A.D. 381 heretics, pagans, and the dawn of the monotheistic state ( PDFDrive )

empire’s ‘king of kings’, Shapur, of the aggressive Sassanian dynasty, was
threatening to take control of Armenia, a mountainous kingdom in eastern
Anatolia (modern Turkey), which had traditionally been a buffer zone between
the two empires. The Romans had themselves to blame for the confrontation as
they had interfered in the kingdom’s affairs, to the extent of killing the Armenian
king, Pap, and installing their own nominee on the throne. To meet the threat,
Valens moved his base to Antioch, an ancient and wealthy city that served as the
administrative centre for Syria and the east, and began deploying troops across
the eastern provinces. His problem was lack of manpower, and a revolt in the
Roman province of Cilicia in 375 stretched his resources still further. However,
overall he seemed in relatively good control of the situation and there were signs
that the Persians, who faced unrest in their own eastern empire, were ready to
back down. No one could deny the immense pressures the Roman Empire was
under, but between them Valentinian and Valens could, by 375, be pleased with
what they had achieved. 4
Then devastating news arrived from the Balkans. In his determination to
strengthen the Danube border, Valentinian had ordered a fort to be built north of
the river in territory belonging to the Quadi, a German tribe. The Quadi were
bitterly resentful at the intrusion, and when their king Gabanius was assassinated
by the local Roman commander, they exploded in revolt and rampaged across
the border into Roman territory.
Valentinian had been at the western headquarters of Trier on the Rhine but
quickly marched eastwards along the border and into the provinces of Pannonia
where the disorder was taking place. His reputation as a ruthless soldier travelled
before him and the Quadi came to treat for peace. They explained that it was not
they but ‘bands of foreign brigands’ who had been responsible for the unrest, and
that they would happily submit and provide men and supplies to the Roman
armies. Valentinian was not taken in by their grovelling. He lost his temper and
furiously berated the Quadi envoys. Eventually he seemed to calm down, but
then he had a major fit. His men rushed him off the scene but his powers were
failing. Ammianus Marcellinus tells how he flailed about in desperation as he
lost his speech. Nothing could be done to save him and he died soon afterwards.
In hindsight, Valentinian can be seen to have been the last Roman emperor to
enjoy military dominance over Rome’s enemies. The succession in the west was
not secure and again rested on the elevation of Valentinian’s own family. His
son, Gratian, had already been declared of imperial status in 367 when only
eight, and so he, still aged only sixteen, became senior emperor in the west.