Entry (Details):

Native of Cibalae in Pannonia Lib. Or. XX 25, Zos. III 36.2, Philost. HE VIII 16; a Pannonian Lib. Or. XIX 15, Zon. XIII 15.

Son of Gratianus 1 Amm. XXX 7.2, Symm. Or. I 3, Aur. Vict. Epit. 45.2, VIII 7014 = D 758; he was born in 321 Amm. XXX 6.6 (he died in 375 aged 54). Valens 8 was his younger brother. He was in Africa with his father, perhaps in youth in the 320s and 330s Symm. Or. I 1.

TRIBVNVSiRole name: TRIBVNVS (in Gaul) a. 357: Bainobaudes tribunus et Valentinianus postea imperator cum equestribus turmis quas regebant, were sent by Julian in 357 to round up some barbarians but were stopped by Cella (tribunus); Barbatio sent a false report about ‘hos eosdem tribunos’ (= Bainobaudes 1 and Valentinian) to Constantius, ‘qua causa abrogata potestate ad lares rediere privati’ Amm. XVI 11.6-7. From Soz. VI 6.3-4 he appears to have been tribunus of the Ioviani under Julian in Gaul (συνταγματάρχης...τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν καλουμένων Ἰοβιανῶν). The Ioviani was a legio palatina Not. Dig. Occ. V 145.

OFFICERiRole name: OFFICER IN MESOPOTAMIA, probably in 360/1, after the fall of Barbatio in 359: Constantius sent him ‘περὶ τὰ φρούρια τῆς Μεσοποταμίας—φύλακα τῶν ἐκεῖσε τόπων ἐσόμενον καὶ τὰς τῶν Περσῶν ἐπιδρομὰς ἀναστέλλοντα’ Philost. HE VII 7.

COMESiRole name: COMES ET TRIBVNVS CORNVTORVMiRole name: TRIBVNVS CORNVTORVM a. 362: τάγματος ἐπάρχοντα στρατιωτικοῦ (κόμης γὰρ ἐχρημάτιζεν τῶν λεγομένων κορνούτων) Philost. HE VII 7, tribunatus Quodvultdeus, lib. de promiss. et praed. dei (= PL 51.751, 31B); Orosius calls him tribunus scutariorum, doubtless in anticipation VII 32.2 and similarly Theodoret HE III 16 χιλίαρχος δὲ ἦν τηνικαῦτα τῶν περὶ τὰ βασίλεια τεταγμένων λογχοφόρων ἡγούμενος; in Soz. VI 6.3 (see above) the reference is probably to his time in Gaul.

Julian banished him in 362 Theod. HE III 16 (he was made emperor a year and a few months later) to Egyptian Thebes, because of his Christian faith Philost. HE VII 7, VIII 5, Theod. HE III 16 (to a desert place for striking a pagan priest), Oros, VII 32.2 (he refused to sacrifice and left voluntarily), Ruf. HE II 2, Soz. VI 6.3-6, Soc. IV 1 (claims he refused to sacrifice and offered to resign, but was kept on by Julian), Quodvultdeus (see above), Joh. Ant. fr. 179 (Julian forbade Christians to serve on his bodyguard), Zon. XIII 15, Phot. Bibl. 484A, Amb. de ob. Val. 55 qui militiam sub Iuliano et tribunatus honores fidei amore contempsit. Ambrose’s mild tone suggests that Valentinian only offered to resign.

Jovian recalled him from exile Philost. HE VIII 5; Zonaras XIII 15 says that he was recalled by Julian and made τριβοῦνος ἀριθμοῦ.

TRIBVNVS (?VACANS)iRole name: TRIBVNVS (?VACANS) under Jovian : sent by Jovian with Seniauchus and Lucillianus 3 to secure the support of Iovinus 6 in Gaul; his companions were killed at Rheims, but he was saved by his hospesPrimitivus Amm. XXV 10.6-7; according to Zosimus Jovian sent him with Lucillianus 3 and Procopius 3 to announce his accession to the Illyrian troops, but they killed Lucillianus at Sirmium, sparing Procopius, while Valentinian escaped by flight Zos. III 35.1-2 (this is evidently a confused version of the events told by Ammianus).

TRIBVNVS SCHOLAE SECVNDAE SCVTARIORVMiRole name: TRIBVNVS SCHOLAE SECVNDAE SCVTARIORVM a. 363-4: Iovinus 6 sent troops to proclaim his loyalty to Jovian , ‘quibus conpertis Valentiniano qui cum isdem redierat regenda Scutariorum secunda committitur schola’ Amm. XXV 10.8-9; agens scholam Scutariorum secundam (at Ancyra, 364 Jan.) Amm. XXVI 1.5; tribunus Scutariorum Oros. (see above); in Nicomedia tribunatum Valentinianus agebat Jord. Rom. 307 = Jer. Chron. s.a. 364.

AVGVSTVSiRole name: AVGVSTVS a. 364-75: he was chosen to succeed Jovian by the army 364 Feb. 26 Amm. XXVI 1.5-7, 2.1-3, Zos. III 36.2-3, Aur. Vict. Epit. 45.3, Oros. VII 32.1, Jord. Rom. 307, Theod. HE IV 6, Soz. VI 6, Soc. IV 1, Eun. fr. 29, 30, Cons. Const. s.a. 364. = Chron. Min. I 240; shortly afterwards he chose his brother Valens 8 as his co-emperor Amm. XXVI 4.3, Cons. Const. s.a. 364, Zos. IV 1.2.

He died 375 Nov. 17 at Brigetio in Pannonia aged 54 Amm. XXX 5.15, Soc. IV 31.6, Cons. Const. s.a. 375 = Chron. Min. I 242.

His first wife was Marina Severa 2 who bore him Gratian (359 April 18) Soc. IV 31.13ff., cf. Aur. Vict. Epit. 45.4; his second was Iustina who bore him Valentinian 8, Iusta 1, Grata and Galla 2 Soc. IV 31.10-17, Soz. VII 13.2, Philost. HE IX 16, X 7, Theod. HE V 13.1, Zos. IV 19.1, 43.1. See stemma 4.

See further P-W VIIA 2158-204.