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Although he hailed from a family of military distinction, Flavius Julius Valens (328 – 378 AD) proved slow to forge his own military career. In contrast, his brother Valentinian rapidly advanced within the Roman army’s hierarchy, and achieved the ultimate rank of Augustus in early 364 AD. Valentinian split an already bipolarized Empire, choosing to focus his own reign on the western territories. Looking for someone he could trust to delegate rule over the rest, Valentinian selected brother Valens as co-Augustus with control over the eastern provinces.
Valens set up court at Constantinople, training himself and his armies to grapple with the Roman Empire’s eastern nemesis, the Sassanid Empire. The previous Emperor Jovian had acceded much of Mesopotamia and Armenia to Sassanid King Shapur II, and now Valens stove to strike back. However, in 365 AD while Valens marched eastward, an uprising swelled in Constantinople, led by the usurper Procopius, the cousin of Julian whom many opined had a legitimate claim to the throne. Valens sent two legions to deal with Procopius’ threat; instead they deserted to the usurper’s side. Valens was now forced to personal attend to the increasingly serious domestic threat. Dealing with the Sassanids would have to wait. It took years for Valens to finally defeat Procopius, and mop up the various barbarian tribes who supported the usurper. Meanwhile, the Sassanids continued to expand their influence over a sparsely defended Armenia. In response, Valens moved his base to Antioch, and his generals sparred on and off for years with the Sassanids. Around 371 AD, a quasi-peace was reached in Armenia that lasted several years, largely because Sassanid King Shapur II had to deal with an enemy invasion on his eastern frontier.
Although it was a good opportunity to strike at the Sassanids, Valens' attention was drawn back once again towards his own Empire. In 375 AD, Valens' heard word of his brother’s death in the west, followed by the ascension of his two nephews Gratian and Valentinian II. Adding to the chaotic situation, various barbarian tribes were emboldened by perceived weakness at the imperial transition. It was dawn of intensified human migrations throughout all of Europe, referred to as the Völkerwanderung, or Migration Period. The barbarians came into conflict not only with the Roman Empire, but also among themselves. Specifically, Gothic tribes were on the run from the infamous Huns, led by their even more infamous leader, Attila. The desperate Goths sought the Roman Empire’s protection. Valens, seeing a chance for increased military recruits, agreed to settle hundreds of thousands of newly received subjects along the Danube, and charged them with the frontier’s defense. Theory proved difficult in practice. The Roman military, famous for their efficiency and advanced logistical capabilities, proved insufficient to manage an orderly transfer of such a large barbarian hoard. The relocation campaign, initially controlled, turned into a massive influx of various tribes, exacerbated by spread of disease and abuse from the relatively small force of Roman troops present.
Soon, the diverse barbarians were surprisingly united in revolt against the Roman Empire, and imperial reinforcements were requested. By 378 AD, Valens and his own forces arrived on the scene. Against his advisors’ recommendations, Valens moved against the hoard, not waiting for help from the approaching Gratian and his western armies. The decision proved disastrous. Hindered by misinformation (the opposing force was ten times larger than expected) and other blunders (including a missed chance at a mutually beneficial truce), Valens and his forces were overwhelmed at the Battle of Adrianople, one of the most infamous defeats in all Roman history. The newly invited barbarian tenants managed to kill off the majority of their eastern Roman hosts, including Valens himself. So catastrophic was the rout that Valens body was never recovered.
About a decade before the disastrous events at Adrianople, this Valens nummus was struck in Siscia, a mint under the control of Valentinian. The obverse depicts the pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Valens, along with the epithet DN VALENS PF AVG. The reverse proclaims GLORIA ROMANORVM, signifying the glory of the Romans, and in particular Emperor Valens. The verso depicts Valens walking to the right while looking left at a pitiful figure he is dragging by the hair. The figure is generally referred to as a “captive,” and represents a barbarian. The Emperor proudly holds a labarum, or a military standard displaying the Christian Cho-Rho symbol. This violent scene invokes Roman’s military superiority and subjugation of barbarian races while at the same time promoting Christianity. The same design was also widely employed by Valentinian, and further discussion can be found in the owners’ comments for his nummus in this NGC Ancients Custom Set.
The dragged captive motif is painfully ironic considering Valens’ infamous defeat at Adrianople. The rout was a serious blow to Roman prestige, not to mention the staggering number of troops lost. In the aftermath, the young Gratian, now senior Augustus and unable to control the situation, called on Theodosius for assistance, appointing him as Valens’ successor. The latter managed to re-establish good relations with the Goths within several years, including recruiting them for the Empire’s armies. Meanwhile, nummi such as this one continued to circulate throughout the Empire, providing an ironic reminder of Valen’s ignominious defeat at Adrianople, a watershed event in the demise of the Roman Empire.
Coin Details: EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE, Valens, AE3 (2.67 g), 364-367 AD, Siscia, NGC Grade: AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right, DN VALEN-S PF AVG, Reverse: Emperor advancing right, holding labarum and dragging captive behind him, GLORIA RO-MANORVM, Mintmark: dot BSISC, Reference: RIC IX Siscia 5b, type ii.