Murong Chui vs Theodosius II

Murong Chui declared himself Prince of Yan, founding the Later Yan dynasty after breaking away from the Former Qin. He established his capital at Zhongshan (modern Dingzhou, Hebei) and began consolidating power in northern China.

Murong Chui led a campaign against the Northern Wei dynasty. His forces were defeated at Canhe Slope by the Wei army under Tuoba Gui, a major setback that weakened Later Yan and led to its decline.

Murong Chui died of illness while on campaign against Northern Wei. His death left the Later Yan dynasty in a weakened state, and it soon collapsed under pressure from the Northern Wei.

Theodosius II ordered the construction of the Theodosian Walls, a massive triple fortification system that protected Constantinople. The walls were built under the direction of the praetorian prefect Anthemius. They successfully defended the city from numerous sieges for over a thousand years.

Theodosius II founded the Pandidakterion, a state-sponsored university in Constantinople. The institution had 31 chairs for Greek and Latin grammar, rhetoric, philosophy, and law. It became a major center of learning and preserved classical knowledge during the early Middle Ages.

Theodosius II oversaw the compilation of the Theodosian Code, a collection of Roman laws since the reign of Constantine I. The code was published in the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, standardizing legal practices and influencing later legal systems, including the Justinian Code.

Theodosius II's reign faced repeated invasions by the Huns under Attila. The Huns ravaged the Balkans and forced the Eastern Roman Empire to pay heavy tribute. Theodosius's policy of appeasement and payment of tribute was criticized but bought time for the empire.