Born into a Sarmatian family,[1] Victor served at the court of the emperor Constantius II as a palace official.
In anticipation of the campaign against the Sassanid Empire, Julian had Victor march the Roman army from Constantinople to Antioch.
In AD 366/7, Valens sent him to question the Goths who had supported the rebellion of the usurper Procopius, while at the same time assess the accuracy of reports of their restlessness and their war readiness.
Joining Valens, he advised the emperor to wait for reinforcements from his imperial colleague, Gratian, before proceeding to the Battle of Adrianople, but his advice was ignored.
Victor, however, did manage to withdraw his troops intact, and after the battle he crossed from Macedonia to Pannonia, to bring news of the defeat to the emperor Gratian.