Valens begins preparations for a major expedition…

Basil’s predecessor Eusebius had in 364 persuaded him to accept ordination; he had completed his the third and final installment of Against Encomius in 365.

Having succeeded Eusebius in 370, Basil has flourished in his role as defender of orthodoxy among the churches of Anatolia, which have suffered from rifts caused by the Arian controversy.

He has applied his brilliant organizational gifts to the founding of hospitals, the fostering of monastic communities, and the reformation of the liturgy.

He has formulated a code for monastic life known as the Rule, which becomes the foundation of eastern monasticism.

His introduction of charitable service as a work discipline places monasticism in an urban context.

A prolific writer, he is celebrated for his influential 375 treatise, On the Holy Spirit.

Present Anbar, located on the east bank of the Euphrates, just south of the Nahr 'Isa, or Sakhlawieh canal, the northernmost of the canals connecting that river with the Tigris, had been founded circa 350 as Firuz Shapur, or Perisapora by Shapur II, Sassanid king of Persia.

Captured and destroyed by Emperor Julian in 363, but speedily rebuilt, Perisapora has become a refuge for the Arab, Christian, and Jewish colonies of this region.

Anbar is adjacent or identical to the Babylonian Jewish center of Nehardea, and lies a short distance from the present-day town of Fallujah, formerly the Babylonian Jewish center of Pumbedita.

At the death of the Berber prince Nubel, a powerful Roman military officer as well as a wealthy Christian, his son Firmus had killed his half-brother Zammac, who had illegitimately appropriated Nubel's wealth, and become successor to his father.

Firmus has been in revolt from 372 against the comes Africae Romanus, who had been a supporter of Zammac.

The misbehavior of Romanus, who had neglected protection from African tribes to Roman cities that had refused the payment of bribes, had worsened the situation in Africa Province in 360s.

Firmus is a supporter of the Donatists against the Nicene Christians; he had ordered his followers to kill the Nicene inhabitants of Rusuccuru (present Dellys).

Firmus’s revolt against Romanus forces Valentinian to take action against both his officer and the African rebel.

When Valentinian sends his magister militum Theodosius to depose Romanus, Firmus tries to find a compromise with him, but Theodosius refuses peace to Firmus, who had proclaimed himself emperor.

With the support of the indigenous African tribes, Firmus obliges Theodosius to a bloody and hopeless campaign.

In the end, however, Firmus is betrayed by one of his supporters, and chooses suicide over capture.

After his death in 375, Valentinian issues laws against the Donatists.

Firmus’s brother Gildo, who had remained loyal to Valentinian and helped the Romans crush the revolt of his brother, is awarded with the immense patrimony confiscated from Firmus’s estate.

Martin of Tours: Bishop, Monastic Pioneer, and Missionary Leader (371 CE)

In 371 CE, despite his own objections, Martin of Tours was elected bishop of Tours, marking a significant moment in the Christianization of Gaul. Though now a bishop, Martin continued his monastic way of life, establishing the Abbey of Marmoutier across the Loire River from Tours. This monastery became a center for religious training and missionary work, particularly in efforts to convert the Celts of Gaul.

1. Martin’s Reluctant Elevation to Bishop of Tours

• By 371 CE, Martin had gained a reputation for holiness and miracles, making him widely respected among the Christian community.
• When the bishopric of Tours became vacant, the clergy and people insisted on electing Martin.
• Humble and reluctant, Martin tried to avoid the position, reportedly hiding in a barn full of geese, but was eventually found and consecrated bishop.

2. The Founding of Marmoutier Abbey (372 CE)

• Despite his new role, Martin continued to live as a monk, establishing the Abbey of Marmoutier as a retreat outside of Tours, on the opposite bank of the Loire River.
• The monastery served as:
  • A center for monastic discipline, where Martin and his disciples lived in austere simplicity.
  • A missionary training ground, preparing monks for evangelization missions to the still largely pagan Celtic and Gallic populations.
  • A model for future monasteries, influencing the later monastic tradition in medieval France.

3. The Christianization of the Celts and Rural Gaul

• Martin’s focus was not on city dwellers, but on rural populations, where pagan traditions were still deeply rooted.
• He traveled extensively, preaching, converting, and destroying pagan temples, replacing them with Christian churches.
• His monks at Marmoutier became a missionary force, spreading Christianity throughout the countryside of Gaul.

4. Martin’s Enduring Influence

• Marmoutier Abbey remained a key monastic institution throughout the Middle Ages.
• Martin became one of the most venerated saints in Western Christendom, inspiring later missionary efforts across Europe.
• His work laid the foundation for the Christianization of France, earning him the title of "Apostle of Gaul".

5. Conclusion: A Monastic Bishop Who Transformed Gaul

Martin’s election as Bishop of Tours in 371 CE and the founding of Marmoutier in 372 CE signified a major step in the Christianization of Gaul. His monastic leadership, missionary efforts, and commitment to asceticism made him a model for future bishops, bridging the gap between monasticism and episcopal authority. His legacy endured for centuries, shaping the spread of Christianity in France and beyond.

Valentinian extends Roman fortifications on the south bank of the Danube into the territory of the Quadi, who have remained peaceful since their settlement in Dacia in 359.

In 375, Gabinus, king of the Quadi, leads a force to one of the region's principal forts to complain of this territorial violation, but the fort's commander murders him for presuming to challenge Rome.

The Pannonian army at Aquincum (near modern Budapest), rife with intrigue, five days after the emperor's death declares Gratian's four-year-old half-brother Valentinian, the offspring of the emperor's second wife, Justina, Emperor Valentinian II.

The declaration is made without the knowledge or consent of the two reigning emperors, Valens and Gratian, but they soon accept Valentinian and allow him to rule Illyricum through Justina.

Valentinian simultaneously leads an army from Gaul into Quadi lands, devastating the countryside before withdrawing to winter quarters at Brigetio on the Danube.

The Quadi, recognizing the futility of further resistance, dispatch envoys to Valentinian, who, upon hearing the envoys' excuse for their rebellion as the result of Roman aggression, reportedly becomes apoplectic with rage and suffers a fatal stroke on November 17, 375.

Upon his death, the sixteen-year-old Gratian is appointed sole ruler of the West.

Valens agrees to a peace.

The Quadi revolt in outrage and are joined by the Sarmatians, who cross the Danube.

The allied barbarian tribes devastate Moesia and …

…Pannonia and roll back the Roman legions, which are currently feuding with one another.

Theodosius, commander of a Roman force, halts the Sarmatians and forces them to conclude a separate peace.

Fan Hu Ta builds temples and palaces, all facing north, at My Son and Tra Kieu.