DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18096#0340
266 Roman Africa
The partition of the Empire into four divisions by Diocletian
proclaiming himself and his colleague Maximianus as Augusti,
and bestowing upon the two subordinate Emperors the title of
Caesar, was not favoured by later rulers, nor was any attempt
made by his immediate successor (till forced to do so as matter
of policy) to divide imperial authority. Constantine, as the
eldest son of Constantius by his divorced wife Helena, became
the rightful Emperor on the death of his father, but his claims
were disputed by the three most prominent and successful men
of the time. In order to assert his supremacy he had a more
difficult task to accomplish than had befallen any previous
Emperor. For a period of eighteen years Licinius, his brother-
in-law and an acclaimed Emperor, was regarded as a sworn
enemy, although his services in war were utilised by Constantine
for the attainment of his own ends. For more than four years
Maximianus, his father-in-law and a retired Emperor, was
carrying fire and destruction into distant parts of the Empire ;
and for a period of eleven years Maxentius, his brother-in-law
and son of Maximianus, was raising the standard of revolt in
Africa and other provinces of the Empire. There are no in-
scriptions, yet discovered in North Africa, bearing the joint
names of these four Csesars, nor of any two of them, and those
which have been brought to light give little information about
an obscure period of Roman history. Party spirit must have
run high in those turbulent times, when all these four deter-
mined men were striving for the mastery, and employing the
legions under their command in their several spheres of action
to gain the ascendency by some decisive engagement.
The favour shown to Christian communities by Constantine
in the earlier days of his rule, long before his public acknow-
ledgment of Christianity, stirred the antagonism of a rough
unpolished man like Licinius, who was a stern upholder of
Pagan rites. But personal animosity was compelled to yield to
the necessities of the hour, and these two strong men, watching
each other's movements in the senate-house and the battle-field,
were linked together by a bond of mutual interest to rid them-
selves of Maximianus and his brutal son Maxentius. Success
attended their arms. The former came to a miserable end,
Const. 1876-77, p. 464. ' Alexander vicarius prafecti p7'atorio in Africa, A. D.
30S, a Maxentio descivit et Carthaginepurpuram sumpsit.3 (Wilmanns.)
The partition of the Empire into four divisions by Diocletian
proclaiming himself and his colleague Maximianus as Augusti,
and bestowing upon the two subordinate Emperors the title of
Caesar, was not favoured by later rulers, nor was any attempt
made by his immediate successor (till forced to do so as matter
of policy) to divide imperial authority. Constantine, as the
eldest son of Constantius by his divorced wife Helena, became
the rightful Emperor on the death of his father, but his claims
were disputed by the three most prominent and successful men
of the time. In order to assert his supremacy he had a more
difficult task to accomplish than had befallen any previous
Emperor. For a period of eighteen years Licinius, his brother-
in-law and an acclaimed Emperor, was regarded as a sworn
enemy, although his services in war were utilised by Constantine
for the attainment of his own ends. For more than four years
Maximianus, his father-in-law and a retired Emperor, was
carrying fire and destruction into distant parts of the Empire ;
and for a period of eleven years Maxentius, his brother-in-law
and son of Maximianus, was raising the standard of revolt in
Africa and other provinces of the Empire. There are no in-
scriptions, yet discovered in North Africa, bearing the joint
names of these four Csesars, nor of any two of them, and those
which have been brought to light give little information about
an obscure period of Roman history. Party spirit must have
run high in those turbulent times, when all these four deter-
mined men were striving for the mastery, and employing the
legions under their command in their several spheres of action
to gain the ascendency by some decisive engagement.
The favour shown to Christian communities by Constantine
in the earlier days of his rule, long before his public acknow-
ledgment of Christianity, stirred the antagonism of a rough
unpolished man like Licinius, who was a stern upholder of
Pagan rites. But personal animosity was compelled to yield to
the necessities of the hour, and these two strong men, watching
each other's movements in the senate-house and the battle-field,
were linked together by a bond of mutual interest to rid them-
selves of Maximianus and his brutal son Maxentius. Success
attended their arms. The former came to a miserable end,
Const. 1876-77, p. 464. ' Alexander vicarius prafecti p7'atorio in Africa, A. D.
30S, a Maxentio descivit et Carthaginepurpuram sumpsit.3 (Wilmanns.)