emperor of the West, a prince celebrated for his virtues, and above all for his moderation ; yet a conspiracy was formed against him by Ar- Valentini-bogastics, the commander in chief of his armies; and he was strangled in the year 392. See Rome, No 536.

VALENTINIANs, in church history, a sect of Christian heretics, who sprung up in the second century, and were so called from their leader Valentinus.

The Valentinians were only a branch of the Gnostics, who realized or personified the Platonic ideas concerning the Deity, whom they called Pleroma or Plenitude. Their system was this: the first principle is Bythos, i.e. Depth, which remained many ages unknown, having with it Ennoe or Thought, and Sige or Silence; from these sprung the Nous or Intelligence, which is the only son, equal to and alone capable of comprehending the Bythos; the sister of Nous they called Aletheia or Truth; and these constituted the first quaternity of aeons, which were the source and original of all the rest; for Nous and Aletheia produced the World and Life; and from these two proceeded Man and the Church. But besides these 8 principal aeons, there were 22 more; the last of which, called Sophia, being desirous to arrive at the knowledge of Bythos, gave herself a great deal of uneasiness, which created in her Anger and Fear, of which was born Matter. But the Horos or Bounder stopped her, preserved her in the Pleroma, and restored her to Perfection. Sophia then produced the Christ and the Holy Spirit, which brought the aeons to their last perfection, and made every one of them contribute their utmost to form the Savior. Her Enthymele, or Thought, dwelling near the Pleroma, perfected by the Christ, produced everything that is in the world by its divers passions. The Christ sent into it the Saviour, accompanied with angels, who delivered it from its passions, without annihilating it: from thence was formed corporeal matter. And in this manner did they romance concerning God, nature, and the mysteries of the Christian religion.