Valerius Valens

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Not to be confused with Valens.
Valerius Valens
Constantine I
)
BornAurelius Valens
DiedMarch 317
Names
Aurelius Valerius Valens

Aurelius Valerius Valens (died March 317), rarely enumerated as Valens I,

Constantine I
, emperor of the West.

Biography

In 316 Valens held the position of dux limitis ("duke of the frontier") in Dacia. On October 8, Constantine I, who controlled the west, won a overwhelming victory at the Battle of Cibalae against Licinius, his co-emperor in the East. The battle is sometimes dated to 314, but contemporary sources indicate that it occurred in 317.[2] Licinius fled to Sirmium where, with the help of Valens, he gathered a second army. He gave Valens the rank of augustus (emperor), probably to replace Constantine in the West. Literary sources refer to Valens only as caesar (heir apparent), but numismatic evidence clearly indicates that he was augustus.[3] Valens adopted the name "Valerius", as was customary among the Tetrarchs.[4]

According to

Petrus Patricius, Constantine was infuriated by the news of Valens' promotion:[5]

"The emperor made clear the extent of his rage by his facial expression and by the contortion of his body. Almost unable to speak, he said, "We have not come to this present state of affairs, nor have we fought and triumphed from the ocean till where we have now arrived, just so that we should refuse to have our own brother-in-law as joint ruler because of his abominable behaviour, and so that we should deny his close kinship, but accept that vile slave [i.e. Valens] with him into imperial college".[6]

After Licinius's indecisive defeat at the

Constans I were made caesares alongside Licinius' son Licinius II.[8] Whether it was part of the agreement is unknown, but Licinius also had Valens executed.[9][10] Much later, Licinius would try to elevate another general, Martinian
, as co-emperor. However, this had just as little success, resulting in Licinius' defeat and execution.

Citations

  1. ^ Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG, Auction 125
  2. S2CID 163051414
    .
  3. ^ Odahl 2004, p. 305 n.9.
  4. ISBN 9783110914603
    .
  5. Excerpta de legationibus ad gentes
    at N.C. Lieu, D. Montserrat, 1996 p.58
  6. ^ "ευτελές ανδράποδον" in the original Greek text (J. P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol.113, col. 672). Cited in Lieu, Samuel; Montserrat, Dominic (2002). From Constantine to Julian: Pagan and Byzantine Views. p. 48.
  7. ^ Origo Constantini Imperatoris 18.
  8. ^ Odahl 2004, p. 145.
  9. ^ Epitome de Caesaribus 40, 9.
  10. ^ Zosimus, Book II, 20.

References

External links

Regnal titles
Preceded by Roman emperor
316–317
With: Licinius 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valerius_Valens&oldid=1208847716"