ABSTRACT
The period of Roman history extending from the death of Marcus Aurelius to the reign of emperor Heraclius in the Eastern Roman Empire (610–641 CE) is known as Late Antiquity. This period is marked by a massive political, cultural, social and economic transformation that caused the transition from the ancient world to the middle Ages. At the beginning of the fourth century, Diocletian's and Constantine's reforms changed the structure of the empire drastically. This organisation lasted until the fall of the empire in the western provinces; and until Heraclius in the eastern provinces of the empire. The fate of the Roman Empire in the last decades of the fourth century seems to be represented by two unexpected deaths: Julian's death, which symbolised the defeat of the ancient Gods, and Emperor Valens' death in 378, in the disaster of Adrianople.
