Jovian in Roman Biography

Jo'vi-an, [Lat. Jovia'nus; Fr. Jovien, zho've-4N r ; It. Gioviano, jo-ve-4'no,] or, more fully, Jo-vl-a'nus Fla'vi'-us Clau'dl-us, Emperor of Rome, was born in Pannonia, 331 A.D. He early distinguished himself as a commander in the Roman army, and, though an avowed Christian, received many marks of distinction from Julian the Apostate, whom he accompanied on his unsuccessful expedition into Persia. At the death of that sovereign, in 363, Jovian was elected emperor by the army. The Roman troops were at that time in imminent clanger, both on account of the superior Persian forces by which they were hemmed in, and the great scarcity of provisions. Jovian, after bravely repelling several attacks of the enemy, formed a treaty, by which he agreed to give up the Roman conquests west of the Tigris. Returning, he spent some time at Antioch, where he annulled Julian's laws against the Christians and re-established the orthodox religion. He died in 364, at Dadastana, in Galatia, as he was proceeding to Constantinople. See Le Beau, "Histoire du Bas-Kmpire ;" Tillemont, " Histoire des Empereurs ;" Schenkel, " Historia Joviaui," 1617; La Bletterie, " Histoire de PEmpereur Jovien," 2 vols., 1748.