1 gen 395 anni - increasingly: ceremonial child emperors

Descrizione:

more layers of administration, government could run somewhat autonomously

Constantinople as a capital is more and more established
noble elites gain power: eunuchs, praetorian prefects, civil officials, barbarian generals, imperial women (carry legitimacy, honor, connections to religion)

shift is due to emperors dying in battle (e.g. Valens), succession crises (no appointed heirs)