Valens

Reign: 364 – 378; 364 – 378
Life: 328–378

In 378, Valens was defeated and killed at the Battle of Adrianople against the invading Goths, which astonished contemporaries and marked the beginning of barbarian encroachment into Roman territory. He defeated, after some dithering, the usurper Procopius in 366, and campaigned against the Goths across the Danube in 367 and 369. In the following years, Valens focused on the eastern frontier, where he faced the perennial threat of Persia, particularly in Armenia, as well as additional conflicts with the Saracens and Isaurians. Domestically, he inaugurated the Aqueduct of Valens in Constantinople, which was longer than all the aqueducts of Rome.

During Valens' reign, Arbogast ruled France, Fu Jian (337–385) ruled China, and Emperor Nintoku ruled Japan.

Further reading: The Roman Emperors by Michael Grant

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Valens

The World During Their Reign

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Further Reading

The Roman Emperors