Imperial Rome: Power, Portraits, and Propaganda Volume IV: From Division to a Last United Emperor : Jovian through Theodosius I (353–395 AD)

Imperial Rome: Power, Portraits, and Propaganda Volume IV: From Division to a Last United Emperor - Jovian through Theodosius I (353–395 AD)The empire’s final unity hangs by a thread. This fourth volume follows the emperors who fought to hold Rome together amid civil war, barbarian pressure, and the triumph of Christianity. From Jovian’s fragile restoration to Theodosius I’s iron fisted consolidation, these four decades mark the last gasp of an undivided realm before the West slipped irretrievably into twilight.Each chapter delivers a gripping account of a ruler’s reign: the battlefield coups of Valentinian I and Valens, the youthful defiance of Gratian, the fleeting promise of Valentinian II, and the relentless will of Theodosius the Great. Here are warrior emperors who legislated faith, redrew frontiers, and stamped their image on coinage that still proclaims GLORIA ROMANORUM.This book is an indispensable companion for anyone drawn to late Roman drama, the politics of orthodoxy, or the propaganda of survival. Numismatists will find the portraits and legends decoded. Each coin is a miniature monument to a dynasty on the brink.Whether you study the fall of empires, collect the silver of a fading age, or simply crave the clash of legions and the clash of creeds, this volume captures the final, fateful act of united Imperial Rome. Read more