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Rubbing It In: History’s Greatest Flexes and Ownages

Khalid Elhassan June 3, 2025 17 min

16. An Unfortunate Emperor

Facial reconstruction of Valerian. Bored Panda

Valerian, full name Publius Licinius Valerianus, was Roman Emperor from 253 to 260 AD. His reign is notable for its turbulent times, and his unprecedented capture by a foreign enemy – one of the most dramatic and humiliating episodes in Roman imperial history. Before he became emperor, Valerian held various senatorial and military positions, and earned a reputation for competence and loyalty.

He was proclaimed emperor by his troops during a period of civil unrest and external threats, and elevated his son, Gallienus, as co-emperor to help manage the vast and unstable empire. In 260 AD, Valerian led a military campaign against the Sasanian Persian Empire, ruled by Shapur I.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.