ian us ▁Major , ▁a ▁prominent ▁commander ▁during ▁the ▁reign s ▁of ▁em per ors ▁Const antine ▁I ▁and ▁Const ans ▁I . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁grew ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁family ▁estate ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁educated ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁subjects , ▁including ▁painting ▁and ▁sculpt ing . ▁ ▁Gr at ian ▁the ▁E lder ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Com es ▁Africa e ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 3 2 0 s ▁or ▁early ▁ 3 3 0 s , ▁and ▁the ▁young ▁Val entin ian ▁accompanied ▁his ▁father ▁to ▁Africa . ▁However , ▁Gr at ian ▁was ▁soon ▁accused ▁of ▁em be zz lement ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁ret ire . ▁Val entin ian ▁joined ▁the ▁army ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 3 3 0 s ▁and ▁later ▁probably ▁acquired ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁prote ctor ▁dom est icus . ▁Gr at ian ▁was ▁later ▁re called ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 3 4 0 s ▁and ▁was ▁made ▁comes ▁of ▁Britann ia . ▁After ▁holding ▁this ▁post , ▁Gr at ian us ▁retired ▁to ▁the ▁family ▁estate ▁in ▁C ib ala e . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 5 0 , ▁Const ans ▁I ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁by ▁agents ▁of ▁the ▁us ur per ▁Magn ent ius , ▁a ▁commander ▁in ▁Ga ul ▁proc laimed ▁em peror ▁by ▁his ▁soldiers . ▁Constant ius ▁II , ▁older ▁brother ▁of ▁Const ans ▁and ▁em peror ▁in ▁the ▁East , ▁prompt ly ▁set ▁forth ▁towards ▁Magn ent ius ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁army . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁the ▁two