Profile for Emperor: Galerius - A guide to the coins of the Roman Empire

Galerius

Reece Period attributed: Period 15

Member of the The Tetrarchy dynasty.

Coins for this issuer were issued from 293 until 311.

Gaius Galerius Valerius was born ca 250 near Serdica. He had a distinguished military career, and Diocletian nominated him as junior emperor in 293 (at which point Galerius divorced his wife and married Diocletian’s daughter Valeria). Galerius successfully ruled Egypt and supposedly incited Diocletian to persecute the Christians; he became Augustus in 305 when Diocletian abdicated.

As Augustus of the east, Galerius was theoretically subordinate to the Western emperor but managed to appoint two favourites, Maximinus and Valerius Severus, as the junior Caesars. Upon the death of Constantius, he grudgingly allowed Constantine to become Caesar, but insisted that Severus be Augustus.

Maxentius soon overthrew Severus, and Galerius invaded Italy but was forced to retreat. He summoned Diocletian and Maximian to meet him and declare Maxentius a usurper in 308; they appointed Licinus in his place. Galerius grew sick in 310 and feared the illness was retribution from the Christian god, so he reluctantly lifted some of his persecution. He died in 311.

View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to Galerius.

Wikipedia derived information

Galerius, was Roman Emperor from 305 to 311.

During his reign he campaigned, aided by Diocletian, against the Sassanid Empire, sacking their capital Ctesiphon in 299. He also campaigned across the Danube against the Carpi, defeating them in 297 and 300. Although he was a staunch opponent of Christianity, Galerius ended the Diocletianic Persecution when he issued an edict of toleration in 311..

Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galerius
This data is sourced from dbpedia, and as such should be treated with caution