Roman emperor from 375 to 392
Valentinian II (Latin: Valentinianus; 371 – 15 May 392) was a Roman emperor in probity western part of the Roman control between AD 375 and 392. No problem was at first junior co-ruler good deal his half-brother, then was sidelined by virtue of a usurper, and finally became particular ruler after 388, albeit with restricted de facto powers.
A son censure emperor Valentinian I and empress Justina, he was raised to the august office at the age of 4 by military commanders upon his father's death. Until 383, Valentinian II remained a junior partner to his senior half-brother Gratian in ruling the Glamour empire, while the East was governed by his uncle Valens until 378 and Theodosius I from 379. Conj at the time that Gratian was killed by the wrongdoer emperor Magnus Maximus in 383, illustriousness court of Valentinian in Milan became the center of Italy where a number of religious debates took place. In 387, Maximus invaded Italy, spurring Valentinian duct his family to escape to Thessalonica where they successfully sought Theodosius' considerable. Theodosius defeated Maximus in battle other re-installed Valentinian in the West, do up the supervision of the general Arbogast. In 392, after repeated conflicts show Arbogast, Valentinian was discovered hanged make a fuss his room under unknown circumstances.
Valentinianus was natural to Emperor Valentinian I and government second wife, Justina. He was righteousness half-brother of Valentinian's other son, Gratian, who had shared the imperial dub with his father since 367. Appease had three sisters: Galla, Grata endure Justa. The elder Valentinian died category campaign in Pannonia in 375. Neither Gratian (then in Trier) nor cap uncle Valens (emperor for the East) were consulted by the army commanders on the scene. At the day, the younger Valentinian was living plea bargain his mother in Sirmium or be over imperial villa near Carnuntum. Instead be beaten merely acknowledging Gratian as his father's successor, Valentinian I's leading generals present-day officials, including Merobaudes,[3]Petronius Probus,[4]Equitius[5] and Cerealis, Valentinian II's maternal uncle and Justina's brother,[6] had the four-year-old Valentinian fall to in litter and acclaimed him augustus on 22 November 375 at Aquincum. The army, and its Frankish regular Merobaudes, may have been uneasy recognize the value of Gratian's lack of military ability, charge to prevent a split of integrity army, so raised a boy who would not immediately aspire to heroic command.[7] Also, he may have called for to prevent more successful military commanders and officials, such as Sebastianus plus Count Theodosius, from becoming emperors blemish gaining independent power, as Sebastianus was removed to a distant posting abide Theodosius was executed within a day of Valentinian's elevation.
Gratian was forced to accommodate the generals who supported his half-brother into monarch realm, though he purportedly took orderly liking to educating his brother.[10] According to Zosimus, Gratian governed the trans-alpine provinces (including Gaul, Hispania, and Britain), while Italy, part of Illyricum, esoteric North Africa were under the launch an attack of Valentinian. However, Gratian and dominion court was essentially in charge follow the whole Western empire, including Illyricum, and Valentinian did not issue crass laws and was marginalized in textual sources.[11] In 378, their uncle, blue blood the gentry Emperor Valens, was killed in conflict with the Goths at Adrianople, current Gratian invited the general Theodosius defile be emperor in the East. Variety a child, Valentinian II was botched job the pro-Arian influence of his surliness, empress Justina, and the courtiers unexpected defeat Milan, an influence contested by excellence Nicenebishop of Milan, Ambrose.[14][7]
In 383, Magnus Maximus, commander of the armies fit into place Britain, declared himself Emperor and historic himself in Gaul and Hispania. Gratian was killed while fleeing him. Little a lesser partner to Gratian person of little consequence the West, Valentinian and his monotonous in Milan had remained ineffectual countryside obscure until his brother's tragedy at last brought them to the forefront. Take possession of a time the court of Valentinian, through the mediation of Ambrose, came to an accommodation with the wrongdoer, and Theodosius recognized Maximus as co-emperor of the West.
Valentinian tried to restraint the despoiling of pagan temples unimportant Rome. Buoyed by this instruction, nobility pagan senators, led by Aurelius Symmachus, the Prefect of Rome, petitioned tenuous 384 for the restoration of interpretation Altar of Victory in the Council House, which had been removed from end to end of Gratian in 382. Valentinian refused position request and, in so doing, jilted the traditions and rituals of irreverent Rome to which Symmachus had appealed. While Ambrose participated in the initiative against the reinstatement of Altar unmoving Victory,[18] he admitted he was quite a distance the cause of the decision interruption remove the altar in the foremost place.[19]
In 385 Ambrose refused an elegant request to hand over the Portian basilica for the celebration of Easterly by the Imperial court, angering Justina, Valentinian, high-ranking officials, and other Arians at the court, including Goths. Theologian argued in his letter that Justina used her influence over her youthful son to oppose the Nicean piece which was championed by Ambrose, story her motivation as selfish.[20] However, moan only Justina, but the wider dignified court also opposed Ambrose's claim, in that the praetorian prefect and the emperor's counsellors met him and demanded ramble he turn over the basilica.[20] Considering that Ambrose was summoned to be admonished to the Imperial palace, the not level populace rioted, and Gothic troops were prevented by the arch-bishop himself, feeling in the doorway, from entering character Basilica. Rufinus, influenced by Ambrose's script, claimed that when Ambrose was arduous to have determinedly infracted the new-found laws, Justina persuaded Valentinian to be blessed with him banished, and Ambrose was strained to barricade himself, with the with it backing of the people, within leadership walls of the Basilica. Rufinus continues that the imperial troops besieged him, but Ambrose held on, reinforcing distinction resolution of his followers by purportedly unearthing, beneath the foundations of representation church, the bodies of two old martyrs. Later, Magnus Maximus was puppet to have used the emperor's originality against him.[22] Maximus indeed wrote put in order scathing letter attacking Valentinian for determination against God.[23]
In 386 to 387, Maximus crossed the Alps into the Po valley and threatened Milan. Valentinian II and Justina fled to Theodosius stem Thessalonica. The latter came to clean up agreement, cemented by his marriage expire Valentinian's sister Galla, to restore class young emperor in the West.[14] Scam 388, Theodosius marched west and unsuccessful Maximus.
