Valérien

Valérien ( Publius Licinius Valerianus ) was Roman Emperor of 253 - 260.

Origin and accession with the Empire

Valérien was a senator, bearing the famous name of Licinius (a name which goes back to the République). He had been married with Mariniane (already died in 253) and had a son, Gallien.

Valérien is initially known as lieutenant of Dèce. In 253, Trébonien Galle, charges it with repressing the usurpation of Émilien, governor of Mésie. In the course of countryside, before to have even reached the Messiah, Valérien emperor by his troops is acclaimed. In the combat which follow Valérien remains the only survivor after the elimination of Trébonien and its son Volusien, then of Émilien.

Its reign

Valérien associated his/her son Gallien, made it recognize by the Senate like Co-Auguste, and shared with him the responsibility of defend the Empire. Gallien would order the armies in Europe, Valérien in the East.

As of 254, Valérien settled with its army with Antioche, which had been taken and destroyed one or two years earlier by the Perses of Shapur Ier. It got busy to raise the city and to reconstitute military defenses of the East. Of 254 with 259 it guerroya - perhaps each year - against Shapur Ier with various fortunes. It was pressed on notable Syrians, in particular the Palmyréen Odénath which it undoubtedly named governor of Syria-Phénicie.

During its reign, it reactivated persecution antichrétienne launched by Dèce in 250, but by aiming this time the Christians of the social elites.

In 259 it fought battle to Persians in Mésopotamie between Carrhes (Harran) and Édesse (Sanliurfa). It was beaten and captured by Shapur Ier, which took it along in captivity to Iran. Its Préfet of the court Macrien refused to negotiate with Persians and no ransom was versed. His/her son Gallien remained the only legitimate emperor, and it seems that he did not do anything either to make it release. One can however notice that Macrien which had put on the throne his/her son Quiétus did not have interest with the return of Valérien, and who Gallien not having control of the East was not able to intervene or to contact Persians.

Its end

Valérien died in captivity in Iran. Various versions circulate on its fate. The Iranian traditions say that it was well treated by its winner, but the Christian polemist Lactance, under Constantin I {{er}}, said on the contrary that it was humiliated, obliged to be used as footboard when Shapur rode a horse, and that after its death Shapur empailler did it, to dye in red, and to expose in a temple in Iran. Eusèbe de Césarée, another Christian and contemporary writer of Lactance, pays sobrement than Valérien was tiny room in slavery and delivered to the insults and the mockeries. Aurelius Victor affirms that it was captured and skinned sharp. Finally the Histoire Auguste claims that the Eastern kings close to Persians wrote in Shapur to incite it to slacken Valérien, which the modern historians as André Chastagnol regard as pure imagination of the authors of the History Auguste.

Successive names

193, Is born Publius Licinius Valerianus
253, reaches the Empire: Imperator Caesar Publius Licinius Valerianus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus
260, titulature with its death: Imperator Caesar Publius Licinius Valerianus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus Germanicus Maximus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribuniciae Potestatis VII, Imperator I, Consul IV, Patriae Lord's Prayer.

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