Fausta, as Salus, holding her two sons, Constantine II and Constantius II.

Fausta Flavia Maxima, Roman Empress, (289-326A.D.) She was the daughter of the Roman Emperor Maximianus. To seal the alliance between them for control of the Tetrarchy, Maximianus married her to Constantine I in 307. Constantine and Fausta had been betrothed since 293. Image File history File links Follis-Fausta-constantinople_RIC_012. ... Image File history File links Follis-Fausta-constantinople_RIC_012. ... In Greek mythology, Hygieia (Roman equivalent: Salus) was a daughter of Asclepius. ... Constantine II as caesar. ... Flavius Iulius Constantius, known in English as Constantius II, (7 August 317 - 3 November 361) was a Roman Emperor (337 - 361) of the Constantinian dynasty. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Maximian on a coin (295–296 AD) Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus (c. ... The Tetrarchs, a porphyry sculpture sacked from a Byzantine palace in 1204, Treasury of St. ... Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[2] (27 February ca. ... March 31 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Emperor Maximian. ... Events March 1 - Diocletian and Maximian appoint Constantius Chlorus and Galerius as Caesars. ...

Fausta had a part in her father's downfall. In 310 Maximian died as a consequence of an assassination plot against Constantine. He decided to involve his daughter Fausta in the plot, but she decided to reveal the attempt to her husband, and the assassination was disrupted. Maximian died, by suicide or by assassination, in July of that same year.

Empress Fausta was held in high esteem by Constantine and proof of his favour was that in 323 she was proclaimed Augusta, previously she held the title of Nobilissima Femina. However 3 years later Fausta was put to death by Constantine. Although the real reasons are not clear, Constantine put her to death following the execution of Crispus, his eldest son by a previous marriage to Minervina, in 326. According to the ancient sources, she accused Crispus of rape, and was then executed when her charge was discovered to be false. Modern commentators have tended to ignore the allegation of rape and to seek some other explanation for what happened. It has often been argued that Fausta wanted to get rid of Crispus who was a dangerous rival for her sons in the competition to succeed Constantine. The Emperor ordered the damnatio memoriae of his wife. Significantly her sons once in power never revoked this order. Crispus on a coin issued to celebrate Constantine I victory over Goths in 323. ... Minervina was the wife of Constantine the first ruler of the Byzantine empire. ... Events September 14 - Discovery of the (alleged) True Cross by Vatican City, where St. ... Tondo of the Severan family, with portraits of Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla, and Geta. ...

Her sons became Roman Emperors: Constantine II reigned 337 - 340, Constantius II reigned 337 - 361, and Constans reigned 337 - 350. She also bore three daughters Constantina, Helena and Fausta. Of these, Constantina married her cousins, firstly Hannibalianus and secondly Constantius Gallus, and Helena married Emperor Julian. Apparently a genealogical claim that her daughter Fausta became mother of Emperor Valentinian I is without foundation (Valentinian I and children of Constantine I's second marriage were born in years close to each other, i.e they were of the same generation). Constantine II as caesar. ... September 9 - Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans succeed their father Constantine I and rule as co-emperors of the Roman Empire. ... Events Constantine II attacks his brother Constans near Aquileia, aiming for sole control of the western half of the Roman Empire, but is defeated. ... Flavius Iulius Constantius, known in English as Constantius II, (7 August 317 - 3 November 361) was a Roman Emperor (337 - 361) of the Constantinian dynasty. ... September 9 - Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans succeed their father Constantine I and rule as co-emperors of the Roman Empire. ... Events Emperor Ai succeeds Emperor Mu as emperor of China. ... Flavius Julius Constans (320 - 350), was a Roman Emperor who ruled from 337 to 350. ... September 9 - Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans succeed their father Constantine I and rule as co-emperors of the Roman Empire. ... Events January 18 - Magnentius proclaimed Emperor by the army in Autun. ... Constantina Augusta was the eldest daughter of Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor. ... Flavius Hannibalianus (also Hanniballianus) (d. ... Constantius Gallus (? - 354 AD) was a cousin of Roman Emperor Constantius II and became Caesar in 351 A.D. .Gallus set residence in Antioch. ... Look up Julian, Julien in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flavius Valentinianus, known in English as Valentinian I, (321 - November 17, 375) was a Roman Emperor (364-375). ...

Bibliography

J.W. Drijvers, 'Flavia Maxima Fausta: Some Remarks', Historia 41 (1992) 500- 506.

D. Woods, ‘On the Death of the Empress Fausta’, Greece & Rome 45 (1998), 70-86.

External links

• Media on Fausta in the Wikicommons.