Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus (; 258 – May 311) was
Roman emperor from 305 to 311. During his reign he campaigned, aided by
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, against the
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
, sacking their capital
Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon ( ; Middle Persian: 𐭲𐭩𐭮𐭯𐭥𐭭 ''tyspwn'' or ''tysfwn''; fa, تیسفون; grc-gre, Κτησιφῶν, ; syr, ܩܛܝܣܦܘܢThomas A. Carlson et al., “Ctesiphon — ܩܛܝܣܦܘܢ ” in The Syriac Gazetteer last mod ...
in 299. He also campaigned across the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , ...
against the
Carpi, defeating them in 297 and 300. Although he was a staunch opponent of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
, Galerius ended the
Diocletianic Persecution when he issued an
Edict of Toleration in
Serdica in 311.
Early life
Galerius was born near
Serdica, in
Dacia Ripensis, later named Dacia Mediterranea, though some modern scholars consider the strategic site where he later built his palace named after his mother –
Felix Romuliana
Felix may refer to:
* Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name
Places
* Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen
* Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, S ...
(
Gamzigrad
Gamzigrad ( sr-Cyrl, , ) is an archaeological site, spa resort and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serbia, located south of the Danube river, in the city of Zaječar. It is the location of the ancient Roman complex of palaces and temples Felix Romu ...
) – his birth and funeral place.
[Barnes, ''New Empire'', p. 37.] His father was a
Thracian and his mother Romula had left
Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania and Banat (today ...
because of the
Carpians' attacks. He originally followed his father's occupation, that of a herdsman, where he was nicknamed "Armentarius", herdsman ( la, armentum, lit=herd). His original ''
cognomen'' was "Maximinus", but he changed it to "Maximianus" after becoming ''
Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
''.
[
]
He served with distinction as a soldier under Emperors Aurelian
Aurelian ( la, Lucius Domitius Aurelianus; 9 September 214 October 275) was a Roman emperor, who reigned during the Crisis of the Third Century, from 270 to 275. As emperor, he won an unprecedented series of military victories which reunited t ...
and Probus Probus may refer to:
People
* Marcus Valerius Probus (c. 20/30–105 AD), Roman grammarian
* Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus, consul in 228
* Probus (emperor), Roman Emperor (276–282)
* Probus of Byzantium (–306), Bishop of Byzantium from 293 t ...
, and in 293, at the establishment of the Tetrarchy, was designated ''Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
'' along with Constantius Chlorus, receiving in marriage Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
's daughter Valeria (later known as Galeria Valeria), and at the same time being entrusted with the care of the Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
n provinces. After a few years campaigning against Sarmatians and Goths on the Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , ...
, he received command of the legions on the eastern imperial limits. Soon after his appointment, Galerius was dispatched to Egypt to fight the rebellious cities Busiris and Coptos.
War with Persia
Invasion, counterinvasion
In 294, Narseh, a son of Shapur I, who had been passed over for the Sassanid succession, came into power in Persia. Narseh probably moved to eliminate Bahram III
Bahram III (also spelled Wahram III or Warahran III; pal, 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭, New Persian: ), was the sixth king (shah) of the Sasanian Empire. He was son and successor of Bahram II.Touraj Daryaee, ''Sasanian Persia'', (I.B.Tauris Ltd, 201 ...
, a young man installed by a noble named Vahunam in the wake of Bahram II's death in 293. In early 294, Narseh sent Diocletian the customary package of gifts, but within Persia, he was destroying every trace of his immediate predecessors, erasing their names from public monuments. He sought to identify himself with the warlike reigns of Ardashir (r. 226–241) and Shapur Shahpur, Shapur, Shahpoor, or Shahapur ( fa, شاه پور) may refer to:
People
* Shapur (name), Persian given name and a list of people with the name
Places
India Bihar
* Shahpur, Bihar, a city in Bhojpur district
** Shahpur, Bihar A ...
(r. 241–272), who had sacked Roman Antioch and captured Emperor Valerian.
