Valentinian I

  • Valentinian I (364-375 CE) is considered to have been the ‘Last Great Western Roman Emperor’.

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

  • NAME:
    • Flavius Valentinianus.
  • VALENTINIAN I’ DATES OF REIGN AS EMPEROR:
    • 26 February 364 CE to 17 November 375 CE.
    • Co-Emperor with his brother Valens in the East.
  • VALENTINIAN I’ DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
    • Born: 3 July 321 CE. Died: 17 November 375 CE.
  • PLACE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
    • Born in Cibalae, Pannonia Secunda. Died in Brigetio, Pannonia Valeria.
  • VALENTINIAN I’ PREDECESSOR:
  • VALENTINIAN I’ SUCCESSOR:
  • VALENTINIAN I’ RIGHT HAND MAN:
  • VALENTINIAN I’ WIVES AND CHILDREN:
  • HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
  • DIED PEACEFULLY OR ASSASSINATED:
    • He died from a burst blood vessel, whilst shouting in a fit of rage. This happened during an audience with a delegation from the Quadi, who’s attitude he had found outrageous.
  • WHERE BURIED:
  • VALENTINIAN I WAS FAMOUS BECAUSE:
    • Considered to have been the ‘Last Great Western Roman Emperor’.
    • He most probably established Valentia, named after himself, as a fifth Province in Britannia.

2. BRIEF SYNOPSIS

  • RISE TO POWER:
    • Gratianus Major, Valentinian I’s father had been a senior Commander under Constantine I. However, when Constantius II defeated Magnentius, he confiscated Gratianus Major’s estates, for allegedly favouring Magnetius. Yet, Valentinian I‘ career was not affected by his father’s downfall.
    • In 355 CE, The Alemanni and Franks invaded Gaul, where there were two Roman armies. Constantius II had placed Julian in command of one army and Barbatio in command of the other. The Alemanni bypassed both armies and attacked Lyon.
    • Julian then sent the two Tribunes, Valentinian I and Bainobaudes to lay an ambush on the road where the Alemanni would return. Due to a failure in co-ordination, the Romans suffered heavy losses when the Alemanni attacked.
    • Barbatio complained to Constantius II, who had Valentinian I and Bainobaudes dismissed from the Roman Army.
    • Valentinian I retired to his estates in Sirmium.

  • Proclaimed Emperor by the Senate:

