Religious Intolerance in the Later Roman Empire - Bad request ...

This perception forced his hand. 125 While Valens was in Bithynia on his way to
Syria in the late summer of 365 to deal with a threat from Persia, Procopius entered
Constantinople secretly and set about making alliances with the legions sent by Valens
to secure Thrace against a Gothic threat. He secured their loyalty with promises of
reward and they proclaimed him emperor; 126 he was accepted and proclaimed by the
populace of Constantinople; 127 he maintained his position by emphasising his links
with the imperial family, 128 and through those links he secured auxiliaries from the
Goths, 129 and he began to form a government. 130 Valens heard of the revolt when he
was in Cappadocian Caesarea and slowly made his way back to Constantinople to deal
with the situation. Procopius gained some successes, including control of Bithynia and
the Hellespont and Ammianus reckoned he could have gained control of the whole of
the eastern empire and to have done so with the acquiescence of its inhabitants, but he
was finally defeated by Valens in Phrygia and executed in the spring of 366, eight
months after the beginning of his revolt. 131
At the same time as Procopius was attempting to assert his (quite legitimate)
claim to the throne, Gaul was invaded by the Alamanni who succeeded in defeating a
Roman force and killing its commander. 132 In early November Valentinian was
proposing to march east to prevent Procopius making any attempt on Pannonia from
Thrace, which had already fallen to the usurper; but the situations in Gaul was such
that he decided, in response to petitions from worried cities, to remain and face the
greater threat from the Alamanni. 133 But at the same time Valentinian despatched two
trusted and experienced officers Neoterius and Masaucio to Africa to secure that
125
Amm. Marc. 26.6.3-4; Zos. 4.5.1-2 states that Valens was suspicious of Procopius to such an extent
that he had Procopius and his immediate family arrested. Procopius escaped and made his way to
Constantinople.
126
Amm. Marc. 26.6.14; Zos. 4.7.1
127
Amm. Marc. 26.6.18
128
Amm. Marc. 26.7.10
129
Amm. Marc. 27.10.3; Zos. 4.7.1-2
130
Amm. Marc. 26.7.4
131
Amm. Marc. 26.8-9; 26.8.14 on how easily Procopius could have seized the east; Zos. 4.8
132 Amm. Marc. 26.5.7-8
133 Amm. Marc. 26.5.13; Zos. 4.9
124