In 295 or 296, Narseh declared war on Rome. He appears to have first invaded western Armenia, retaking the lands delivered to Tiridates in the peace of 287. He occupied the lands there until the following year.[Barnes, ''Constantine and Eusebius'', p. 17.] The historian Ammianus Marcellinus, circa 320–395, is the only source detailing the initial invasion of Armenia. Southern (1999, 149) dates the invasion to 295; Barnes (1982, 17, 293) mentions an earlier, unsuccessful invasion by Narseh based on the fact that the title ''Persici Maximi'' was given to all four emperors; Odahl (2004, 59) concurs with Barnes and suggests that Saracen princes in the Syrian desert collaborated with Narseh's invasion. Narseh then moved south into Roman Mesopotamia, where he inflicted a severe defeat on Galerius, then commander of the eastern forces, in the region between Carrhae ( Harran, Turkey) and Callinicum ( Raqqa, Syria). Diocletian may or may not have been present at the battle, but presented himself soon afterwards at Antioch, where the official version of events was made clear: Galerius was to take all the blame for the affair. In Antioch, Diocletian forced Galerius to walk a mile in advance of his imperial cart while still clad in the purple robes of an emperor. The message conveyed was clear; the loss at Carrhae was not due to the failings of the empire's soldiers, but due to the failings of their commander, and Galerius' failures would not be accepted.[Potter, ''The Roman Empire at Bay'', p. 293.] Galerius' position at the head of the caravan possibly was merely the conventional organization of an imperial progression, designed to show a Caesar's deference to his Augustus.
Galerius's army was reinforced probably in the spring of 298 by new contingents collected from the empire's Danubian holdings.[Barnes, ''Constantine and Eusebius'', p. 18.] Narseh did not advance from Armenia and Mesopotamia leaving Galerius to lead the offensive in 298 with an attack on northern Mesopotamia via Armenia. Diocletian may or may not have been present to assist the campaign. Narseh retreated to Armenia to fight Galerius' force, to Narseh's disadvantage; the rugged Armenian terrain was favorable to Roman infantry, but not to Sassanid cavalry. Local aid gave Galerius the advantage of surprise over the Persian forces, and, in two successive battles, Galerius secured victories over Narseh.
During the second encounter, the Battle of Satala in 298, Roman forces seized Narseh's camp, his treasury, his harem, and his wife. Narseh's wife would live out the remainder of the war in Daphne, a suburb of Antioch, serving as a constant reminder to the Persians of the Roman victory. Galerius advanced into Media and Adiabene, winning continuous victories, most prominently near Theodosiopolis (Erzurum), and securing Nisibis (Nusaybin) before 1 October 298. He moved down the Tigris, taking Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon ( ; Middle Persian: 𐭲𐭩𐭮𐭯𐭥𐭭 ''tyspwn'' or ''tysfwn''; fa, تیسفون; grc-gre, Κτησιφῶν, ; syr, ܩܛܝܣܦܘܢThomas A. Carlson et al., “Ctesiphon — ܩܛܝܣܦܘܢ ” in The Syriac Gazetteer last mod ...
, and gazing onwards to the ruins of Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
before returning to Roman territory via the Euphrates
The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers''). Originating in Turkey, the ...
. No source ever specifically claims that Ctesiphon was sacked, but it is assumed to have been, primarily due to the seizure of Narseh's wife and harem.
Peace negotiations
Narseh had previously sent an ambassador to Galerius to plead for the return of his wife and children, but Galerius had dismissed this ambassador, reminding him of how Shapur had treated Valerian. The Romans, in any case, treated Narseh's captured family well perhaps seeking to evoke comparisons to Alexander and his beneficent conduct towards the family of Darius III
Darius III ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; c. 380 – 330 BC) was the last Achaemenid King of Kings of Persia, reigning from 336 BC to his death in 330 BC.
