VALENTINIAN, val"en-tin'i-an: The name of three Roman emperors.

1. Valentinian L: Emperor 365-375. For his parentage see Valens. He was born at Gibalae (probably near the modern town of Mikanovci in Lower Pannonia, Hungary) in 321; d. of a stroke of apoplexy at Bregetio (probably near Pressburg, 34 m. e.s.e. of Vienna) Nov. 17, 375. He was chosen emperor by the army after the sudden death of Jovian (see JovlnNUS, FLAVIUS CLAUDIU6). He combined with the sturdy qualities of a forceful soldier the superiority of a clever strategist, and was devoted to the welfare of his kingdom. To civil office he carried over military strictness, exacting strict obedience. While he had a certain harshness of disposition, he sought the company of the cultured and himself made essays in poetry. His life was conducted according to the ethical norms o_ Christianity. In contrast with his predecessors he was predisposed against the interference of the State in religious and ecclesiastical disputes, entering into these only when his duty as chief officer of state was clear or when peace and order were assailed (Ambrose, Epist., i. 21, in MPL, xvi. 1004). This was the case in the double choice of bishops after the death of Liberius and in the rescripts which made ecclesiastical jurisdiction independent of civil. Just.as he refrained from influencing his brother's course by taking sides with the adherents of Nicene orthodoxy, so he did not enter actively the lists against Arianism-indeed, his second consort Justina was an Arran. His edict forbidding the Montanists to set aside baptism was relatively mild (Theodosian Code, XVI., vi. 1), but the measures against the Manicheans (see Mani, Manicheans) were severe (Theodosian Code, XVI., .v. 3). His guiding principle was tolerance of all religions. The reason for this was not religious indifference,

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but a quite modern view of the relation of the State to religion. Yet this did not stand in the way of supporting by authority measures which increased the influence of the actual religion and church of the State, Christianity; thus collection of taxes on Sunday was abolished (ib. XI., vii. 1), and actors who were baptized on their supposed death-bed and then recovered were freed from the claims of their wretched caste (ib. XV.; vii. 1). The emperor in a decree of amnesty at an Easter festival expressed his Christian feelings (ib. IX., xxxviii. 3). But on the other hand, he restrained the rich from taking clerical orders to escape civil duties (XVI., ii. 21, XVII., xviii. 19), and was inexorable in denouncing and punishing the faults of the clergy and monks (ib. XVI., ii. 20-21), especially in an edict of July 30, 370, followed by directions to bishops and nuns, of which Jerome remarks, "I do not complain of the law, but I grieve that we merit it" (Epist., Iii. 6). He often expressed himself with tolerance toward heathenism at the beginning of his reign. To the (heathen) priesthood their old rights were confirmed, and the haruspices were not really as sailed; only nocturnal magic and sacrificial rites were strongly forbidden, but on the ground of the peril to political institutions. The altar of Victory remained in the court where Julian had restored it. But these favors to Hellenism were rooted in the facts that the course of the restoration of heathenism had shown that this religion had no future and that it was undesirable to set any fraction of the population in a position of unrest and opposition. As to the family relations of Valentinian it may be said that he divorced his first consort Valeria Severs, who bore him Gratian, because she abused her imperial position, and married Justina, who bore him Justinian II. He was buried in the Church of the Apostles at Constantinople.

2. Valentinian II.: Emperor 375-383. This em peror was the son of Valentinian I. and his sec ond consort Justina. After the death of his father he was proclaimed by the soldiers in the camp, though he was but four years old and his elder brother Gratian was the legitimate heir. In fact Gratian was till his death the real ruler, as is shown by his calling Theodosius (q.v.) to the coregency and by the fact that the laws for the Western Empire until 383 issued from him. After Gratian's death Theodosius yielded to Valentinian the lands of his brother, but kept in his own hands decisions of all weighty matters. Under his mother's influence Valentinian took the Arians under his protec tion. Auxentius was the Arian bishop of Milan, against whom Ambrose (see Ambrose, Saint of Milan) at once took up the fight. An edict of Jan. 23, 386, insured toleration for the [Arian] adherents of the Synod of Ariminum (Theodosian Code, XVI., i. 4), and other enactments were intended for the benefit of the Arians. But Theodosius succeeded in halting this policy and indeed changing it to a con trary tenor (ib. XVI., v. 15). Paganism made an attempt under Valentinian to win back the rights lost under Gratian, this taking place under the lead ership 6f Symmachus and Praetextatus at Rome, and the matter of the restoration of the altar of Victory was again in the foreground; but this and XIL-9

a later attempt in 392 were resultless. Valentinian was murdered in his twentieth year at Vienne at the instigation of Arbogast; he died unbaptized, and his body was brought to Milan, where Ambrose delivered the oration (extant in .MPL, xvi. 1557 sqq.). This was one of rhetorical and somewhat exuberant praise, showing that Ambrose had won great influence over the emperor, whose youth and inexperience made necessary the guidance of others; he was therefore not really responsible for the administration. He was, moreover, not strong in physique, and arduous labor was irksome.

3. Valentinian III.: Emperor 425-455. Under Flavius Honorius (q.v.) the Western Empire declined rapidly. Germans and Huns flowed over the boundaries and elected their usurpers. In this situation the clever and resolute Galls Placidia, daughter of the great Theodosius (q.v.), became influential. She had been married to the general and (later) co regent Conatantius, to whom she bore, in 419, FIa vius Placidius Valentinianus. In 425, after-the death of Honorius, this son obtained the crown through the help of Theodosius H., though until her death in 450 his mother as guardian carried on the business of State. His reign is notable for the decree of June 6, 445, which states: " Let that be a law to all-whatever the authority of the Roman see has sanctioned or shall sanction " (Mirbt, Quellen, p. 65). The contest with Manicheism was continued, though the conflict with heathenism was practically won. Valentinian was murdered in 455, and with him ended the western branch o_ the Theodosian family.

(Victor Schultze.)

Bibliography: The sources are the same as for Valens (q.v.). Consult: L. S. Le Nain de Tillemont, Hist. des empereura, vol. v., 8 vols., Paris, 1720-38 (not to be overlooked); H. F. Clinton, Fasti Romani. The civil and literary Chronology of Rome and Constantinople, 2 vols., Oxford, I845-50 (important; summarizes legislation); J. V. A. de Broglie, L'EDldse at l'empire romair au iv. sikcle, 6 vols., Paris, 1858-8B; H. Richter, Das meatrdraische Reich, Berlin, 1885; E. von Wietersheim, Geaclaichte der Y6lkenoanderunD, vol. ii., Leipsic, 1881; M. Ride, Damasus, Bischof von Rom, Freiburg, 1882; T. Forster, Ambrosias, Bischof von MaiZand, Halle, 1884; H. Schiller, Geschichte der römischen KaiserzeiE, vol. ii., Gotha, 1887; V. Schultze, Geschichte des UnterDanDea des griechiach-römischen Heidentuma, vol. i., Jena, 1887; , G . Rauschen, Jahrbücher der christlichen Kirche urter dem Kaiser Theodosius dem Grosser, Freiburg, 1897; S. Dill, Roman Society in the Last Century of the Western Empire, London, 1898; Mirbt, Quellen, pp. 62 sqq. (for the citation of passages from the edicts which concern Christianity); W. Smith, Dictionary or Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, iii. 1207-14, London, 1890 (good and full for the secular and civil sides of these reigns); Neander. Christian Church, Vol. ii., passim; DCB, iv. 1073-75. For the legislation of these emperors an important work is J. Gothofredus. Codex Theodosianua cum perpetuis commentanie, vol. vi., Leipsic, 1743.