Valentine
a sweetheart or choice made on St. Valentine's day.
According to the legend, St. Valentine was beheaded on Feb. 14, at Rome, under Claudius. The old notion was that birds began to couple on that day, and hence arose the custom of young persons of both sexes choosing each other as "Valentines" for the ensuing year by a species of lottery, and of sending love missives to each other.
Also a letter or other missive sent by young persons of both sexes to each other on Valentine's day; a printed missive of an amatory or satirical nature, generally sent by post anonymously. Some valentines are highly ornamental and artistic, while others (commonly called "comic valentines") are caricatures, designed to reflect on the personal appearance, habits, character, etc., of the per sons to whom they are addressed. The practice of sending valentines by mail appears to be diminishing year by year, the later practice, confined almost exclusively to children, being to insert them under the door of the person to whom they are addressed, and then to knock or ring the door bell and hurry away. In the various cities of the United States many millions of hideous caricatures thus change hands each year.
VALENTINIAN I., a Roman emperor (364-375); born of humble family in Cibalis, Pannonia, in A. D. 321. By his capacity and courage he rose rapidly in rank under Constantius and Julian, and on the death of Jovian was chosen as his successor (Feb. 26, 364). He resigned the East to his brother Valens, and himself governed the West with watchful care down to his sudden death at Bregetio, Nov. 17, 375, brought on by a fit of passion. By his first wife he had one son, Gratianus, and by the second, Justina, another son, Valentinian II., and three daughters, one of whom, Galla, became the wife of the Emperor Theodosius I. VALENTINIAN II., a Roman emperor; born A. D. 372; received from his VALENTINIAN III. elder brother, Gratianus, the provinces three years after her death Valentinian share of the Western Empire. During his long minority the Empress Justina VALENTINIAN III., Emperor of the three years after her death Valentinian was murdered by Arbogastes, the commander-in-chief of his army (392). West; grand-nephew of the preceding, VALENTINIAN III., Emperor of the West by Theodosius II., emperor of the and was seated on the throne of the cidia, the daughter of Theodosius the East, in 425. Valentinian was a weak and was seated on the throne of the ruled during the 30 years that he sat and contemptible prince, and never really East, in 425. Valentinian was a weak and contemptible prince, ruled during the 30 years that he sat ce, and never really disesteemed and unhonored on the imperial throne; his mother, Placidia, govarned till her death in 450, and was suc- His treatment of Bonifacius made the around the throne of the falling empire. those malignant fribbles who swarmed around the throne of the falling empire.
His treatment of Bonifacius made the latter throw himself into the arms of GENSERIC (q. v.), chief of the Vandals, and thus lost Africa to the empire. ousy (454), but next year was himself stabbed to death in a fit of envious jealousy (454), but next year was himself slain by Maximus, whose wife he had ravished.
VALERIAN (VALERIANUS, PUB- LIUS LUCINIUS), a Roman emperor; born about 190. He was proclaimed after the death of Gallus in 253. He was defeated in the East by Sapor, King of Persia, and is supposed to have been flayed alive in 260. nous.