2021-08-17 Tue

Maxentius was a Roman emperor from 306 to 312. He was the son of Emperor Maximianus Herculius. Today on 17th August, Pope Eusebius is banished by Emperor Maxentius to Sicily, where he dies, perhaps from a hunger strike.

Maxentius wasn’t appointed Caesar when Diocletian and his father resigned in 305, but he acclaimed himself emperor and forced Maximianus to support him to gain legitimacy for his bid for the throne. The emperor and caesar of the east Galerius and Severus set out to suppress the usurper, but first Severus was captured and killed, and Galerius withdrew and died some years later.

Constantine, by 312 the only remaining contender for the throne of the west, confronted Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge just north of Rome, where Maxentius was killed and Constantine I became the sole emperor of the west.

Depicted here is the Follis coin issued under his reign. The obverse of a coin represents the laureate head facing right. The reverse of a coin illustrates the Dioscuri Castor and Pollux standing facing each other, each holding scepter and holding a horse by the bridle.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org