The Barbarian in the governments of Theodosius I (347 - 395), Arcadius (377 - 408) and Honorius (384 - 423): the different perspectives between Zosimus and Jordanes (6th century CE)

• Grant number: 24/01938-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date until: July 01, 2024
• End date until: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - Ancient and Medieval History
• Principal Investigator: Margarida Maria de Carvalho
• Grantee: Jéssica da Costa Minati Moraes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Franca. Franca , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/18262-6 - The Different Perspectives Between Zosimus and Jordanes (Sixth Century C.E) about the Barbarians in the Governments 0f Theodosius I (347-395), Arcadius (377-408) and Honorius (384-423), BE.EP.MS

Abstract

This research is located in the context of Late Antiquity, specifically between the 5th and 6th centuries CE. This period is notable for a series of political changes that occurred in the Roman Empire, including the official division between the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire. in 395. The focus of this investigation falls on two authors from this period of Late Antiquity: Zosimus (460 - 518/520), an advocatus fisci active in the imperial fiscal administration, and Jordanes (6th century), a historian who served as notarius of the magister militum called Baza. The works of Zosimus and Jordanes report facts about the governments of Theodosius I (347 - 395), Arcadius (377 - 408) and Honorius (384 - 423), as well as the political aspects of their respective governments, and their relations with the barbarians. We note that Zosimus demonstrated an aversion to barbarians and was a non-Christian man, while Jordanes had Gothic ancestry and was a follower of Nicene Christianity. Therefore, the central hypothesis of this research consists of observing how Zosimus and Jordanes criticize or praise the emperors of their present time, Zeno I, Anastacius, Justin and Justinian, in relation to the treatment of the barbarians, projecting their considerations onto the emperors already mentioned: Theodosius I and his sons, Arcadius and Honorius. Our objective, to achieve this hypothesis, is to use chapters from Books IV, V and VI of the work New History by Zosimus and the Romana and Getica by Jordanes. We intend to identify the convergences and divergences in the perspectives of the two authors in relation to the emperors and their actions against or in favor of the barbarians, interpreting their works in light of their individual characteristics that may have influenced their narratives.