Contrary to his predecessor Artaxerxes IV Arses, Dar ...
. Peace negotiations began in the spring of 299, with both Diocletian and Galerius presiding. Their ''magister memoriae'' (secretary) Sicorius Probus was sent to Narseh to present terms.
The conditions of the Peace of Nisibis were heavy: Persia would give up territory to Rome, making the Tigris the boundary between the two empires. Further terms specified that Armenia was returned to Roman domination with the fort of Ziatha as its border; Caucasian Iberia would pay allegiance to Rome under a Roman appointee; Nisibis, now under Roman rule, would become the sole conduit for trade between Persia and Rome; and Rome would exercise control over the five satrapies between the Tigris and Armenia: Ingilene, Sophanene ( Sophene), Arzanene ( Aghdznik), Corduene
Corduene hy, Կորճայք, translit=Korchayk; ; romanized: ''Kartigini'') was an ancient historical region, located south of Lake Van, present-day eastern Turkey.
Many believe that the Kardouchoi—mentioned in Xenophon’s Anabasis as havin ...
, and Zabdicene (near modern Hakkâri Hakkari or Hakkâri may refer to:
*Hakkari (historical region), a historical region in modern-day Turkey and Iraq
*Hakkâri (city), a city and the capital of Hakkâri Province, Turkey
*Hakkâri Province, a province in southeast Turkey
*Hakkari (el ...
, Turkey). These regions included the passage of the Tigris through the Anti-Taurus
The Anti-Taurus (Greek: Αντίταυρος, Latin: Anti-Taurus (ANTITAVRVS), its western part is called today by the Turks ''Aladağlar'') is the central chain of the mountain ranges of the Armenian Highlands, which runs from west to east acro ...
range; the Bitlis pass, the quickest southerly route into Persian Armenia; and access to the Tur Abdin plateau. With these territories, Rome would have an advance station north of Ctesiphon, and would be able to slow any future advance of Persian forces through the region. Under the terms of the peace, Tiridates would regain both his throne and the entirety of his ancestral claim, and Rome would secure a wide zone of cultural influence in the region. Because the empire was able to sustain such constant warfare on so many fronts, it has been taken as a sign of the essential efficacy of the Diocletianic system and the goodwill of the army towards the tetrarchic enterprise.
Rule as Augustus
After the abdication of Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
in 305 and the elevation of Constantius I and Galerius to the rank of '' Augustus'', two new ''Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...
''s were required to take their place. The two persons whom Galerius promoted to the rank of ''Caesar'' were very much his creatures, and he hoped to enhance his authority throughout the empire with their elevation.
First was Maximinus Daza, whose mother was Galerius' sister. An inexperienced youth with little formal education, he was invested with the purple, exalted to the dignity of ''Caesar'', and assigned the command of Egypt and Syria. Second was Severus, Galerius' comrade in arms; he was sent to Mediolanum to receive the possession of Italy and Africa. According to the forms of the constitution, Severus acknowledged the supremacy of the western emperor, but he was absolutely devoted to the commands of his benefactor Galerius, who, reserving to himself the intermediate countries from the confines of Italy to those of Syria, firmly established his power over three-quarters of the empire.
His hopes were dashed when his colleague Constantius died at York in 306 and the legions elevated his son Constantine to the position of ''Augustus''. Galerius only discovered this when he received a letter from Constantine, who informed him of his father's death, modestly asserted his natural claim to the succession, and respectfully lamented that the enthusiastic violence of his troops had not allowed him to obtain the imperial purple in the regular and constitutional manner. The first emotions of Galerius were those of surprise, disappointment, and rage, and as he could seldom restrain his passions, he threatened to burn both the letter and the messenger.
