VALENS (Flavius Valens)

• When Jovian died on 16th February 364, the Roman army elected Valentinian I to succeed him.
• Valentinian chose his brother Valens to share his rule, as augustus in the East, while he ruled the West.
• Valens was born in Cibalae (near modern Osijek, Croatia), in the province of Pannonia.
• In 365 Procopius rebelled at Constantinople. In 366 he was defeated and Procopius was put to death by order of Valens (May 27th, 366).
• In 375, the Ostrogoths under Fritigern had been allowed to settle within the Roman Empire.
• In 378, they rebelled and on August 9th 378, Valens with his eastern army, proceeded to attack the Visigoths and Ostrogoths at Adrianople.
• Due to the poor judgement of Valens and trickery by the barbarians, the Roman army was slaughtered and Valens killed, his body never found.