| Character | Date |
Short Biography |
|---|
Military Anarchy |
|---|
| Maximinus | d. 238 |
Thracian giant. Rose to head of army, seized imperial throne, and reigned as a barbarian. |
| Aurelian | 214–275 |
Emperor who reunited the empire during the Military anarchy. Led campaign in Palmyra against Zenobia. |
| Zenobia of Palmyra | ~ 267 |
Queen of Palmyra. Attempted to control the eastern empire, only to be crushed by Rome. |
Diocletian/Constantine |
|---|
| Diocletian | 245–313 |
Restored order to the empire after fifty years of chaos. Broke empire into four regions. |
| Constantine | 272–337 |
First Christian emperor. Unified empire. Moved capital to Constantinople near Black Sea. |
| Julian the Apostate | 331–363 |
Last emperor of the Constantinian dynasty. Tried to restore paganism. |
| Ulfilas | 310–383 |
Missionary bishop who translate the bible into the Gothic language and converted the Goths to Arian Christianity. |
Late Western Empire |
|---|
| Stilicho | 359–408 |
Roman general who fought off the Visigoths before they overran Rome. Murdered by Emperor Honorius. |
| Aetius | 396–454 |
Last great General of the Western Empire. Defeated Attila the Hun at Chalons. |
| Ricimer | 405–472 |
Visigoth General who was master of Rome during the final years of the Empire. |
| Alaric the Visigoth | 370–410 |
Chieftain who led the Visogoths into northern Italy, and then besieged and sacked Rome. |
| Attila the Hun | 406–453 |
Barbarian chieftain who overran and terrorized much of Europe. Defeated at the Battle of Chalons. |
| Genseric | 390–477 |
Leader of Vandals. Conquered Northern Africa and Sicily. Invaded and ransacked Rome. |
| Odoacer | 435–493 |
Deposed last Roman Emperor and became King of Italy. Later overthrown by Theodoric the Ostrogoth. |
| Theodoric the Ostrogoth | 454–526 |
Ostrogoth king who invaded Italy and successfully formed a Gothic-Roman kingdom. |
| Alboin | d. 573 |
King of the Lombards who crossed the Alps and invaded Northern Italy. Made Pavia capital of Lombards. |
| Clovis | 466–511 |
Founder of the Frankish Kingdom. Converted to Christianity by his wife Clotilda. |
Late Eastern Empire |
|---|
| Valens | 328–378 |
Eastern Emperor embroiled in wars in Persia and with the Goths. Died fighting Visigoths at Adrianople. |
| Theodosius | 346–395 |
Emperor excommunicated by Ambrose for massacre of civilians at Thessalonia. |
| Justinian the Great | 483–565 |
Ruled Byzantine Empire for 40 years. Well known for legal reforms known as Code of Justinian. |
| Empress Theodora | 500–548 |
Born in humble circumstances, she married Justinian the Great and became his trusted advisor. |
| Belisarius | 505–565 |
General associated with Julian the Great, reconquered much of lost Roman territory. |
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