Editing Theodosius I (section)

===Gothic War (376–382)===
The immediate problem facing Theodosius upon his accession was how to check the bands of Goths that were laying waste to the Balkans, with an army that had been severely depleted of manpower following the debacle at Adrianople.{{sfn|Hebblewhite|pp=30–31}} The western emperor Gratian, who seems to have provided only little immediate assistance,{{sfn|McLynn|2005|p=94}} surrendered to Theodosius control of the [[praetorian prefecture of Illyricum]] for the duration of the conflict, giving his new colleague full charge the war effort.{{sfn|Woods|2023|loc=Foreign Policy}} Theodosius implemented stern and desperate recruiting measures, resorting to the conscription of farmers and miners.{{sfn|Hebblewhite|p=31}} Punishments were instituted for harboring deserters and furnishing unfit recruits, and even self-mutilation did not exempt men from service.{{sfnm|1a1=Curran|1p=101|2a1=Hebblewhite|2p=32}} Theodosius also admitted large numbers of non-Roman auxiliaries into the army, even Gothic deserters from beyond the Danube.{{sfn|Curran|p=102}} Some of these foreign recruits were exchanged with more reliable Roman garrison troops stationed in [[Roman Egypt|Egypt]].{{sfn|Errington|1996b|pp=5–6}}

In the second half of 379, Theodosius and his generals, based at [[Thessalonica]], won some minor victories over individual bands of raiders. However, they suffered at least one serious defeat in 380, which was blamed on the treachery of the new barbarian recruits.{{sfnm|1a1=Hebblewhite|1p=33|2a1=Woods|2y=2023|2loc="Foreign Policy"}} During the autumn of 380, a life-threatening illness, from which Theodosius recovered, prompted him to request [[baptism]]. Some obscure victories were recorded in official sources around this time, however, and, in November 380, the military situation was found to be sufficiently stable for Theodosius to move his court to [[Constantinople]].{{sfnm|1a1=Errington|1y=1996b|1pp=16–17|2a1=Hebblewhite|2p=33}} There, the emperor enjoyed a propaganda victory when, in January 381, he received the visit and submission of a minor Gothic leader, [[Athanaric]].{{sfnm|1a1=Woods|1y=2023|1loc="Foreign Policy"|2a1=Hebblewhite|2p=34}} By this point, however, Theodosius seems to have no longer believed that the Goths could be completely ejected from Roman territory.{{sfnm|1a1=Errington|1y=1996b|1p=18|2a1=Hebblewhite|2p=34}} After Athanaric died that very same month, the emperor gave him a funeral with full honors, impressing his entourage and signaling to the enemy that the Empire was disposed to negotiate terms.{{sfnm|1a1=Errington|1y=2006|1p=63|2a1=Hebblewhite|2p=34}} During the campaigning season of 381, reinforcements from Gratian drove the Goths out of the [[Diocese of Macedonia]] and [[Ancient Thessaly|Thessaly]] into the [[Diocese of Thrace]], while, in the latter sector, Theodosius or one of his generals repulsed an incursion by a group of [[Sciri]] and [[Huns]] across the Danube.{{sfn|Errington|1996b|pp=17, 19}}

Following negotiations which likely lasted at least several months, the Romans and Goths finally concluded a settlement on 3 October 382.{{sfnm|1a1=Errington|1y=1996b|1pp=19–20|2a1=Hebblewhite|2pp=35, 36}} In return for military service to Rome, the Goths were allowed to settle some tracts of Roman land south of the Danube. The terms were unusually favorable to the Goths, reflecting the fact that they were entrenched in Roman territory and had not been driven out.{{sfnm|1a1=Errington|1y=2006|1pp=64–66|2a1=Hebblewhite|2pp=36–37, 39}} Namely, instead of fully submitting to Roman authority, they were allowed to remain autonomous under their own leaders, and thus remaining a strong, unified body. The Goths now settled within the Empire would largely fight for the Romans as a national contingent, as opposed to being fully integrated into the Roman forces.{{sfn|Williams|Friell|1995|p=34}}

[[File:The Roman Empire ca 400 AD (Danube provinces).png|left|thumb|Roman provinces along the Ister ([[Danube]]), showing the [[Roman dioceses]] of [[Diocese of Thrace|Thrace]], [[Diocese of Dacia|Dacia]], [[Diocese of Pannonia|Pannonia]] and [[Italia Annonaria]] on the empire's northern frontier]]