Later, however, when he had time to reconsider his position, he inevitably saw that his chances of winning a war against Constantine were doubtful at best. Galerius was well aware of Constantine's strengths – Constantine had been his guest for some time at Nicomedia – and knew that Constantius' legions were wildly devoted to his son. Therefore, without either condemning or ratifying the choice of the Roman army
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval continu ...
, Galerius accepted the son of his deceased colleague as the ruler of the provinces beyond the Alps; but he gave him only the title of ''Caesar'', and the fourth rank among the Roman princes, whilst he conferred the vacant place of ''Augustus'' on his favourite Severus.
The ambitious spirit of Galerius was only just over this disappointment when he beheld the unexpected loss of Italy to Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
, who was married to his daughter Valeria Maximilla. Galerius' need for additional revenue had persuaded him to make a very strict and rigorous examination of the property of his subjects for the purpose of a general taxation. A very minute survey was taken of their real estates and, wherever there was the slightest suspicion of concealment, torture was used to obtain a sincere declaration of their personal wealth. Italy had traditionally been exempt from any form of taxation, but Galerius ignored this precedent, and the officers of the revenue already began to number the Roman people, and to settle the proportion of the new taxes. Italy began to murmur against this indignity and Maxentius used this sentiment to declare himself emperor in Italy, to the fury of Galerius. Therefore, Galerius ordered his colleague Severus to immediately march to Rome, in the full confidence that, by his unexpected arrival, he would easily suppress the rebellion. Severus was captured after his troops deserted to their old commander Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
, who had once again been elevated to the rank of co-emperor, this time by his son Maxentius. Severus was later executed.
The importance of the occasion needed the presence and abilities of Galerius. At the head of a powerful army collected from Illyricum and the East, he entered Italy, determined to avenge Severus and to punish the rebellious Romans. But due to the skill of Maximian, Galerius found every place hostile, fortified, and inaccessible; and though he forced his way as far as Narni, within sixty miles of Rome, his control in Italy was confined to the narrow limits of his camp.
Seeing that he was facing ever-greater difficulties, Galerius made the first advances towards reconciliation, and dispatched two officers to tempt the Romans by the offer of a conference, and the declaration of his paternal regard for Maxentius, reminding them that they would obtain much more from his willing generosity than anything that might have been obtained through a military campaign. The offers of Galerius were rejected with firmness, his friendship refused, and it was not long before he discovered that, unless he retreated, he would share Severus' fate. It was not a moment too soon; large monetary gifts from Maxentius to his soldiers had corrupted the fidelity of the Illyrian legions. When Galerius finally began his withdrawal from Italy, it was only with great difficulty that he managed to stop his veterans deserting him. In frustration, Galerius allowed his legions to ravage the countryside as they passed northwards. Maxentius declined to make a general engagement.
With so many emperors now in existence, in 308 Galerius, together with the retired emperor Diocletian and the now active Maximian, called an imperial 'conference' at Carnuntum on the River Danube to rectify the situation and bring some order back into the imperial government. Here it was agreed that Galerius' long-time friend and military companion Licinius, who had been entrusted by Galerius with the defense of the Danube while Galerius was in Italy, would become ''Augustus'' in the West, with Constantine as his ''Caesar''. In the East, Galerius remained ''Augustus'' and Maximinus remained his ''Caesar''. Maximian was to retire, and Maxentius was declared a usurper.
Galerius' plan soon failed. The news of Licinius' promotion was no sooner carried into the East, than Maximinus, who governed the provinces of Egypt and Syria, rejected his position as ''Caesar'' and, notwithstanding the prayers as well as arguments of Galerius, exacted the equal title of ''Augustus''. Around the same time, Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
proclaimed himself emperor in Arles in opposition to Constantine, who was campaigning against the Franks. For the first, and indeed for the last time, seven emperors administered the Roman world: Galerius (East), Maximinus II (East), Licinius (Middle), Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
(West), Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
(West), Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
(Italy), and Domitius Alexander
Lucius Domitius Alexander (died c. 310), probably born in Phrygia, was vicarius of Africa when Emperor Maxentius ordered him to send his son as hostage to Rome. Alexander refused and proclaimed himself emperor in 308.
