Valentinian, the name of three Roman emperors.
(321–375 A.D.), emperor 364–75. He was born into a poor family in Pannonia, along the middle Danube. Valentinian became a Roman general, and after the death of Emperor Jovian was chosen by the army as his successor. At that time the empire was hard pressed by barbarian invaders. Finding the task of defense too great for one ruler, Valentinian divided the empire; he took the West and assigned the East to his brother Valens.
Valentinian spent most of his reign fighting Germanic invaders along the Rhine. He died while campaigning against another Germanic tribe that had crossed the Danube. Valentinian restored Christianity as the favored religion but permitted religious freedom.
(372–392), emperor 375–92. He and his half-brother Gratian became co-emperors on the death of their father, Valentinian I. In 383 Gratian was killed during a revolt led by Maximus. In 387 Maximus invaded Italy and forced Valentinian to flee to Theodosius I, the emperor of the East. Theodosius restored Valentinian to his throne. Valentinian was murdered by one of his generals. Valentinian's mother, Justina, served as regent during most of his reign.
(419–455), emperor 425–55. He came to the throne on the death of his father, Constantius III. During his reign Germanic invaders seized North Africa and Sicily and parts of Spain and Gaul (France), but the Roman army won a great victory over Attila the Hun. Valentinian contributed to the growth of the papacy by giving Leo I, bishop of Rome, authority over other bishops in the Roman Empire.
