Maximian
Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Augustus
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus was Diocletian's old friend and fellow officer, raised to Caesar in 285 and Augustus in 286 to govern the West while Diocletian administered the East. Together they formed the foundation of the Tetrarchy. Maximian conducted successful campaigns on the Rhine frontier and suppressed the Bagaudae in Gaul. He abdicated alongside Diocletian in 305, but could not remain retired: he involved himself in his son Maxentius's revolt, then in Constantine's affairs, ultimately being forced to commit suicide by Constantine in 310.
Maximian was the essential complement to Diocletian's vision: the soldier-emperor who made the Tetrarchy function militarily while Diocletian administered it. His inability to accept retirement is one of the great human stories of the late Roman era. His coinage, especially the well-struck argentei of the 290s, represents some of the finest craftsmanship of the late Roman mint.
Key Events
Coinage
Maximian's coinage spans the entire Tetrarchic period and is the most plentiful of the senior western Tetrarchs. The GENIO POPVLI ROMANI type (Genius of the Roman People) dominates the reformed bronze coinage after 294. His portrait in the Tetrarchic style shows a square-jawed, powerful figure, deliberately similar to Diocletian's to express collegiate harmony. Folles from the reformed coinage of 294 are commonly available.
Denominations
Notable Types
- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI (Genius of the Roman People), the dominant Tetrarchic type
- IOVI ET HERCVLI CONS AVGG types
- VOT XX types at abdication
- Posthumous issues after 310
Common Reverses
Active Mints
Related Resources
Further Reading
- Roman Imperial Coinage, Volumes V–VI,
- Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume IV,