Origin: Mediterranean
Circa: 379 BC to 395 BC
Collection: Coin Jewelry
Style: Roman
Medium: Bronze and Gold
Theodosius I, full name Flavius Theodosius, called Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor of the East (379-395) and of the West (394-395), and the last man to rule a united Roman Empire. Theodosius was born in Spain, the son of the Roman general Theodosius. When the eastern Roman emperor Valens was killed fighting the Visigoths at Adrianople in 378, the western Roman emperor Gratian chose Theodosius to rule in the East; he was crowned the following year. In 382, after numerous skirmishes, Theodosius negotiated a favorable peace with the Goths, permitting them to reside in his empire on the condition that they serve in his army. After the murder of Gratian in 383, Theodosius recognized the usurper Magnus Clemens Maximus as emperor of the West, with the exception of Italy, where Valentinian II continued to rule as Gratian's legal successor. When Maximus invaded Italy in 388, Theodosius defeated and killed him, restoring Valentinian as Roman emperor of the West. Theodosius was a strong champion of Orthodox Christianity; he persecuted the Arians and discouraged the practice of the old Roman pagan religion. In 392, Valentinian was murdered by his general Arbogast, who set up Eugenius as puppet ruler in his place. Theodosius again marched to Italy, where he defeated Arbogast and Eugenius in September 394. During the following four months he was the ruler of both East and West. After his death at Milan on January 17, 395, his sons Arcadius in the East and Flavius Honorius in the West succeeded him.This stunning ring evokes the glory and beauty of the early Christian era and its flowering. The dark green hue of the tarnished bronze is striking when contrasted to the luminosity of the gold mounting. The course of Europe and the world would forever change due to the efforts of Theodosius the Great. There is an eternal splendor to this ring, a beauty that radiates from within the coin and envelopes the gold setting. To wear this ring is to evoke the spirit of change. For although time changes and the world evolves, true beauty and elegance as defined by this ring are eternal and immune to the fancies and whims of individual tastes. - (FJ.6609)

Antiquities
Ancient Jewelry