Stilico's Move to Ravenna - A Depressing Recall of the Golden Age

Stilico's decision to move the seat of Western imperial power from Milan to Ravenna is a depressing reminder of how far the empire has fallen. The move was an admission that the Golden Age was dead and gone, but at least it was an aggressive response to an extremely difficult situation. Since the foundation of the tetrarchy, the Roman capital of the Gallic frontier had always been trier, located along the lower Rhine. At some point in the early 5th century, the capital was shifted some 500km south to the city of Lyon.