xii, 336 pages ; 23 cm

"The division of the late Roman Empire into two theoretically cooperating parts by the brothers Valentinian and Valens in 364 deeply influenced many aspects of government in each of the divisions. Although the imperial policies during this well-documented and formative period are generally understood to have been driven by the religious and ideological aims of the emperors, R. Malcolm Errington argues that the emperors were actually much more pragmatic in their decision making than has previously been assumed." "The division of responsibilities between the emperors inevitably encouraged separate developments, which included the expansion of Constantinople into an imperial residence in the East. Regional separatism also allowed locally varying and often changing imperial attitudes toward the different forms of belief that had developed within the Christian church since its acceptance by Constantine, as well as toward non-Christian religious forms. Errington demonstrates that the main stimulus for action in this period nearly always came from below the level of the imperial government, and not from an imperial initiative. Drawing attention to the structure and practical functioning of the state and its administration, Errington argues that the emperors were fundamentally reactive to regionally supplied information, as Fergus Millar has asserted was the case for the High Empire. Thus, despite significant changes, the empire remained broadly traditional in its operations."--BOOK JACKET

Includes bibliographical references (p. [313]-323) and index

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