    • When Jovian died on his way to Constantinople, the senators proclaimed Valentinian I Emperor, although the Army was not yet for him.
    • On 26 February 364 CE, Valentinian I accepted to be Emperor of the West based at Milan, and on 28 February, selected Valens as Emperor of the East, based at Constantinople. This division reassured the Senate of his commitment to them, and preventing a rebellion by the Legions in the west.
  • THE ALEMANNI REPEATEDLY INVADE GAUL:
    • In January 365 CE, the Alemanni successfully invaded Gaul, defeating the Roman Armies there.
    • In November 365 CE, just as Valentinian I was travelling to Gaul, Procopious rebelled against Valens in the East. He paid two Legions to join him and ruled Constantinople, Thracia and Bithynia.
    • In 366 CE, advised not to go East against Procopious, Valentinian I arrived in Rheims and sent two Generals against the Alemanni. They were defeated and killed in battle. Valentinian I sent another General who also was defeated. Finally, Valentinian I sent Jovinus who successfully expelled the Alemanni from Gaul.
    • In 367 CE, Valentinian I was unable to invade Germania and punish the Alemanni due to The Great Conspiracy in Britannia. The Alemanni took advantage and sacked Mainz. Meanwhile, Valentinian I gathered a large army together.
    • In Spring of 368 CE, Valentinian I crossed the Rhine with this army and defeated the Alemanni at the Battle of Solicinium, but with heavy Roman losses. He withdrew to Trier for the winter.
    • During 369 CE, he refortified the Rhine frontier.
    • In 370 CE, a Saxon army invaded Gaul, but was destroyed when it tried to return.
    • Durind 370-374 CE, Valentinian I negotiated to become allies of the Burgundians, who were enemies of the Alemanni, and this dented their attacks. This allowed the Magister equitum Theodosius to successfully invade the Alemanni and take many of them captive back to Italy. However, the position was a stalemate.
    • In 374 CE, the Quadi and Sarmatians invaded across the Danube, and Valentinian I was forced to sign a peace treaty with the Alemanni.
  • THE REVOLT OF PROCOPIOUS (365-366 CE)
    • In February 365 CE, Procopious, unable to conceal himself safely, came out of hiding and paid two Legions to join his rebellion against Valens in the East. He then ruled Constantinople, Thracia and Bithynia.
    • Eventually, in 366 CE, Valens confronted Procopious’ army and defeated him at the Battle of Thyatira, Lydia. Procopious was executed on 27 May 366 CE.
  • THE GREAT CONSPIRACY (367-8 CE)
    • The Great Conspiracy during 367-8 CE, was a combined invasion of the Scots, Picts and Saxons, which lasted for one year.
    • The Garrisons on Hadrian's Wall rebelled, and allowed an invasion of the Picts to pass through.
    • They were demoralised after Britannia had been depleted of troops by the Usurper Magnentius who had used them in 351 CE for the Battle of Mursa Major, on the R. Drava (Croatia) the bloodiest civil war of the Roman Empire.
    • Simultaneously, the Attacotti and the Scotti from Hibernia landed on the western coast and the Saxons from Germania landed on the Eastern coast. The Franks and Saxons also invaded northern Gaul.
    • The landings were co-ordinated and planned in prearranged waves.
    • Western and Northern Britannia was occupied, after all resistance was overcome and the cities of Britannia sacked.
    • The Count of the Saxon Shore, Nectaridus and the Dux Britanniarum, Fullofaudes, who controlled Hadrian's Wall from York, were killed.
    • Despite initial failures, the invasion was finally defeated when Valentinian I sent General Theodosius in 368 CE. General Theodosius took several Legions and landed at Richborough before moving to London.
    • General Theodosius restored Roman Rule and quelled another rebellion, staying on to rebuild the fortifications, and establish a fifth Province called Valentia.
    • General Theodosius left Britannia in 369 CE.
  • REVOLT IN AFRICA
    • In 372 CE Firmus rebelled against the Comes, Romanus. Romanus was perceived as corrupt, had failed to prevent Nomadic raids and was involved in the internecine warfare of the children of Nubel, the Roman Client King.
    • Valentinian I sent General Theodosius, who took two years to restore order, defeat Firmus and successfully prosecute Romanus and his advisers for corruption.
  • THE QUADI INVASION ACROSS THE DANUBE
    • In 373 CE, The Quadi were negotiating with the Prefect of the Danube defenses, about the fortifications being built on their lands, when their king was murdered during negotiations. During the Autumn, the Quadi and the Sarmatians crossed the Danube and invaded Pannonia Valeria. When two legions were sent against them, the legions were defeated. The Sarmatians also invaded Moesia, but were successfully repelled.
    • Valentinian I arrived in Carnuntum in the spring of 374 CE to find it deserted. The Quadi sent envoys to apologise, but Valentinian I amassed his armies, crossed the Danube at Aquincum, and laid desolate the Quadi lands. However, no Quadi army opposed him, so he returned to winter in Brigetio, from where he decided to invade again within a few weeks.
  • DEATH
    • On 17 November, the Quadi sent a delegation to negotiate a peace. During the audience, Valentinian I found the envoys attitude so outrageous that he started shouting at them in a fit of rage. Valentinian I died from a burst blood vessel in his head.

3. MONUMENTS

  • Colossus of Barletta
    • Located in Barletta, Italy.
    • It is a Bronze statue of an Eastern Roman Emperor, 16ft 7in tall (5.11m) and variously attributed to be of either Valentinian I, Justinian I or Theodosius I.
    • It was found washed up on the beach from a Venetian shipwreck, after the Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 CE.

3. BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

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