Hello, and welcome to the History of Rome, Episode 130, Lost in Transition.

When Diocletian and Maximian stepped aside in 305 AD, there was a great deal of hope

that their abdication would be merely the first in a long line of voluntary imperial

retirements. Going forward, the dream was essentially for future tetrarchs to rule for 10 years

as a Caesar, and then for another 10 years as an Augustus, before abdicating in favor of

their junior colleagues, which would begin the whole cycle over again. The imperial regime

would thus be perpetually renewed, perpetually refreshed, and perpetually free of dynastic

struggles. The foundation for all of this had been dug and the concrete poured by Diocletian

but challenge now would be getting the cement to set. The challenge would have to be met by

the new set of four tetrarchs, Galerius, Constantius, Severus, and Maximus Daya. That the tetrarchy would

eventually fall apart is perhaps predictable, that it would begin to fall apart after less than a

year, however, came as a bit of a surprise. As I mentioned last week, there was tension right

from the beginning, internally because the two new Augusti were not exactly best friends,

and externally because Constantine and Maxentius had been left out in the cold.

I'll leave the former issue for the moment since the rivalry between Galerius and Constantius

is about to become moot anyway, and instead focus on the two imperial sons who had been denied

what they believed was their rightful inheritance, because their rivalry with the official tetrarchy,

and then their rivalry with one another, has a long way to go before Constantine will render all

rivalries moot. Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius was born in the late 270s AD, and was the only son of

Maximian, who at that time was still just a high ranking general serving under the emperor Probus.

When Diocletian tapped Maximian to be his fellow Augustus in 285, the expectations for young

Maxentius naturally skyrocketed. Diocletian had one daughter and no sons, and Maximian had two

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