Dynastic Politics in the Age of Diocletian, AD 284-311

297 Pages·2022·8.494 MB·English

by  Byron Waldron

Dynastic Politics in the Age of Diocletian,
284–311
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Dynastic Politics in the Age
of Diocletian, 284–311
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Byron Waldron
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Edinburgh University Press is one of the leading university presses in the UK. We publish academic
books and journals in our selected subject areas across the humanities and social sciences, combining
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© Byron Waldron 2022
Cover image: Six Tetrarchs depicted on a pilaster from Felix Romuliana © National Museum Zajecˇar
Cover design: Andrew McColm
Edinburgh University Press Ltd
The Tun – Holyrood Road
12(2f) Jackson’s Entry
Edinburgh EH8 8PJ
Typeset in 10.5/13 Goudy Old Style by
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printed and bound in Great Britain.
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 4744 9865 4 (hardback)
ISBN 978 1 4744 9867 8 (webready PDF)
ISBN 978 1 4744 9868 5 (epub)
The right of Byron Waldron to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the Copyright and Related
Rights Regulations 2003 (SI No. 2498).
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Contents
List of Figures vii
Preface and Acknowledgements ix
Dramatis Personae xi
Chronology xiii
Stemma: The Tetrarchic Dynasty, 284–311 xvi
Abbreviations xvii
Introduction: A Military Regime in the Third Century ad 1
a. The Ancient Sources 7
b. Emperors, Armies and Political Power 18
c. The Tetrarchs as Military Emperors 31
1. Band of Brothers: Diocletian and Maximian, Virtutibus Fratres 38
1.1. The Augustan Fraternity in the Panegyrics 42
1.2. The Augustan Fraternity in Other Media 50
1.3. A Fraternity between Commilitones 59
2. Gang of Four: The Tetrarchy Begins 70
2.1. Dating the Appointments 70
2.2. Wars, Generals and Carausius 72
2.3. Imperial Presence and Regional Military Rebellion 89
2.4. The Tetrarchic Solution 99
3. Diocletian vs Heredity: Succession Events and the Soldiery 115
3.1. The Sons 117
3.2. Lactantius and the Succession of 305 122
3.3. Christianity, Supremacy and Meritocracy 130
3.4. Problems with Lactantius’ Account 133
3.5. The Will of Diocletian 145
3.6. The Failure of Dynasty 148
3.7. A Failed Succession 159
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vi dynastic politics in the age of diocletian
4. A Tale of Two Princes: Constantine and Maxentius before 306 166
4.1. Constantine 167
4.2. Maxentius 180
4.3. Filial Concerns in the West 184
4.4. A Complicated Picture 194
5. Invisible Feminae and Galerian Empresses: The Representation
of Imperial Women 197
5.1. Augustae and Diuae in the Later Third Century 198
5.2. The Representation of Women, 284–306 200
5.3. A Case of Deliberate Exclusion? 204
5.4. Tetrarchic Empresses, 307–11 207
Conclusions: Domus Militaris 222
Appendix: Prosopography of the Imperial Women 233
Bibliography 238
Index 268
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Figures
1.1. Porphyry statue group of the Tetrarchs, Venice. Credit:
Wikimedia Commons. 49
1.2. Pilaster from Felix Romuliana depicting the Senior Augusti,
Augusti and Caesars, National Museum Zajeˇcar. Credit:
National Museum Zajeˇcar. 51
1.3. Painted marble frieze from Nicomedia depicting Diocletian and
Maximian, Kocaeli Archaeology Museum. Credit: © Çukurbga˘g
˙
Archaeological Project (TÜBITAK 115K242)/Kocaeli
Archaeology Museum. 54
1.4. Panels of Galerius in combat (above) and the emperors
enthroned (below) on the Arch of Galerius, Thessalonica.
Credit: Bente Kiilerich. 56
1.5. Pedestal depicting a Dioscurus, possibly a fragment of the
arcus nouus Diocletiani, Boboli Gardens, Florence. Credit:
Byron Waldron. 58
2.1. Radiate fraction of Cyzicus depicting Maximian. Obverse: IMP
C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG (Imperator Caesar Marcus
Aurelius Maximianus pious fortunate Augustus), radiate, draped
and cuirassed. Reverse: CONCORDIA MILITVM (harmony of
the soldiers), emperor, holding a short sceptre or scroll, receiving
a Victoriola on a globe from Jupiter, who is holding a sceptre.
(RIC 6 Cyzicus no. 16b). Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com,
ex Numismatik Naumann, auction 81, Lot 608, Sept. 2019. 101
2.2. F ollis of Trier depicting Constantius. Obverse: FL VAL
