Roman Emperors

Flavius Galerius Valerius Licinianus was born in 250 was of peasant lineage and as a middle aged man joined the army and followed good friend Galerius on the Persian expedition. Once the emperor Severus was killed, Licinius was elevated by Galerius to the position of Augustus to maintain the western front with command over Illyricum, Thrace and Pannonia.

In 311 after the death of Galerius it was Maximinus Daia and himself who held the empire in their hands. After a failed attack on him by Maximinus, Licinius defeated him in a counter attack at the battle of Tzirallum, and took over ruling the east while his brother in law Constantine ruled the western empire.

This arrangement was not to last long when a civil was erupted between the two brothers in 314 and again 2 years later. The emperors eventually put their differences aside and reconciled.

In 324 however Constantine felt compelled to wage war once again and this time was successful in defeating Licinius and eventually had him assassinated.

Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus was born in 272 to roman general Constantius Chlorus who in 292 left his mother to marry the daughter of emperor Maximian.

In his early years he served in the court of diocletianus and when his father became emperor as a result of Maximians retirement he was not made Caesar but still followed his father on expedition to Gaul. His father fell ill and died in 306 and the troop immediately proclaimed Constantine Augustus though this was not legitimate. Constantine proceeded to ask Galerius who at the time was emperor of the east, if he could retain his fathers throne he was instead given the title of Caesar and Severus replaced his father as Augustus.

In 307 Maxentius wished to wage war on Severus and Galerius, his father Maximian approached Constantine to see if he was able to get him to side with him, Constantine agreed to become an ally and to seal the deal, married the daughter of Maximian and was promoted to Augustus. When Constantine did not hold up his end of the deal Maximian tried to overthrow him and failed, Maximian was then forced to abdicate and Constantine was once again reduced to Caesar. Maximian was killed while rebelling against his son in-law and following his death both Constantine and maxi minus Daia were raised to the position of Augustus by Galerius meaning that there were then four official augusti, along with Licinius and Galerius.

Following the death of Galerius, Licinius and Constantine banded together and created an agreement granting tolerance to all religions within the empire, this was called the Edict of Milan.

In 317 Constantine’s sons Crispus and Constantine II along with Licinius’s son Licinianus were announced as Caesars.

In 324 after numerous battles, Constantine became the sole emperor of the whole roman empire.

Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius was born in 278 to roman emperor Maximian and was son-in-law to Galerius.

During his fathers reign he never actually served any time in the military or held any form of administrative position though he was always regarded as a crown prince. He married the daughter of Galerius and had two sons.

When diocletianus and Maximian resigned in 305 the Caesars took over even though Maxentius could have taken power being the son of the former emperor. He instead retired to an estate a few miles out of Rome.

Riots broke out when the emperors tried to introduce a capitation tax and a group of officers turned to Maxentius to step up as ruler and he was publicly announced emperor in 306 and was regognised in central and southern Italy and the African provinces.

Galerius refused to recognise him as emperor in the attempt to prevent others from claiming a title in this manner and in 307 sent Severus to defeat him.

The army that Severus led, however, were mostly men who served under Maxentius’ father so upon arriving to Rome many changed sides to stand by Maxentius and defeated Severus and with him out of the way he was able to take possession of northern Italy and assumed the title of Augustus.

Galerius attempted to defeat him but suffered the same fate as Severus and Maxentius then had his daughter marry Constantine, and then promoted Constantine to Augustus.

In 308 Maxentius was denied recognition as a legitimate emperor and Licinius was appointed and Maxentius’ relations with Constantine deteriorated. He attempted to claim back his land through battle with Constantine but fell into a river and drowned during battle.

Flavius Valerius Severus was originally a soldier from the Illyrian province until 305 when Galerius approached Maximian and requested he appoint Severus as Caesar of the western half of the roman empire. He was Caesar to Constantius who was Augustus of the western region at that time. When Constantius died a year later it was Galerius who promoted Severus to the position of Augustus, even though at the same time Constantine had been claimed emperor by his own soldiers.

Severus was sent to Rome with an army previously commanded by Maximian to repress the rebellion started when Maxentius (son of Maximian) revolted. Fearing the inevitable onslaught, Maxentius offered his retired father the opportunity to co-rule which Maximian accepted. Upon hearing this, the soldiers under Severus’ command rejected him and stood by their previous ruler.

Severus fled and when Maximian offered him safety he surrendered and was held captive near Rome in Tres Tabernae.

Galerius invaded Rome in 307 to suppress both Maximian and his son and at this time Maxentius had Severus murdered.

Galerius Maximianus was born in 250 to a common family and began as a herdsman just like his father before him. During the reign of Aurelian and Probus he served as a distinguished soldier and was promoted in 293 to Caesar.

Upon the retirement of Diocletian and Maximian in 305, he and Constantius assumed the title of Augustus and thought his position secure until Constantine elevated in power upon the death of his father.

