Valens

Flavius Valens was the younger brother of Valentinian I, given the East to govern in 364. A conscientious if limited ruler, he faced the usurpation of Procopius in 365 and wars against the Goths and Persia. In 376, confronted with hundreds of thousands of Visigoths fleeing Hunnic pressure and requesting refuge within the empire, he allowed them to cross the Danube, but corrupt Roman officials mistreated them so badly they revolted. Valens died at the Battle of Adrianople in 378, one of Rome's most catastrophic military defeats.

Adrianople was a turning point: it showed that a large Gothic force could destroy a Roman army in pitched battle, and the settlement that followed, Visigoths as semi-autonomous foederati, established the precedent for the barbarian kingdoms that would eventually replace the Western empire. Valens himself became a historical paradigm for fatal military overconfidence.

Key Events

Coinage

Valens's coinage follows the same pattern as Valentinian I's, sharing the GLORIA ROMANORVM, SECURITAS REIPVBLICAE, and RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE types. Eastern mints dominate his production. His portrait is similar to Valentinian's but with subtly different die engraving styles by mint. The parallels in their coins reflect the collegiate nature of their rule.

Related Resources

Further Reading

• Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IX, J.W.E. Pearce
• Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume V, David R. Sear