CONSTANTIVS N C (Flavius Valerius Constantius most
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viii dynastic politics in the age of diocletian
noble Caesar), laureate and cuirassed, holding spear and shield.
Reverse: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI (for the Genius of the
Roman people), Genius with modius on head and chlamys
over shoulder, holding patera and cornucopia. (RIC 6 Trier no. 341).
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com, ex Freeman & Sear,
Mail Bid Sale 14, Jun. 2007. 109
2.3. Porphyry head of Galerius from Felix Romuliana, National
Museum Zajeˇcar. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. 111
2.4. Argenteus of Nicomedia depicting Diocletian. Obverse:
DIOCLETIANVS AVG (Diocletianus Augustus), laureate.
Reverse: VICTORIAE SARMATICAE (for the victory over
the Sarmatians), the Tetrarchs sacrificing before a six-turreted
enclosure. (RIC 6 Nicomedia no. 19a). Credit: With permission of
wildwinds.com, ex Freeman & Sear, Mail Bid Sale 12, Oct. 2005. 111
3.1. Follis of Trier depicting Diocletian. Obverse: D N DIOCLETIANO
FELICISSIMO SEN AVG (for our lord Diocletianus most fortunate
Senior Augustus), laureate and mantled, holding olive branch and
mappa. Reverse: PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG
(foresight of the gods, repose of the two Augusti), Providentia
extending her hand to Quies, who holds a branch and sceptre.
(RIC 6 Trier no. 676a). Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com,
ex CNG, Triton V, Jan. 2002. 138
5.1. Follis of Alexandria depicting Galeria Valeria. Obverse: GAL
VALERIA AVG (Galeria Valeria Augusta), diademed and draped.
Reverse: VENERI VICTRICI (for Venus the Victorious), Venus
wearing stephane, holding globe and raising drapery. (RIC 6
Alexandria no. 81). Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com,
ex Jean Elsen & ses, Fils S.A. auction, Feb. 2016. 210
5.2. Marble portraits from Salona, possibly of Tetrarchic imperial
women, Archaeological Museum in Split. Credit: T. Seser,
Archaeological Museum in Split. 212
5.3. Tondo of Valeria/Tyche, Small Arch of Galerius, Archaeological
Museum of Thessaloniki. Credit: Bente Kiilerich. 213
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Preface and Acknowledgements
As an undergraduate studying history, my interests had often tended towards
the relationship between armies and politics. When it came to modern
history, military dictatorships in Africa and Latin America were a source of
fascination, and as a fledgling ancient historian, I was drawn to the Barcids
and the Diadokhoi, generals who had achieved political supremacy over the
states they served on the battlefield. As I came to the end of my Honours
year at the University of Sydney, I assumed that the third century bc would
continue to be the temporal realm of my research. However, when my PhD
supervisor, Professor Richard Miles, suggested that I study the Tetrarchs,
my trajectory suddenly changed direction towards the other third century.
Given my fascination with military politics, the third century ad proved
irresistible to me, and it is thanks to Professor Miles’s prescience that I have
found such intellectual stimulation and enjoyment in the study of the
Tetrarchs and in the regimes that came before and after their rule. I can only
hope that readers will find similar stimulation and enjoyment in reading the
work that I have produced.
This book began as my PhD dissertation, which I completed at the Uni-
versity of Sydney in 2018. It is a book about dynastic and military politics
in the Tetrarchic period, and as such it tackles a notoriously contentious
topic. Why did the imperial succession in ad 305 happen the way it did? Was
Constantine an heir apparent? These and related questions have produced
diverse responses and passionate disagreements. While I seek to be persua-
sive, I look forward to the discussions that I hope this book will elicit.
Many have helped me along the way in producing this monograph. At the
outset I would like to thank Professor Miles. Despite my penchant for detail,
he directed me to keep my eyes on the bigger questions. I also offer deeply felt
thanks to the following scholars who, through their suggestions, criticisms
and/or proofreading, greatly helped to shape this study: Dr Peter Brennan,
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