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Valentinian II
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Valentinian II
Valentinian II (Latin: Valentinianus; 371 – 15 May 392) was a Roman emperor in the western part of the Roman Empire between AD 375 and 392. He was at first junior co-ruler of his half-brother, then was sidelined by a usurper, and finally became sole ruler after 388, albeit with limited de facto powers. He was the youngest emperor (co-ruler) in the Western Roman Empire (aged 4).
A son of emperor Valentinian I and empress Justina, he was raised to the imperial office at the age of four by military commanders upon his father's death. Until 383, Valentinian II remained a junior partner to his older half-brother Gratian in ruling the Western empire, while the East was governed by his uncle Valens until 378 and Theodosius I from 379. When the usurper emperor Magnus Maximus killed Gratian in 383, the court of Valentinian II in Milan became the locus of confrontations between adherents to Nicene and Arian Christianity. In 387, Maximus invaded Italy, spurring Valentinian II and his family to escape to Thessalonica where they successfully sought Theodosius's aid. Theodosius defeated Maximus in battle and re-installed Valentinian II.
Valentinian II ruled from Gaul after being restored to power in 388. He was largely under the control of Arbogast, a powerful general and regent. In 392, Valentinian II was found dead in his palace, a death some at the time believed was a suicide and others a murder orchestrated by Arbogast, whom the emperor had tried to dismiss.
He was born Valentinianus to Emperor Valentinian I and his second wife Justina. His paternal half-brother Gratian had been sharing the imperial title with their father since 367. He had three sisters: Galla, Grata and Justa.
The elder Valentinian died on campaign in Pannonia in 375. Neither Gratian (then in Trier) nor his uncle Valens (emperor of the East) were consulted by the army commanders on the scene. The four-year-old Valentinianus and his mother Justina were living in Sirmium or an imperial villa near Carnuntum.
Valentinian I's leading generals and officials did not acknowledge Gratian as his father's successor. These officials—among them Merobaudes, Petronius Probus, Equitius and Cerealis (Valentinianus's maternal uncle), instead had the four-year-old Valentinianus brought to Aquincum where they named him augustus Valentinian II on 22 November 375.
The army and its Frankish general Merobaudes were likely concerned about Gratian's limited military skills and—to prevent a split within its ranks—elevated the four-year-old to emperor, with the generals assuming that they themselves would take command.
Merobaudes may have also wanted to prevent rivals such as Sebastianus and Count Theodosius (not to be confused with Emperor Theodosius I) from becoming emperor or gaining independent power; within a year of Valentinian's elevation, Sebastianus was removed to a distant posting and Count Theodosius was executed.
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Valentinian II
Valentinian II (Latin: Valentinianus; 371 – 15 May 392) was a Roman emperor in the western part of the Roman Empire between AD 375 and 392. He was at first junior co-ruler of his half-brother, then was sidelined by a usurper, and finally became sole ruler after 388, albeit with limited de facto powers. He was the youngest emperor (co-ruler) in the Western Roman Empire (aged 4).
A son of emperor Valentinian I and empress Justina, he was raised to the imperial office at the age of four by military commanders upon his father's death. Until 383, Valentinian II remained a junior partner to his older half-brother Gratian in ruling the Western empire, while the East was governed by his uncle Valens until 378 and Theodosius I from 379. When the usurper emperor Magnus Maximus killed Gratian in 383, the court of Valentinian II in Milan became the locus of confrontations between adherents to Nicene and Arian Christianity. In 387, Maximus invaded Italy, spurring Valentinian II and his family to escape to Thessalonica where they successfully sought Theodosius's aid. Theodosius defeated Maximus in battle and re-installed Valentinian II.
Valentinian II ruled from Gaul after being restored to power in 388. He was largely under the control of Arbogast, a powerful general and regent. In 392, Valentinian II was found dead in his palace, a death some at the time believed was a suicide and others a murder orchestrated by Arbogast, whom the emperor had tried to dismiss.
He was born Valentinianus to Emperor Valentinian I and his second wife Justina. His paternal half-brother Gratian had been sharing the imperial title with their father since 367. He had three sisters: Galla, Grata and Justa.
The elder Valentinian died on campaign in Pannonia in 375. Neither Gratian (then in Trier) nor his uncle Valens (emperor of the East) were consulted by the army commanders on the scene. The four-year-old Valentinianus and his mother Justina were living in Sirmium or an imperial villa near Carnuntum.
Valentinian I's leading generals and officials did not acknowledge Gratian as his father's successor. These officials—among them Merobaudes, Petronius Probus, Equitius and Cerealis (Valentinianus's maternal uncle), instead had the four-year-old Valentinianus brought to Aquincum where they named him augustus Valentinian II on 22 November 375.
The army and its Frankish general Merobaudes were likely concerned about Gratian's limited military skills and—to prevent a split within its ranks—elevated the four-year-old to emperor, with the generals assuming that they themselves would take command.
Merobaudes may have also wanted to prevent rivals such as Sebastianus and Count Theodosius (not to be confused with Emperor Theodosius I) from becoming emperor or gaining independent power; within a year of Valentinian's elevation, Sebastianus was removed to a distant posting and Count Theodosius was executed.
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