. ▁Jones ▁writes ▁that ▁although ▁Val entin ian ▁I ▁was ▁" less ▁of ▁a ▁bo or " ▁than ▁his ▁chief ▁rival ▁for ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁imperial ▁throne , ▁" he ▁was ▁of ▁a ▁violent ▁and ▁brut al ▁temper , ▁and ▁not ▁only ▁un c ult iv ated ▁himself , ▁but ▁host ile ▁to ▁cultiv ated ▁persons ". ▁According ▁to ▁Am m ian us , ▁" he ▁h ated ▁the ▁well - d ress ed ▁and ▁educated ▁and ▁wealth y ▁and ▁well - born ". ▁He ▁was , ▁however , ▁an ▁able ▁soldier ▁and ▁a ▁cons cient ious ▁administrator , ▁and ▁took ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁w elf are ▁of ▁the ▁hum b ler ▁classes , ▁from ▁which ▁his ▁father ▁had ▁ris en . ▁Unfortunately ▁his ▁good ▁intent ions ▁were ▁often ▁fr ustr ated ▁by ▁a ▁bad ▁choice ▁of ▁minister s , ▁and ▁" an ▁obst inate ▁belief ▁in ▁their ▁mer its ▁despite ▁all ▁evidence ▁to ▁the ▁contrary ." ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁schools , ▁and ▁provided ▁medical ▁attend ance ▁for ▁the ▁poor ▁of ▁Rome , ▁by ▁appoint ing ▁a ▁phys ician ▁for ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁four teen ▁districts ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁He ▁also ▁re iss ued ▁an ▁ed ict ▁of ▁Const antine ▁I ▁making ▁inf antic ide ▁a ▁capital ▁off ence . ▁ ▁Not with standing ▁the ▁bene vol ence ▁of ▁these ▁more ▁gener ous ▁ed ict s , ▁Val entin ian ▁was ▁remarkable ▁for ▁cruel ty ▁and ▁bar bar ism ▁in ▁his ▁private ▁affairs . ▁He ▁often ▁had ▁servants ▁and