36 Facts About Valens

In 378, Valens was defeated and killed at the Battle of Adrianople against the invading Goths, which astonished contemporaries and marked the beginning of barbarian encroachment into Roman territory.

Valens defeated, after some dithering, the usurper Procopius in 366, and campaigned against the Goths across the Danube in 367 and 369.

Valens returned from the east to fight the Goths in person, but lack of coordination with his nephew, the western emperor Gratian, as well as poor battle tactics, led to Valens and much of the eastern Roman army dying at a battle near Adrianople in 378.

In religious matters, Valens favored a compromise between Nicene Christianity and the various non-trinitarian Christian sects, and interfered little in the affairs of the pagans.

Valens and his brother Valentinian were born, in 328 and 321 respectively, to an Illyrian family resident in Cibalae in Pannonia Secunda.

Valens obtained the eastern half of the Empire: Greece, the Balkans, Egypt, Anatolia and the Levant as far as the border with the Sasanian Empire.

Valens recovered his nerve and sent an army to Constantinople; according to Ammianus Marcellinus, the soldiers defected to Procopius, whose use of his Constantinian hostages had met with some success.

Valens could turn his attention back to external enemies, the Sasanian Empire and the Goths.

In 368 Valentinian and Valens were consuls for the second time.

Ermanaric protested, and when Valens, encouraged by Valentinian, refused to make atonement to the Goths for his conduct, war was declared.

In spring 367, Valens crossed the Danube and attacked the Visigoths under Athanaric, Ermanaric's tributary.

In 369, Valens crossed again, from Noviodunum, and by devastating the country forced Athanaric into giving battle.

Valens was victorious, and took the title Gothicus Maximus in time for the celebration of his quinquennalia.

Fortunately for the Goths, Valens expected a new war with the Sasanid Empire in the Middle East and was therefore willing to come to terms.

Valentinian and Valens were consuls for the third time in 370.

Valens headed east after defeating the Goths, and began to prepare an attack on Persia, which threatened Armenia, in 375.

Valens was distracted from his campaign against the Sasanians by wars against the Saracens and the Isaurians.

Valens agreed and sent Pap back to Armenia, but as these events took place during the war with the Goths he could not support him militarily.

Valens had overstepped the 363 treaty and then successfully defended his transgression.

Valens's body was prepared for burial and started its journey to Constantinople, where it arrived the following year.

Valens allowed the Goths led by Fritigern to cross the Danube, but the Gothic settlers were abused by Roman officials and revolted in 377, seeking help from the Huns and the Alans and beginning the Gothic War.

Valens returned from the east to campaign against the Goths.

Valens asked for assistance from his nephew and co-emperor Gratian against the Goths in Thrace, and Gratian set out eastwards, though Valens did not wait for the western armies to arrive before taking the offensive.

In preparation for an eastern war, Valens initiated an ambitious recruitment program designed to fill those gaps.

In 376, the Visigoths under their leader Fritigern advanced to the far shores of the lower Danube and sent an ambassador to Valens who had set up his capital in Antioch, and requested asylum.

Valens' councillors, comes Richomeres, and his generals Frigeridus and Victor cautioned Valens to wait for the arrival of Gratian with his troops from Roman Gaul, fresh from defeating the Alemanni, and Gratian himself strenuously urged this prudent course in his letters.

Valens decided to advance at once and win a victory on his own.

Valens had left a sizeable guard with his baggage and treasures depleting his force.

The army's resources were further diminished when an ill-timed attack by the Roman archers made it necessary to recall Valens' emissary, comes Richomeres.

Valens's body was never found or given a proper burial.

Valens was wounded and carried to a small wooden hut.

Valens wore no helmet, in order to encourage his men.

Valens was deified by consecratio as Latin: Divus Valens, lit.

Valens is credited with the commission of a short history of the Roman State.

Valens was baptised by the Arian bishop of Constantinople before he set out on his first war against the Goths.

Not long after Valens died the cause of Arianism in the Roman East was to come to an end.