ABSTRACT
Theodosius left the Empire to his two sons. Arcadius, almost eighteen years old, became the ruler of the eastern part, while the ten-year-old Honorius reigned in the west. In actuality the division was along linguistic lines, separating the Latin west from the Greek-Hellenistic east. From the outset it was clear that Arcadius had got the better end of the deal. In the conflicts with the Goths the emperors of the east hardly had to give up any territory, and there had been no major organisational changes in that part of the Empire either. The central government, the provincial and local authorities, commercial life and the economy were not significantly affected. The west, which had never reached the high level of development enjoyed by the east, lacked the urban network that made effective government possible. The crisis of the third century had left deep scars, and the tightly regimented society of the fourth century had clearly exposed the contrasts between the rich senatorial elite and the rest of the population. There were also differences in the military. The west was dependent on Germans from outside the Empire for new troops, while in the east the strength of the army could be maintained by drafting men from the Balkans, Asia Minor and Armenia.
