ABSTRACT
When Flavius Theodosius was appointed emperor of the east at Sirmium on 19 January 379 he was front and centre in a fully blown crisis that he was now expected to help remedy. His predecessor Valens had died just months earlier with the flower of the eastern armies at the Battle of Adrianople leaving the empire exposed to an influx of Gothic tribes hungry for land. In comparison to many other emperors of the age, we possess a wealth of ancient material with which to construct our portrait of Theodosius, analyse his reign, and judge its impact. Given that this material is voluminous, diverse, and very much of a mixed quality, it is worth cataloguing it by type in order to better understand both the distinct benefits and significant challenges it offers as source material.
