Valentinian II
Imperator Caesar Flavius Valentinianus Junior Augustus
Flavius Valentinianus Junior was the infant half-brother of Gratian, proclaimed Augustus by the Pannonian army upon his father Valentinian I's sudden death in 375. Throughout his reign he was effectively dominated by more powerful figures: initially his general Merobaudes, then Magnus Maximus (who drove him from the West in 387), then the Frankish general Arbogast after Theodosius restored him in 388. He was found hanged in his quarters at Vienne in 392, aged 21. Arbogast claimed suicide, but many suspected murder.
Valentinian II is a poignant figure, a child emperor who never escaped the shadow of more powerful men. His death, and the immediate proclamation of Eugenius, set in motion the conflict between Theodosius and the last pagan revival under Arbogast and Eugenius.
Key Events
Coinage
Valentinian II's coinage is plentiful across his long nominal reign, following the Valentinianic-Theodosian type sequence. SPES ROMANORVM, REPARATIO REIPVB, and VICTORIA AVGVSTI are the standard reverses. His portrait evolves from a childlike face in early issues to a young man's in later types, the visual record of a reign he never truly controlled.
Denominations
Notable Types
- SPES ROMANORVM (Hope of the Romans)
- REPARATIO REIPVB types
- VICTORIA AVGGG types (joint with Theodosius and Arcadius)
- VOT X MVLT XX types
Common Reverses
Active Mints
Related Resources
Further Reading
- Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IX,
- Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume V,