The most detailed if som ...
(Africa).
The last years of Galerius saw him relinquishing his aspirations towards being the supreme ruler of the empire, though he managed to retain the position of first among equals. He spent the remainder of his years enjoying himself and ordering some important public works, such as discharging into the Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , ...
the superfluous waters of Lake Pelso (now Lake Balaton), and cutting down the immense forests that encompassed it.
Persecution of Christians
Christians had lived pleasantly during most of the rule of Diocletian. The persecutions that began with an edict of 24 February 303, were credited by Christians to Galerius' work, as he was a fierce advocate of the old ways and old gods. Christian houses of assembly were destroyed, for fear of sedition in secret gatherings.
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
was not anti-Christian during the first part of his reign, and historians have claimed that Galerius decided to prod him into persecuting them by secretly burning the Imperial Palace and blaming it on Christian saboteurs. Regardless of who was at fault for the fire, Diocletian's rage was aroused and he began one of the last and greatest Christian persecutions in the history of the Roman Empire.
It was at the insistence of Galerius that the last edicts of persecution against the Christians were published, beginning in 303, and this policy of repression was maintained by him until the appearance of the general edict of toleration, issued from Nicomedia in April 311, apparently during his last bout of illness (see '' Edict of Toleration by Galerius''). Galerius's last request was that Christians should pray for him as he suffered with a painful and fatal illness.
Initially one of the leading figures in the persecutions, Galerius later admitted that the policy of trying to eradicate Christianity had failed, saying: "wherefore, for this our indulgence, they ought to pray to their God for our safety, for that of the republic, and for their own, that the republic may continue uninjured on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes." Lactantius
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) was an early Christian author who became an advisor to Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his Christian religious policy in its initial stages of emergence, and a tutor to his son Cr ...
gives the text of the edict in his moralized chronicle of the bad ends to which all the persecutors came, ''De Mortibus Persecutorum''. This marked the end of official persecution of Christians. Christianity was officially legalized in the Roman Empire two years later in 313 by Constantine and Licinius in the Edict of Milan.
Death
Galerius died in late April or early May 311 from a horribly gruesome disease described by Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christ ...
and Lactantius
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) was an early Christian author who became an advisor to Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his Christian religious policy in its initial stages of emergence, and a tutor to his son Cr ...
, possibly some form of bowel cancer, gangrene
Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...
or Fournier gangrene.
Galerius was buried in his mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
at Gamzigrad-Romuliana
Gamzigrad ( sr-Cyrl, , ) is an archaeological site, spa resort and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Serbia, located south of the Danube river, in the city of Zaječar. It is the location of the ancient Roman complex of palaces and temples Felix Rom ...
, which was part of the palace he built at his birthplace, today's Zaječar in Serbia. Several lumps composed of corroded iron ring mail ('' lorica hamata'') have been found at the site. This mail armour may have been worn by the wax figure of the emperor that was burned during the imperial funeral and apotheosis
Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...
ceremony. The entire site has been inscribed into the World Heritage List in June 2007.
Anti-Roman accusations
According to Lactantius
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) was an early Christian author who became an advisor to Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his Christian religious policy in its initial stages of emergence, and a tutor to his son Cr ...
, a Christian and adviser to Constantine, Galerius affirmed his Dacian identity and avowed himself the enemy of the Roman name once made emperor, even proposing that the empire should be called, not the Roman, but the Dacian Empire, much to the horror of the patricians and senators. Lactantius further states that Galerius exhibited anti-Roman attitude as soon as he had attained the highest power, treating the Roman citizens with ruthless cruelty, like the conquerors treated the conquered, all in the name of the same treatment that the victorious Trajan had applied to the conquered Dacians, forefathers of Galerius, two centuries before.
