Galerius - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

# Galerius

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Galerius Maximianus (c. 250–5 May 311), formally Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus was Roman Emperor from 305 to 311.

Galerius served as a soldier under Emperors Aurelian and Probus, and became Caesar in 293 along with Constantius Chlorus, when the Tetrarchy was introduced. He married Diocletian's daughter Valeria (later known as Galeria Valeria), and took ove the care of the Illyrian provinces.

In 296, at the beginning of the Persian War, he changed from the Danube to the Euphrates. There his first campaign ended in a defeat, near Callinicum, which caused the loss of Mesopotamia. But in 297 he gained a decisive victory over Narses and took the city of Ctesiphon so that in 298 Narses asked for peace. Mesopotamia was returned to Roman rule and even some territory east of the Tigris, which marks the greatest extension of the Roman Empire in the east.

Arch of Galerius in Thessaloniki (eastern face).

Christians had lived in peace during most of the rule of Diocletian. The persecutions that began with an edict of February 24 303, were credited by Christians to the influence of Galerius. Christian houses of assembly were destroyed, for fear of secret gatherings.

In 305, on the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, Galerius got the title of Augustus together with Constantius his former colleague.

Detail of the Arch of Galerius in Thessaloniki.

But Constantine was declared Augustus after the death of his father Constantius, and Maximian and his son Maxentius were declared co-Augusti in Italy.

In 307 he elevated his friend Licinius to the rank of Augustus, and retired to the city Felix Romuliana (near present day Gamzigrada, Serbia-Montenegro) built by him to honor his mother Romula, and devoted the few remaining years of his life "to the enjoyment of pleasure and to the execution of some works of public utility."

The last edicts of persecution against the Christians were published under his rule on February 24, 303. But in in April 311 he issued the general edict of toleration, from Nicomedia in his own name and in those of Licinius and Constantine. Lactantius gives the text of the edict in his chronicle of the bad ends to which all the persecutors came, De Mortibus Persecutorum ("On the Deaths of the Persecutors", chapters 34, 35). This marked the end of official persecution of Christians. Galerius died on 5 May, 311.

## [edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Galerius

- Medieval Sourcebook: Edict of Toleration by Galerius, 311.
- Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus
- Lactantius about Galerius in his "De Mortibus Persecutorum" chapter XXIII & XXVII
- Catholic Encyclopedia

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Categories: Ancient Rome | 250s births | 311 deaths

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