His reign was a harbinger of the Roman empire in the fifth century, when children or nonentities, reigning as emperors, were controlled by powerful generals and officials. On his father’s death in 375 CE, the 4-year-old Valentinian II was proclaimed emperor by his father’s Frankish generals. Passing over his older brother Gratian, Valentinian remained a puppet of the generals his whole life. He committed suicide in 392 CE.