Honours
Galerius Peak
Galerius Peak ( bg, връх Галерий, vrah Galeriy, ) is the ice-covered peak rising to 1259 m[Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...]
is named after Emperor Galerius.Galerius Peak.
SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica
The Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is the authoritative international gazetteer containing all Antarctic toponyms published in national gazetteers, plus basic information about th ...
Family tree
See also
*
Arch and Tomb of Galerius
*
Civil Wars of the Tetrarchy (306–324)
The Civil Wars of the Tetrarchy were a series of conflicts between the co-emperors of the Roman Empire, starting in 306 AD with the usurpation of Maxentius and the defeat of Severus and ending with the defeat of Licinius at the hands of Con ...
Notes
References
Sources
Ancient sources
*''Codex Theodosianus''.
**Mommsen, T. and Paul M. Meyer, eds. ''Theodosiani libri XVI cum Constitutionibus Sirmondianis et Leges novellae ad Theodosianum pertinentes''
2 (in Latin). Berlin: Weidmann,
905
__NOTOC__
Year 905 ( CMV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – King Berengar I of Italy arranges a truce with the Hungarians, on p ...
1954. Compiled by Nicholas Palmer, revised by Tony Honoré for Oxford Text Archive, 1984. Prepared for online use by R.W.B. Salway, 1999. Preface, books 1–8. Online a
University College London and th
Accessed 25 August 2009.
**Unknown edition (in Latin). Online a
AncientRome.ru Accessed 15 August 2009.
*''Epitome de Caesaribus''.
**Banchich, Thomas M., trans. ''A Booklet About the Style of Life and the Manners of the Imperatores''. ''Canisius College Translated Texts'' 1. Buffalo, NY: Canisius College, 2009. Online a
Accessed 15 August 2009.
*Eusebius of Caesarea.
**''Historia Ecclesiastica'' (''Church History'').
***McGiffert, Arthur Cushman, trans. ''Church History''. From ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'', Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. Online a
Accessed 25 August 2009.
**''Vita Constantini'' (''Life of Constantine'').
***Richardson, Ernest Cushing, trans. ''Life of Constantine''. From ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'', Second Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1890. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. Online a
Accessed 25 August 2009.
*Festus. ''Breviarium''.
**Banchich, Thomas M., and Jennifer A. Meka, trans. ''Breviarium of the Accomplishments of the Roman People''. ''Canisius College Translated Texts'' 2. Buffalo, NY: Canisius College, 2001. Online a
Accessed 15 August 2009.
*Lactantius. ''De Mortibus Persecutorum'' (''On the Deaths of the Persecutors'').
**Fletcher, William, trans. ''Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died''. From ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'', Second Series, Vol. 7. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. Online a
Accessed 25 August 2009.
*''XII Panegyrici Latini'' (''Twelve Latin Panegyrics'').
**Nixon, C.E.V., and Barbara Saylor Rodgers, ed. and trans. ''In Praise of Later Roman Emperors: The Panegyrici Latini''. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2015.
*Zosimus. ''Historia Nova'' (''New History'').
**Unknown, trans. ''The History of Count Zosimus''. London: Green and Champlin, 1814. Online a
Accessed 15 August 2009.{{efn, This edition and translation is not very good. The pagination is broken in several places, there are many typographical errors (including several replacements of "Julian" with "Jovian" and "Constantine" with "Constantius"). It is nonetheless the only translation of the ''Historia Nova'' in the public domain.
{{Refend
Modern sources
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" ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'' (1997). Accessed March 8, 2008.
