384

Year 384 (CCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ricomer and Clearchus (or, less frequently, year 1137 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 384 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for giving names to years.

Events

Magnus Maximus elevates his son Flavius Victor to the rank of Augustus.
Magnus Maximus returns to Britain to aid the Roman army with the barbarian raids triggered by Maximus' withdrawal of troops to the continent.
The Forum of Theodosius ("Forum of the Bull") is built in Constantinople.
Quintus Aurelius Symmachus becomes urban prefect of Rome.
An edict of Theodosius I closes pagan temples in the Nile Valley (Egypt).
Stilicho marries Serena, adopted niece of Theodosius I.

King Shapur III signs the Peace of Acilisene with Theodosius I. Armenia is divided in two kingdoms and becomes a vassal state of the Roman Empire and Persia. The friendly relations survive for 36 years.

King Chimnyu ascends to the throne of Baekje (Korea);^[1] he welcomes the Indian Buddhist monk Marananta into his palace, and later declares Buddhism the official religion.
Gogugyang becomes ruler of the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo.^[1]

Following Former Qin's defeat at the Battle of Fei River, Murong Chui, Murong Hong, and Yao Chang declares themselves emperors of Later Yan, Western Yan, and Later Qin respectively, precipitating the disintegration of Former Qin.

December 17 – Pope Siricius succeeds Damasus I as the 38th pope. He takes the title Pontifex Maximus, after it is relinquished by the late emperor Gratian.
Jerome, Christian prophet, writes his celebrated letter "De custodia virginitatis" (vow of virginity) to Eustochium, daughter of the ascetic Paula. He has by this time completed his Vulgate translation of the Gospels.
Ambrosius refuses the request of Empress Justina for a church in Milan, where she can worship according to her Arian belief.
A synod is held in Bordeaux (France).
The Gallaeci or Gallic woman Egeria concludes her Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land at about this date; her narrative of it, the Itinerarium Egeriae, may be the earliest surviving formal writing by a woman in western European culture.^[2]