Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus was born in Sirmius around 250. A military man, he served during reigns at least as far back as Aurelian. His Syrian wife Eutropia bore him at least two children, Maxentius and Fausta. An older daughter, Theodora, may have been from a previous marriage of Eutropia.

Diocletian became emperor in 284. He soon realized that the task of governing and defending such a large empire was too much for one ruler, so he called Maximian as Caesar in November 285. On 1 April 286 he appointed Maximian as co-Augustus, entrusting him with the rule of the western empire with his capital being in Mediolanum. In 293 the empire was divided further, as each Augustus had a Caesar ruling under him. This arrangement became known as the Tetrarchy. In the case of Maximian, his Caesar was Constantius. As part of the arrangement Constantius put aside his wife/concubine Helena to marry Theodora.

Under the Tetrarchy Maximian controlled Italy, the Iberian peninsula, and North Africa. During his reign, he campaigned against the Germanic tribes in Gaul, and later against African tribes near Carthage and the Moors in Spain. The commander of his northern sea fleet, Carausius, was charged with clearing out pirates. Carausius revolted, taking Britain and part of Gaul. Both were recovered by Constantius.

Maximian was a tough, battle-hardened general, but also had a reputation for being ill tempered and menacing. He also was unwilling to give up power. On 1 May 305 both Diocletian and Maximian, in their respective capitals, resigned as Augusti, being replaced by their former Caesars. It is quite likely that this had not been Maximian's choice. A year later his son Maxentius revolted and proclaimed himself emperor in Rome, and Maximian gave his support. Maxentius in turn rasied his father back as Augustus in February of 307. In an effort to bolster support, Maximian married his daughter Fausta to Constantine, the new Caesar of the west. Maximian returned to Rome in April 308 attempting to oust his son, but his attempt to win over the troops failed and he retreated back to Constantine's court.

In disgust with the rule of the empire, Diocletian chaired the Conference at Carnuntum in late 308. Maximian was forced to re-abdicate, and he returned to the court of Constantine. In 310 for the third time he assumed the purple, while Constantine was away campaigning against the Germanic tribes. Constantine returned much faster than Maximian had counted on, and Maximian fled south to Massalia. Constantine laid siege to the sity which quickly surrendered, and handed over the usurper. He was forced to commit suicide soon afterwards.

The obverse busts of the coinage of the Tetrarchy are very distinctive. After the coinage reform of Diocletian in 294 the busts become very blocky, and almost generic - it is often necessary to consult the legend to discover which emperor issued the coin. Maximian adopted himself into the family of Hercules, much as Diocletian had done with Jupiter. The reverses of the coins often reflect this. Another frequent design is the "genius" or spirit of the Roman people, a unifying patriotic theme.

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All coins from the author's collection. Not a commercial site, these coins are not for sale.