Editing Valentinian III (section)

==Ascendancy of Aetius (437–455)==
From 436 to 439, Aetius was focused on the situation in Gaul. Serious Gothic defeats in 437 and 438 were undone by a Roman defeat in 439, which saw the status quo restored through a new truce.<ref name="Heather, pg. 8">Heather, p. 8</ref> He also enjoyed initial success against the Franks and the [[Burgundians]], as well as putting down a revolt by the [[Bagaudae]] by 437. In 438, peace was also achieved with the [[Suebi]] in Spain,<ref name="Heather, pg. 9">Heather, p. 9</ref> the same year Valentinian's daughter, [[Eudocia (daughter of Valentinian III)|Eudocia]], was born.<ref>Bury, p. 251</ref>

With Aetius occupied in Gaul, Valentinian was unable to do anything to prevent the Vandals completely overrunning the remaining western African provinces, culminating in the [[Battle of Carthage (439)|fall]] of [[Carthage]] on 19 October 439.<ref>Bury, p. 254</ref> This was a major blow because taxes and foodstuffs from these wealthy provinces supported Rome.<ref name="Heather, pg. 11">Heather, p. 11</ref> By 440, Vandal fleets were ravaging [[Sicily]] and Aetius coordinated a joint response with the eastern court, with large numbers of Roman troops sent to defend the island from Gaiseric.<ref name="Heather, pg. 11"/> Hunnic invasions forced the government to abandon this defense and transfer the troops to the Danube.<ref name="Heather, pg. 11"/> 

In 442, Aetius and Valentinian were compelled to acknowledge the Vandal conquests of Proconsular Africa, western Numidia, and [[Byzacena]], in exchange for which Rome was returned the now devastated provinces of [[Tripolitana]], [[Mauretania Sitifensis]], [[Mauretania Caesariensis]], and the remainder of Numidia.<ref>Heather, pp. 11–12</ref><ref>Bury, p. 255</ref> Gaiseric soon disregarded this arrangement and retook Mauretania Sitifensis and Mauretania Caesariensis, as well as taking [[Sardinia]] and [[Corsica]] and conducting devastating raids on [[Sicily]].<ref>Bury, p. 258</ref>

Unable to pacify Gaiseric by military means, Aetius decided that linking him to the imperial dynasty would be the next best thing. Consequently, sometime before 446, he convinced Valentinian to agree to a marriage between his eldest daughter, Eudocia, and Gaiseric's son, Huneric. The idea came to nothing, since Huneric was already married to the daughter of the king of the Visigoths.<ref>Bury, p. 256</ref>

The imperial presence in [[Hispania]] continued to diminish during the early-to-mid 440s as the Suebi extended their control. By 444 the Spanish provinces of [[Lusitania]] and [[Hispania Baetica]] had been lost, and Roman authority in [[Hispania Tarraconensis]] was challenged by continued [[Bagaudae|Bagaudic]] uprisings.<ref>Heather, p. 12</ref> This loss of territory caused severe financial problems, with the Roman state openly acknowledging that there was insufficient revenue to meet its military needs.<ref name="Heather, pg. 14"/><ref name="Bury, pg. 253"/> 

The emperor issued a law on 14 July 444, ending bureaucrats' exemption from the recruitment tax.<ref name="Heather, pg. 14">Heather, p. 14</ref> In that year, two additional taxes were issued in Valentinian's name, one a sales tax of around four percent and another on the senatorial class, specifically to recruit and supply new troops.<ref name="Bury, pg. 253"/><ref name="Heather, pg. 14"/> Senators of illustrious rank were required to contribute the money for maintaining three soldiers, senators of the second class money for one soldier, and senators of the third class one-third the cost of maintaining a soldier.<ref name="Bury, pg. 253">Bury, p. 253</ref> Valentinian himself was not exempt, sacrificing part of his reduced personal income to help the State in its financial straits.<ref name="Bury, pg. 253"/>