Valerian (emperor)
| Valerian | |||||||||
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Bust, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek | |||||||||
| Roman emperor | |||||||||
| Reign | September 253 – June 260 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Aemilian | ||||||||
| Successor | Gallienus (alone) | ||||||||
| Co-emperor | Gallienus | ||||||||
| Born | c. 199 | ||||||||
| Died | After 260 AD Bishapur or Gundishapur | ||||||||
| Spouses | |||||||||
| Issue Detail |
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| Dynasty | Valerian | ||||||||
Valerian (/vəˈlɪəriən/ və-LEER-ee-ən; Latin: Publius Licinius Valerianus; c. 199 – 260 or 264) was Roman emperor from 253 to spring 260 AD. He rose to power during a particularly unstable period during the Crisis of the Third Century and appointed his son Gallienus as co-emperor.
Valerian is known as the first Roman emperor to have been taken captive in battle, captured by the Persian emperor Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, causing shock and instability throughout the Roman Empire. The unprecedented event and rumors of his humiliation at the hands of the Persian emperor generated a variety of different reactions and "new narratives about the Roman Empire in diverse contexts".