Theodosius I

1 9.9

Roman emperor from 379 to 395 who made Christianity the state religion and banned pagan worship

proper noun
/θiˈoʊdəʊʃəs aɪ/

: Teodosio I

Emperor Theodosius I ruled from 379 to 395.

Examples

Theodosius I is remembered for making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The ban on pagan rituals under Theodosius I marked a turning point in the empire's religious policies.
During the reign of Theodosius I, the empire was still under a single ruler before it permanently split.
Did Theodosius I declare Christianity the state religion?
Theodosius I is remembered for making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
The ban on pagan rituals under Theodosius I marked a turning point in the empire's religious policies.
During the reign of Theodosius I, the empire was still under a single ruler before it permanently split.

Surface Forms

Theodosius I main

Morphology

Theodosius + I

This is a referential proper name for a historical person; the specific meaning (that he was a Roman emperor who ruled 379–395 and made Christianity state religion) cannot be derived from the constituent tokens. The element 'I' only marks an ordinal ('the first') but does not convey the historical role or facts, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to infer the full meaning.

Etymology

Theodosius I was a Roman emperor who made 'Christianity' the only official religion and ordered many old pagan temples closed. He is remembered as the ruler who changed the empire's religion and was the last to rule both the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire.