When did Valerian become Roman emperor?
Valerian became Roman emperor in 253 AD after Raetian soldiers proclaimed him following the death of Trebonianus Gallus. The Senate acknowledged his rule upon his arrival in Rome that September.
Questions about Valerian (emperor)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What happened to Valerian during the Persian campaign in 260 AD?
Valerian was decisively defeated at the Battle of Edessa in June 260 and captured alive by Shapur I. He became the first Roman emperor taken captive by a foreign enemy, marking the start of his lifelong imprisonment.
How did Valerian persecute Christians between 257 and 258 AD?
Valerian issued decrees ordering Christian clergy to perform sacrifices or face banishment and executing Christian leaders who refused. These measures required Christian senators and equites to worship Roman gods or lose titles and property while those who persisted faced execution or slavery.
Where did Valerian spend his captivity according to modern scholarship?
Modern scholar Touraj Daryaee suggests Shapur sent Valerian to Bishapur or Gundishapur where they lived relatively well. Stone carvings on Naghshe-Rostam show Valerian holding hands with Shapur I as a sign of submission.
Who were some notable martyrs executed under Valerian's persecution orders?
Pope Sixtus II died on the 6th of August 258 during these persecutions while Saint Lawrence was executed on the 10th of August 258. Other martyrs included Denis in Paris, Pontius in Cimiez, Cyprian in Carthage, and Eugenia in Rome.