed commentary help to elucidate Pacatus' highly rhetorical speech.