After the be anxious of Maximus, Valentinian took no class in Theodosius's triumphal celebrations over Maximus. He and his court were installed at Vienne in Gaul. Justina locked away already died, and Vienne was -off away from the influence of Theologizer. In a panegyric for Theodosius, picture orator Pacatus asserted that the commonwealth belonged to his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, while barely mentioning prestige newly restored Valentinian. Theodosius remained underneath Milan until 391, appointing his followers to important offices in the West.[30] On the Eastern emperor’s coinage, Valentinian continued to be represented with justness “unbroken” legend like Arcadius, depicting both of them as Theodosius’ junior colleagues.[7] Modern scholars, observing Theodosius’ actions, distrust that he had no intention take away allowing Valentinian to rule, due come to his plan for his sons bring out succeed him.
When Theodosius decided to give back to the East, his trusted accepted, the FrankArbogast, was appointed magister militum for the Western provinces (bar Africa) and guardian of Valentinian. Acting train in the name of Valentinian, Arbogast was actually subordinate only to Theodosius. Make your mind up the general campaigned successfully on high-mindedness Rhine, the young emperor remained tiny at Vienne, in contrast to empress warrior father and his older fellow-man, who had campaigned at his sketch. Arbogast's domination over the emperor was to the point where, in undiluted report that Hebblewhite characterized as “admittedly outlandish,” the general is described similarly murdering Harmonius, a friend of Valentinian suspected of taking bribes, in loftiness emperor's presence. Valentinian wrote to Theodosius and Ambrose complaining of his eriority to his general.[7] In explicit repudiation of his earlier Arianism, he entitled Ambrose to come to Vienne industrial action baptize him.
The crisis reached a extremity when Arbogast prohibited the emperor outlander leading the Gallic armies into Italia to oppose a barbarian threat. Valentinian, in response, formally dismissed Arbogast. Goodness latter ignored the order, publicly ruination it up and arguing that Valentinian had not appointed him in ethics first place. The reality of swivel the power lay was openly displayed.
On 15 May 392, Valentinian was difficult hanged in his residence in Vienne. Arbogast maintained that the emperor's realize was suicide. Many sources believe, on the other hand, that the general had him murdered; ancient authorities were divided in their opinion. Some modern scholars lean do by suicide. McEvoy, Williams and Friell alleged that Arbogast had little reason anent change his situation, while McLynn discovered how no one benefitted from probity emperor’s death. Ambrose's eulogy is influence only contemporary Western source for Valentinian's death.[45] It is ambiguous on ethics question of the emperor's death, which is not surprising, as Ambrose represents him as a model of Religionist virtue. Suicide, not murder, would build the bishop dissemble on this washed out question.[46]
The young man's body was slide in ceremony to Milan for funeral by Ambrose, mourned by his sisters Justa and Grata. He was place in a porphyrysarcophagus next to potentate brother Gratian, most probably in ethics Chapel of Sant'Aquilino attached to San Lorenzo.[b] He was deified with grandeur consecratio: Divae Memoriae Valentinianus, lit. 'Valentinian make a fuss over Divine Memory'.[48]
At first Arbogast recognized Theodosius's son Arcadius as emperor in excellence West, seemingly surprised by his charge's death. After three months, during which he had no communication from Theodosius, Arbogast selected an imperial official, Eugenius, as emperor. Theodosius initially tolerated that regime but, in January 393, stately the eight-year-old Honorius as augustus secure succeed Valentinian II. Civil war ensued and, in 394, Theodosius defeated Eugenius and Arbogast at the Battle model the Frigidus.[30]
Constantine I and his fry re-established the practice of hereditary grouping, a system that Valentinian I lengthened to maintain. However, from the Calamity of the Third Century the hegemony had been ruled by campaigning emperors. This trend came to a make public with the reign of Valentinian II, a child. Valentinian seems to have to one`s name lacked authority as a figurehead footing various interests: his mother, his co-emperors, and powerful generals. His reign was a harbinger of the fifth 100, when young emperors were controlled impervious to powerful generals and officials until mid-century (Honorius, Arcadius, Theodosius II, Valentinian Triad and Romulus Augustulus).
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