In 307 when an invasion against Italy was unsuccessful he passed his power onto his friend Licinius to become Augustus.

In 311 Galerius died in seclusion from what scientists have assume to be some sort of bowel cancer.

Flavius Valerius Constantius was born in 250 and under the rule of Carus, was selected to govern Dalmatia. In 293 when the emperor Diocletian divided the roman empire in half he declared that under the new governing system each empire would be ruled by an Augustus with the support of a Caesar. Constantius was declared Caesar of the western empire that was ruled by Maximian and later married Maximians’ step daughter and together they had 6 children not including Constantine who was his first son to a prior marriage.

In 286 Carausius declared himself emperor in Britain and Gaul, and it was Constantius who was sent to defeat him in 293.

In 305 when both Maximian and Diocletianus retired, Constantius and Galerius became co-emperors with Severus and Maximinus as Caesars but when Constantius died in Britain during battle in 306, Constantine was elected emperor by the army.

Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius was born in 250 and like many rulers began his career in the army. He was fighting along side Diocletianus when the later rose to power. In 285 Diocletianus was named Caesar and ruler of the western empire, the following year he rose to share equal power when he became Augustus. In 293 when the power was divided into quarters, Constantius Chlorus was chosen as his own Caesar.

During his reign he had several military successes which included thwarting Carausius (with the help of his Caesar Constantius) who had declared himself emperor in Britain and also succeeded in strengthening Africa’s defences.

In 305 Diocletianus forced Maximian to retire alongside him in accordance with an oath he had taken at the beginning of his rule. Galerius and Constantius became the new emperors at this point and they nominated Flavius Valerius Severus and Maximinus Daia as their Caesars.

The career of Maximian did not end here though. Upon the death of Constantius, Maximians son Maxentius nominated himself of emperor over the western empire and brought his father back to power by nominating him Augustus. Maximian was once again successful in several battles and to get Constantius’s son Constantine on his side, had Constantine marry his daughter.

In 308 Maximian tried to usurp his own son but was beaten and took refuge with Constantine in Gaul.

His death came about when his plot against Constantine was discovered and he was assassinated.

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus was born in 245 to a common family and rose through the ranks of the army and when Carus was proclaimed emperor in 282 he set about gaining his trust. In 283 he was promoted to the rank of commander of the cavalry arm of the imperial bodyguard. Together with Carus, Numerian and Numerians’ father in law Aper, they battled against the Sassanid empire and upon their victory plundered the Sassanid capital. Once Carus died and Numerian became Augustus, it was Aper who claimed he was ill and that he ride back to Rome in a closed carriage. When the soldiers surrounding the carriage sensed a bad smell and discovered Numerian dead, Diocletianus accused Aper of killing Numerian and killed him personally. Diocletian was then elected Emperor by the troops in 284.

Soon after this election Carinus, the elder son of Carus, marched forward to fight for his right as lawful emperor but was quickly killed in battle.

By 298 he had intercepted Germanic and Sassanid invasions across the Danube, Rhine, Syria and Palestine.

During his rule he determined that by splitting the empire in two , it would become more manageable and prevent many of the problems that previous emperors had to face. He changed the structure of the Roman government ruling as an autocrat rather than a dictator and incorporated religion as well as military knowledge into his ruling.

The system was in place by 292 and Diocletianus took the eastern side of the empire and gave the western empire to Maximian with the imperial power divided between the two men and with two separate capitals while the senate remained in Rome.

In 293 each ruler appointed a Caesar to replace him, Galerius and Constantius were named and each of them as Caesar also automatically gained rule over a quarter of the empire.

In 305 both Diocletianus and Maximian retired although Diocletianus had the decision on his own and Maximian was persuaded to step down.

Marcus Aurelius Numerianus was the son of Carus and younger brother of Carinus. In 282 he was proclaimed Caesar. He soon married the daughter of a prefect of the Praetorian guard and along with his father in law, followed his father Carus to battle against the Sassanids. When his father died in 283 Numerian was proclaimed Augustus and pressured by the army to return to their bases in Europe. On their return it was said that he developed an eye infection in which he needed to travel in a coach to have a better chance of recovery. According to records the soldiers smelled something terrible a couple of days into their return and found that Numerian had died in the coach. Valerius Diocles accused the father in law Aper of murdering the young emperor and had him killed, Diocles was then named emperor by the troops and adopted the name Diocletian.

Marcus Aurelius Carinus was the older son of Carus and was appointed governor of the western empire when his father came to power. He was successful in battle against the Quadi tribes in the west but soon tired of battle and returned to Rome to live a more luxurious life filled with women and alcohol. Upon the death of his father in the East, Carinus’ younger brother Numerian was pressured by the troops to lead them back to Europe but died on their return. At this stage the troops nominated the commander of the body-guards, Diocletian as emperor and Carinus immediately left Rome to meet with him. During battle Carinus was killed whether it be by Diocletian’s troops or an assassination ordered by one of his wives.