Skip to main content
The History of Rome

156- Jockeying for Position

26 min episode · 2 min read

Episode

26 min

Read time

2 min

Topics

History, Books & Authors

AI-Generated Summary

Key Takeaways

  • Diplomatic Stalling Tactics: Bishop Ambrose delays Maximus's demands for Valentinian II's submission by requesting winter postponement and claiming lack of mandate, buying critical time for Milan's generals to fortify Alpine passes and prevent swift conquest of Italy.
  • Religious Authority Over Imperial Power: Ambrose refuses Empress Justina's request for even one Arian church in Milan, mobilizes Nicene congregations to physically expel imperial guards from the Portian Basilica, and successfully forces the empress to withdraw—establishing church independence from state control.
  • Competitive Religious Extremism: Maximus executes heretic bishop Priscillian and six followers (history's first execution for heresy) attempting to prove stronger Nicene credentials than Theodosius to win Ambrose's support, though the bishop condemns this as imperial overreach into church jurisdiction.
  • Strategic Treaty Sacrifice: Theodosius cedes four-fifths of Armenia to Sassanid Persia in 387 CE, accepting territorial loss to secure eastern peace, freeing his forces to march west against Maximus and breaking the five-year imperial stalemate.

What It Covers

Following Emperor Gratian's assassination in 383 CE, three imperial courts—Maximus in Trier, Valentinian II in Milan, and Theodosius in Constantinople—engage in five years of diplomatic maneuvering, religious positioning, and strategic stalemate before inevitable military confrontation.

Key Questions Answered

  • Diplomatic Stalling Tactics: Bishop Ambrose delays Maximus's demands for Valentinian II's submission by requesting winter postponement and claiming lack of mandate, buying critical time for Milan's generals to fortify Alpine passes and prevent swift conquest of Italy.
  • Religious Authority Over Imperial Power: Ambrose refuses Empress Justina's request for even one Arian church in Milan, mobilizes Nicene congregations to physically expel imperial guards from the Portian Basilica, and successfully forces the empress to withdraw—establishing church independence from state control.
  • Competitive Religious Extremism: Maximus executes heretic bishop Priscillian and six followers (history's first execution for heresy) attempting to prove stronger Nicene credentials than Theodosius to win Ambrose's support, though the bishop condemns this as imperial overreach into church jurisdiction.
  • Strategic Treaty Sacrifice: Theodosius cedes four-fifths of Armenia to Sassanid Persia in 387 CE, accepting territorial loss to secure eastern peace, freeing his forces to march west against Maximus and breaking the five-year imperial stalemate.

Notable Moment

Theodosius lures Greutungi Goths onto rafts with promises of settlement, then orders the imperial Danube fleet to surround and massacre them mid-crossing—a brutal solution reflecting his complete exhaustion with managing Gothic populations after years of administrative headaches.

Know someone who'd find this useful?

Episode Transcript

AI agents are everywhere, automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubrik Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guardrails, and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI transformation at rubrik.com. That's rubrik.com. This holiday season, reach for the one butter that never disappoints, Kerrygold. Made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy, and perfect for baking. Whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerrygold's high butter fat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary. Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome. Episode one fifty six, jockeying for position. When the Emperor Gratian was overthrown and murdered by the general Magnus Maximus in March, a game of high stakes political chess kicked off that wound up lasting for five years before checkmate was finally declared. Along the way, the three imperial courts would use every means at their disposal to gain the upper hand, be they diplomatic, religious, or martial. Those of you who have read ahead know how the game turns out, but the five year quasi partnership between Maximus, Valentinian the second, and Theodosius is a fascinating little period that wound up having profound consequences for the history of the Western world, especially in the always tricky field of church state relations. Following the execution of Gratian, which was ordered by overzealous subordinates, I swear, Maximus advanced on Trier, took the capital without a fight, and set up an imperial court for himself. With a boy emperor reigning in Milan and a likely ally in Theodosius reigning in Constantinople, Maximus had good reason to believe that 80% of his work was already done. All he had to do now was co opt the weak court of Valentinian the second and request official recognition from the strong court of Theodosius, and he would be the unchallenged ruler of the Western Empire, QED. So rather than press on with a military offensive, Maximus chose to instead launch a diplomatic offensive. He would later consider this to be his greatest mistake. When the court in Milan got word of Gratian's death, they decided to send Bishop Ambrose north to Trier to have a chat with Maximus and feel the general out. They knew that as a devout Nicene, Maximus would be willing to listen to what the bishop had to say, rather than just dismissing him out of hand like he might some random official. And the court of Milan needed Maximus to listen to Ambrose, and then keep listening, and then keep listening long enough to allow them to blockade the Alpine Passes into Italy. Ambrose played his part to perfection and stalled for time like a seasoned diplomat. At first, Maximus came out strong and demanded the young Valentinian come north at once as …

Get the full transcript (4,100 words) + summary by email — free

One-time email with the complete transcript and AI summary of this episode. No account needed.

One email, no spam. We’ll also show you what SignalCast does.

Browse all The History of Rome transcripts →

You just read a 3-minute summary of a 23-minute episode.

Get The History of Rome summarized like this every Monday — plus up to 2 more podcasts, free.

Pick Your Podcasts — Free

Keep Reading

More from The History of Rome

We summarize every new episode. Want them in your inbox?

Similar Episodes

Related episodes from other podcasts

Explore Related Topics

This podcast is featured in Best Science Podcasts (2026) — ranked and reviewed with AI summaries.

You're clearly into The History of Rome.

Every Monday, we deliver AI summaries of the latest episodes from The History of Rome and 192+ other podcasts. Free for one show.

Start My Monday Digest

No credit card · Unsubscribe anytime