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 216 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAPTEK XXIX Final Dwision of the Roman Empire hetiveen the Sons of Theodo- sitis — Reign of Arcudius and Honorius — Administration of Rufinus and Stilicho — Revolt and Defeat of Gildo in Africa Division of The genius of Rome expired with Theodosius ; the last of the between'" successoi's of Augustus and Constantine, who appeared in the Honorius.^*^ field at the head of their armies, and whose authority was jMuar^'iT universally acknowledged throughout the whole extent of the empire. The memory of his virtues still continued, however, to protect the feeble and inexperienced youth of his two sons. After the death of their father, Arcadius and Honorius were saluted, by the unanimous consent of mankind, as the lawful emperors of the East, and of the West ; and the oath of fidelity was eagerly taken by every order of the state ; the senates of old and new Rome, the clergy, the magistrates, the soldiers, and the people. Arcadius, who then was about eighteen years of age, was born in Spain, in the humble habitation of a private family. But he received a princely education in the palace of Constantinople ; and his inglorious life was spent in that peace- ful and splendid seat of royalty, from whence he appeared to reign over the provinces of Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, from the Lower Danube to the confines of Persia and ^°™^° 384, Ethiopia. His younger brother, Honorius, assumed, in the eleventh year of his age, the nominal government of Italy, Africa, Gaul, Spain, and Britain ; and the troops which guarded the frontiers of his kingdom were opposed, on one side, to the Caledonians, and on the other, to the Moors. The great and martial praefecture of IlljTicum was divided between the two princes ; the defence and possession of the provinces of Noricum, Pannonia, and Dalmatia, still belonged to the western empire ; but the two large dioceses of Dacia and Macedonia, which Gratian had intrusted to the valour of Theodosius, were for ever united to the empire of the East. The boundary in Europe was not very different from the line which now xvftnates the Germans and the Turks ; and the respective ar4 fiftU