THE TRANSFORMATION OF DIPLOMACY DURING THE REIGN OF THEODOSIUS II (ON THE EXAMPLE OF ROMAN-PERSIAN RELATIONS)

The article analyzes the Byzantine-Persian conflicts in the era of Theodosius II. The author touches upon the main causes of the enmity between these two great powers – territorial disputes, religious and ideological differences. The main part of the article reveals the changes in Constantinople's foreign policy strategy in the first half of the 5th century. One of the reasons for these transformations was the breakup of the Roman Empire into two parts, Eastern and Western, in 395. This strengthened the parity of Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire. At the same time, new players appeared on the political scene – the Huns, Vandals and other barbaric tribes that threatened both empires. Therefore, in order to minimize military spending, the art of negotiation comes first. Contemporaries of those events interpreted pragmatic necessity as a weakness of Theodosius the Younger, inconsistent with the image of the warrior emperor. The 5th century begins the process of developing early Byzantine diplomacy and adapting it to the challenges of the time. During this period, new officials appeared and existing ones were given special powers (e.g., magister of offices). The conflicts that broke out between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanid Empire in the 420s and 440s indicate that the ‘policy of peace’ was not yet consistent, as well as the presence of a still influential group of ‘militant rigorists’ at the court of Theodosius II.