A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1210 VALENTINIANUS. VALENTINIANUS.
Valentinian passed the winter of A. i?. 373 at enactments. His many great qualities entitle him
Milan, but he was again at Trdves in May and to a place among the most distinguished of tho
June of the following year A. D. 374. He was illustrious Romans. [G. L.]
upon the Rhine, probably in the neighbourhood of
Bale, when he received intelligence of the Quadi
invading Illyricum: the cause Was this. As the
emperor was anxious to protect the frontiers, he ordered some forts to be built north of the Danube, in
the country of the Quadi. The Quadi complained
of this encroachment to Equitius, master-general
of Illyricum, who consented to suspend the works
till the emperor had signified his pleasure. But
Marcellinus, the son of Maximinus, was made dux
of Valeria, a province of Illyricum, by his father's COIN OF VALENTINIANUS I.
interest, and he continued the fortifications with- VALENTINIA'NUS IT., Roman emperor
out troubling himself about the Quadi. The king A. D. 375-392, a son of Valentinianus I., was
of the Quadi, Gabinius, came to remonstrate with with his mother Justina, about one hundred miles
Marcellinus, who received him civilly and asked from the camp of Bregetio, when his father died
him to eat; but as the king was retiring after there, A. D. 375. His brother Gratianus was at
the entertainment, the Roman treacherously caused Trdves. Valentinian and his mother were sumhim to be assassinated. The Quadi, joined by the moned to Bregetio, when the army proclaimed
Sarmatians, crossed the river into the Roman pro- Valentinian, Augustus, six days after his father's
vince, which was destitute of troops, and destroyed death. He was then only four or five years of age;
the grain which was ready for the harvest. Probus, and Gratian was only about seventeen. Gratian
Praefectus Praetorio, though much alarmed, pre- assented to the choice of the army, and a division
pared to defend Sirmium; but the barbarians did of the VWest was made between the two brothers.
not disturb him, and preferred running after Valentinian had Italy, Illyricum and Africa. GraEquitius to whom they attributed the death of tian had the Gauls, Spain and Britain. This
their king. The barbarians destroyed two legions, division, however, if it actually took place, was
and the province would have been lost, but for the merely nominal, and Gratian as long as he lived
vigour and courage of a young man, who was after- was actually emperor of the West. One reason for
wards the emperor Theodosius. supposing that Gratian really retained all the imValentinian heard of this incursion of the Quadi perial power is the fact, that after the death of
at his royal residence of Treves, but he deferred Valens, and in A. D. 379, Gratian ceded a part of
his campaign against the Quadi to the following Illyricum to Theodosius I., whom he declared emyear, and in the mean time he employed himself peror of the East. This seems to show at least
ill securing the friendship of Macrianus, king of the that the division of the empire of the West between
Allemanni, with whom he had an interview near Gratian and Valentinian was not completed at the
Mainz. Macrianus accepted the terms which the time when Theodosius received a part of Illyricum.
Roman emperor came to offer, and became the In A. D. 383, Gratian was murdered at Lyon.
ally, or at least not the enemy of Valentinian. [GRATIANUS; THEODOSIUS I.] Milan was the
The emperor spent this, his last winter at Trdves, chief residence of Valentinian II. from the time
which he did not quit till the month of April, A. D. of his father's death, and he was in this city
375, to march towards Illyricum. He took with during A. D. 384. He made Symmachus prefect of
him his wife Justina and his second son Valen- Rome, probably about the close of A. D. 383.
tinian. Gratian was left at Trbves. Valentinian was still at Milan in the first half of
The emperor fixed his head-quarters at Car- A. D. 386, and afterwards at Aquileia. His mother
nuntum, which was probably on the Danube, and Justina, who acted in his name, and was an Arian,
below the site of Vienna. His first care was to employed herself in persecuting the Catholics during
inquire into the conduct of Probus, the praefect, this and the following year. In A. D. 386, Valenwho was charged with oppressing the people; but tinian addressed a letter to Sallustius, the prefect
Valentinian did not live long enough to come to of Rome, in which he ordered him to rebuild the
any decision about Probus. After preparing for church of St. Paul, near Rome, on the road to
the campaign the emperor crossed the Danube, Ostia. The church was rebuilt, but apparently
but his operations were not very decisive, and at somewhat later than the time of this order.
the approach of winter he re-crossed the river, Maximus, who had usurped the throne of Gratian,
and fixed himself at Bregetio, probably near Pres- left Valentinian a precarious authority out of fear
burg. While giving an audience to the deputies for Theodosius I.: but in August, A. D. 387, he
of the Quadi, and speaking with great heat, he suddenly crossed the Alps, and advanced towards
fell down in a fit and expired suddenly on the Milan, the usual residence of Valentinian. The
17th of November, after areign of twelve years, emperor and his mother fled to the Hadriatic,
all but a hundred days. His body was embalmed where they took shippingand arrived at Thessalonica.
and carried to Constantinople to be interred. In A. D. 388, Theodosius defeated Maximus, and
Gibbon's sketch of the reign of Valentinian and restored Valentinian to his authority as emperor of
Valens (c. 25) has great merit: it is rapid, exact the West. [THEODOSIUS I.] In It. D. 389, Valeland instructive Tillemont (Histoire des Empe- tinian went into Gaul to conduct operations against
reurs, v.) is painfully minute as usual; but his the Franks on the Rhine. Arbogast was at that
authorities are always valuable, and his judgment, time commander of the Romalla forces in Gaul.,when not biassed by his peculiar way of thinking, Nothing further is recorded of this campaigll, esis generally sound. The reign of Valentinian is cept that Valentinian had a conference with IMarworth a careful study in his extant legislative j comir and Sunnon, the chiefs of the Flra:lnks, who