Valerius Valens

Lore & Background

In 316 Valens held the position of dux limitis ('duke of the frontier') in Dacia. After Constantine I defeated Licinius at the Battle of Cibalae on October 8, 316 (the widely accepted date; some older scholarship places it in late 316/early 317), Licinius fled to Sirmium. There, with Valens's help, he gathered a second army and gave Valens the rank of augustus, probably to replace Constantine in the West. Literary sources refer to Valens only as caesar, but numismatic evidence clearly indicates he was augustus. He adopted the name 'Valerius', customary among the Tetrarchs.

According to Petrus Patricius, Constantine was infuriated by the news of Valens's promotion, expressing rage through his facial expression and body contortion. Constantine reportedly said he had not fought and triumphed from the ocean to his current position only to accept 'that vile slave' Valens into the imperial college, while refusing his own brother-in-law Licinius because of his abominable behavior.

After Licinius's indecisive defeat at the Battle of Mardia in late 316 or early 317, Constantine forced Licinius to recognize him as senior emperor. According to the Origo Constantini Imperatoris, Valens was ordered to return to his former private station. Peace was concluded, with Licinius holding the Orient, Asia, Thrace, Moesia, and Lesser Scythia. The treaty was finalized at Serdica shortly before March 1, 317, when Constantine's sons Constantine II and Constans I were made caesars alongside Licinius's son Licinius II. Whether part of the agreement is unknown, but Licinius had Valens executed.

Reader's Guide

Valerius Valens is a minor but illustrative figure in the civil wars of the Tetrarchy. His brief elevation as augustus by Licinius in 316–317 reflects the desperate measures Licinius took after his defeat at Cibalae. Valens's execution after the peace of Serdica demonstrates how such temporary emperors were often sacrificed to secure political settlements. The episode also highlights Constantine's fury at the promotion of a low-born rival, as recorded by Petrus Patricius. Numismatic evidence confirms Valens's rank as augustus, correcting literary sources that call him only caesar. His story is preserved mainly in the Origo Constantini Imperatoris and later references, and it foreshadows Licinius's later attempt to elevate another general, Martinian, with similarly little success. Valens's legacy is that of a placeholder emperor, whose life and death were entirely subordinate to the ambitions of the major contenders.

Did You Know?

• Valens held the position of dux limitis in Dacia before being proclaimed emperor.
• He adopted the name 'Valerius', customary among the Tetrarchs.
• Numismatic evidence clearly indicates Valens was augustus, though literary sources refer to him only as caesar.
• Licinius had Valens executed after the peace treaty with Constantine, possibly as part of the agreement.