Overview
The 380s refers to the decade from AD 380 to 389. It was a period of significant political and religious change across Eurasia. In the Roman world the relationship between emperors, barbarian federates and the Christian church reshaped imperial policy. In East Asia, military and dynastic reversals altered the balance of power in China. These developments contributed to longer-term shifts that shaped the later fourth and early fifth centuries.
Major developments
Several connected processes stand out: the formal elevation of Nicene Christianity within the Roman state, accommodation and settlement of Gothic groups inside imperial territory, and the eruption of new political centers in northern China following decisive battles. Regional rulers and church leaders became central actors in public life.
Important events and figures
- Edict making Nicene Christianity the favored imperial faith (AD 380) and the convocation of the Constantinople council (381), which strengthened the Nicene creed's standing.
- Theodosius I, as eastern emperor, worked alongside Gratian and Valentinian II, confronting usurpers such as Magnus Maximus (proclaimed 383) and later defeating him.
- In 382 a formal arrangement placed many Gothic groups on land within the empire as foederati, a precedent for later settlement patterns.
- In China the defeat of a large northern power at the Battle of Fei River (383) halted a major unification attempt and accelerated fragmentation of northern regimes.
Significance and legacy
The 380s accelerated the fusion of church and state in the Roman Empire, shaped migration and military settlement patterns on its frontiers, and presaged political realignments across Eurasia. Religious, military and administrative choices made in this decade influenced social and ecclesiastical developments for generations.