ITEM: Pendant with Theodosius I coin MATERIAL: Silver and bronze CULTURE: Roman PERIOD: 4th Century A.D DIMENSIONS: 19 mm diameter CONDITION: Good condition. Original coin within a modern handmade circular silver setting. PROVENANCE: Ex Belgian private collection, acquired in the 1990s (Coin) Comes with Certificate of Authenticity. COIN DESCRIPTION: "Theodosius I (379-395) AE3 of Antioch. 378-383 AD. DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA AVGGG, Constantinopolis, helmeted, seated facing, head right, on throne, holding partly seen spear and globe; right leg bare; left foot on prow, Θ in left field. Mintmark ANTB. RIC IX 47c; Cohen 5. 18mm 2.04g" Theodosius I, also known as Theodosius the Great, was the last emperor to rule over both the Eastern and Western halves of the Roman Empire. Ascending to the throne in 379 AD during a period of intense military crisis following the disastrous Battle of Adrianople, he was tasked with stabilizing the frontiers against Gothic incursions. However, his most enduring legacy lies in his religious policy. With the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD, he established Nicene Christianity as the official state religion of the Roman Empire, effectively ending the state's historical neutrality toward various Christian interpretations and pagan traditions. Beyond promoting Nicene Orthodoxy, Theodosius took active steps to dismantle the infrastructure of ancient Roman religion. He issued a series of decrees, often referred to as the "Theodosian Decrees," which prohibited public pagan sacrifices and led to the closure or destruction of many classical temples. It was during his reign that the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta was extinguished and the Vestal Virgins disbanded. Most notably, he is often credited with the abolition of the ancient Olympic Games around 393 AD, viewing them as a pagan festival incompatible with the Christian character of the empire. The reign of Theodosius marked a definitive turning point in European history, representing the final transition from the classical Roman world to the early medieval Byzantine era. Upon his death in 395 AD, the empire was formally partitioned between his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius. While intended as a administrative division, this split became permanent, as the Western Roman Empire began a rapid decline while the East transformed into the enduring Byzantine Empire. His staunch defense of the church and his administrative reforms solidified the role of the Emperor as a defender of the faith, a model that would define European monarchy for centuries.