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* Barnes, Timothy D. ''Constantine and Eusebius''. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1981. {{ISBN, 978-0-674-16531-1
* {{cite book , last=Barnes , year=1982 , first=Timothy D. , title=The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine , publisher=Harvard University Press , place=Cambridge, MA , isbn=0-674-28066-0 , url={{googlebooks, K3poAAAAMAAJ, plainurl=y , author-link=Timothy Barnes (classicist)
* Bleckmann, Bruno. "Diocletianus." In ''Brill's New Pauly, Volume 4'', edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmut Schneider, 429–438. Leiden: Brill, 2002. {{ISBN, 90-04-12259-1
* Bowman, Alan K., Peter Garnsey, and Averil Cameron. ''The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume XII: The Crisis of Empire''. Cambridge University Press, 2005. {{ISBN, 0-521-30199-8
* Brown, Peter. ''The Rise of Western Christendom''. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003. {{ISBN, 0-631-22138-7
* Burgess, R.W. "The Date of the Persecution of Christians in the Army". ''Journal of Theological Studies'' 47:1 (1996): 157–158.
* Corcoran, Simon. ''The Empire of the Tetrarchs: Imperial Pronouncements and Government, AD 284–324''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. {{ISBN, 0-19-815304-X
* Corcoran, "Before Constantine", Simon. "Before Constantine." In ''The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine'', edited by Noel Lenski, 35–58. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Hardcover {{ISBN, 0-521-81838-9 Paperback {{ISBN, 0-521-52157-2
* DiMaio, Jr., Michael.
" ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'' (1996a). Accessed March 8, 2008.
* DiMaio, Jr., Michael.
" ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'' (1996b). Accessed March 8, 2008.
* DiMaio, Jr., Michael.
" ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'' (1997). Accessed March 8, 2008.
* Elliott, T. G. ''The Christianity of Constantine the Great''. Scranton, PA: University of Scranton Press, 1996. {{ISBN, 0-940866-59-5
* Gibbon, Edward, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire', Chapter 14
* Harries, Jill. ''Law and Empire in Late Antiquity''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Hardcover {{ISBN, 0-521-41087-8 Paperback {{ISBN, 0-521-42273-6
* Helgeland, John. "Christians and the Roman Army A.D. 173–337." ''Church History'' 43:2 (1974): 149–163, 200.
* {{cite book, title=
Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, chapter=C. Galerius Valerius Maximianus 9, chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/prosopography-later-roman-empire/PLRE-I/page/574/mode/1up?view=theater, publisher=Cambridge University Press, year=1971, editor-last1=Jones, editor-first1=A. H. M., editor-link1=A. H. M. Jones, ref=CITEREFPLRE, editor-last2=Martindale, editor-first2=J. R., editor-link2=John Robert Martindale, editor-last3=Morris, editor-first3=John, editor-link3=John Morris (historian), location=Cambridge, pages=574–575
* Jones, A.H.M. ''The Later Roman Empire, 284–602: A Social, Economic and Administrative Survey''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1986.
* {{cite book , last=Leadbetter , year=2010 , first=Bill , title=Galerius and the Will of Diocletian , publisher=Routledge , place=London , isbn=978-0-415-40488-4 , url={{googlebooks, QBBjy7l-NWQC, plainurl=y , ref={{sfnref, Leadbetter
* Lenski, Noel. "The Reign of Constantine." In ''The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine'', edited by Noel Lenski, 59–90. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006b. Hardcover {{ISBN, 0-521-81838-9 Paperback {{ISBN, 0-521-52157-2
* Mackay, Christopher S. "Lactantius and the Succession to Diocletian." ''Classical Philology'' 94:2 (1999): 198–209.
* Mathisen, Ralph W.
Diocletian (284–305 AD.)" ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'' (1997). Accessed February 16, 2008.
* Odahl, Charles Matson. ''Constantine and the Christian Empire''. New York: Routledge, 2004. Hardcover {{ISBN, 0-415-17485-6 Paperback {{ISBN, 0-415-38655-1
* Pohlsander, Hans. ''The Emperor Constantine''. London & New York: Routledge, 2004a. Hardcover {{ISBN, 0-415-31937-4 Paperback {{ISBN, 0-415-31938-2
* Pohlsander, Hans.
