Valentinian III
Imperator Caesar Flavius Valentinianus Augustus
Flavius Valentinianus, son of Constantius III and Galla Placidia, was the last long-reigning Western emperor, ruling for thirty years from age six. His reign was dominated first by his mother and then by the great general Aetius, who defeated Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields (451 AD), the most important military victory in the West's final decades. Valentinian personally murdered Aetius in 454 in a fit of jealousy; six months later he was murdered in turn by Aetius's supporters.
Valentinian III's three-decade reign is the last sustained period of western imperial governance. The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields under his general Aetius, 'the last of the Romans', was one of the most consequential battles in European history. His murder of Aetius, and his own murder six months later, set off the cascade of emperors that would lead to 476.
Key Events
Coinage
Valentinian III struck a substantial coinage over his long reign. The SALVS REIPVBLICAE (Victory writing VOT on shield) type is closely associated with him and is the most frequently encountered of his bronze issues. His gold solidus follows the standard Theodosian formula. The cross-in-wreath types on his smaller bronzes are among the most simply beautiful late Roman designs.
Denominations
Notable Types
- SALVS REIPVBLICAE (Victory and captive or writing on shield)
- VICTORIA AVGGG types (joint with Theodosius II)
- Cross-in-wreath AE4 types
- VOT MVLT types on siliquae
Common Reverses
Active Mints
Related Resources
Further Reading
- Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume X,
- Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume V,