born 0441; AD 328
died Aug. 9, 378
Eastern Roman emperor (364378).
His older brother, Valentinian I , appointed Valens to be coemperor and assigned him to rule the eastern part of the empire, while Valentinian took the throne in the West. An Arian Christian, Valens persecuted Catholics and waged war on the pagan Procopius (366), the Visigoth s (367369), and the Persians ( 0441; 376). When the Visigoths again rebelled against the Romans, Valens's poor tactics led to his defeat and death in the great Battle of Adrianople .