" ''De Imperatoribus Romanis'' (2004b). Accessed December 16, 2007.
* Potter, David S. ''The Roman Empire at Bay: AD 180–395''. New York: Routledge, 2005. Hardcover {{ISBN, 0-415-10057-7 Paperback {{ISBN, 0-415-10058-5
* {{Cite book, last=Rees, first=Roger, title=Diocletian and the Tetrarchy, year=2004, location=Edinburgh, UK, publisher=Edinburgh University Press, isbn=9780748616602, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wV5oAAAAMAAJ
* Southern, Pat. ''The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine''. New York: Routledge, 2001. {{ISBN, 0-415-23944-3
* Rostovtzeff, Michael. ''The Social and Economic History of the Roman Empire''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966. {{ISBN, 978-0-19-814231-7
* Treadgold, Warren. ''A History of the Byzantine State and Society''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1997. {{ISBN, 0-8047-2630-2
* Williams, Stephen. ''Diocletian and the Roman Recovery''. New York: Routledge, 1997. {{ISBN, 0-415-91827-8
{{Refend
External links
{{Commons, Galerius
Edict of Toleration by Galerius, 311.
*
ttp://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06341a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia
{{s-start
{{s-hou, , , c. 258, May, 311
{{s-reg
{{s-bef , before=
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
{{s-ttl , title=
Roman emperor
, years=305–311
, with=
Constantius I,
Severus II,
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
,
Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
,
Licinius,
Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
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Maximinus II
{{s-aft , after=
Maximinus Daza,
Liciniusand
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
{{s-off
{{s-bef , before=
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, before2=
Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
{{s-ttl , title=
Roman consul, years=294 , regent1=
Constantius Chlorus
{{s-aft , after=
Nummius Tuscus , after2=
G. Annius Anullinus
{{s-bef , before=
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, before2=
Constantius Chlorus
{{s-ttl , title=
Roman consul , years=297 , regent1=
Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
{{s-aft , after=
Anicius Faustus Paulinus , after2=
Virius Gallus
Virius Gallus was a senator of the Roman Empire who was appointed consul in AD 298.
Biography
A member of the aristocratic '' gens Viria'', Gallus’ early senatorial career is unknown. He was appointed '' consul posterior'' alongside Anicius Fa ...
{{s-bef , before=
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, before2=
Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
{{s-ttl , title=
Roman consul, years=300 , regent1=
Constantius Chlorus
{{s-aft , after=
T. Flavius Postumius Titianus , after2=Virius Nepotianus
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Constantius Chlorus
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Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
, after2=
Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
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Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
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Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
{{s-ttl , title=
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Constantius Chlorus,
Maximian
Maximian ( la, Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus; c. 250 – c. July 310), nicknamed ''Herculius'', was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was ''Caesar'' from 285 to 286, then ''Augustus'' from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his ...
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Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
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Valerius Severus
Flavius Valerius Severus (died September 307), also called Severus II, was a Roman emperor from 306 to 307. After failing to besiege Rome, he fled to Ravenna. It is thought that he was killed there or executed near Rome.
Background and earl ...
,
Maximinus Daza,
Diocletian
Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...
,
Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
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Valerius Romulus
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Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
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Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
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Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
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Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
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Maxentius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius (c. 283 – 28 October 312) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 306 until his death in 312. Despite ruling in Italy and North Africa, and having the recognition of the Senate in Rome, he was not recognized ...
{{s-end
{{Roman emperors
{{authority control
250s births
311 deaths
3rd-century Roman consuls
3rd-century Roman emperors
4th-century Roman consuls
4th-century Roman emperors
Caesars (heirs apparent)
Deified Roman emperors
Galerii
People of the Roman–Sasanian Wars
Tetrarchy
Valerii
Roman emperors to suffer posthumous denigration or damnatio memoriae
Roman pharaohs
Illyrian emperors