| Flavia Maximiana Theodora | |
|---|---|
 Flavia Maximiana Theodora. On the reverse, the goddess Pietas . | |
| Roman empress | |
| Tenure | 305–306 |
| Born | Maximiana Theodora |
| Died | before 337 |
| Spouse | Constantius Chlorus |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Constantinian |
| Father | Uncertain, perhaps Afranius Hannibalianus or Maximian |
| Mother | Uncertain, perhaps Eutropia |
Flavia Maximiana Theodora (died before 337) was a Roman empress as the wife of Constantius Chlorus.
She is often referred to as a stepdaughter of Emperor Maximian by ancient sources, leading to claims by historians Otto Seeck and Ernest Stein that she was born from an earlier marriage between Eutropia, wife of Maximian, and Afranius Hannibalianus. [1] [2] This man was consul in 292 and praetorian prefect under Diocletian. [3]
Timothy Barnes challenges this view, arguing that all "stepdaughter sources" derive their information from the hypothetical 4th century Enmannsche Kaisergeschichte , which Barnes considers unreliable, while sources he considers to be more reliable refer to Theodora as Maximian's daughter, rather than his stepdaughter. [1] He concludes that she was born to an earlier wife of Maximian, possibly one of Hannibalianus's daughters. [4] Although Julia Hillner agreed with the idea of Theodora being Maximian's biological daughter, she also observed that Barnes' theory does not explain why one of Theodora's daughters was named Eutropia. She believes that Theodora was the daughter of both Maximian and Eutropia. She agrees with Barnes that the "stepdaughter sources" are the result of later Constantinian propaganda, but argues that Afranius was instead Eutropia's brother, thus explaining why Theordora named one of her daughter Eutropia, and one of her sons Hannibalianus. [5]
In 293, [6] Theodora married Constantius Chlorus, the junior co-emperor of Maximian, after he had set aside Helena, mother of his son Constantine, to strengthen his political position. The couple had six children. [2] Through her son Julius Constantius, she would become the grandmother of the emperor Julian.
After the death of her stepson Constantine, several of her male descendants were massacred, which Julian explicitly blamed Constantius II for. [7] Constantine's successors proceeded to print coins of Theodora, [8] presumably in an attempt to distance themselves from the massacre. [9]
Constantine II was Roman emperor from 337 to 340. Son of Constantine the Great and co-emperor alongside his brothers, his attempt to exert his perceived rights of primogeniture led to his death in a failed invasion of Italy in 340.
Flavius Valerius Constantius, also called Constantius I, was a Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 to 305 and then ruling as augustus until his death. Constantius was also father of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome. The nickname "Chlorus" was first popularized by Byzantine-era historians and not used during the emperor's lifetime.
Maximian, nicknamed Herculius, was Roman emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent most of his time on campaign. In late 285, he suppressed rebels in Gaul known as the Bagaudae. From 285 to 288, he fought against Germanic tribes along the Rhine frontier. Together with Diocletian, he launched a scorched earth campaign deep into Alamannic territory in 288, refortifying the frontier.
Flavia Maxima Fausta Augusta was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of Maximian and wife of Constantine the Great, who had her executed and excluded from all official accounts for unknown reasons. Historians Zosimus and Zonaras reported that she was executed for adultery with her stepson, Crispus.
Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus was a statesman and ruler in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire from 351 to 354, as Caesar under emperor Constantius II, his cousin. A grandson of emperor Constantius Chlorus and empress Flavia Maximiana Theodora, and a son of Julius Constantius and Galla, he belonged to the Constantinian dynasty. Born during the reign of his uncle Constantine the Great, he was among the few male members of the imperial family to survive the purge that followed Constantine's death. Under Constantius II, Gallus served as deputy emperor, based in Antioch and married to Constantius' sister Constantina. He dealt with a Jewish revolt in the years 351-352. Gallus ultimately fell out of favor with Constantius and was executed, being replaced as Caesar by his younger half-brother Julian.
Nepotianus, sometimes known in English as Nepotian, was a member of the Constantinian dynasty who reigned as a short-lived usurper of the Roman Empire. He ruled the city of Rome for twenty-eight days, before being killed by his rival usurper Magnentius' general Marcellinus.
The gens Flavia was a plebeian family at ancient Rome. Its members are first mentioned during the last three centuries of the Republic. The first of the Flavii to achieve prominence was Marcus Flavius, tribune of the plebs in 327 and 323 BC; however, no Flavius attained the consulship until Gaius Flavius Fimbria in 104 BC. The gens became illustrious during the first century AD, when the family of the Flavii Sabini claimed the imperial dignity.
Flavius Julius Constantius was a member of the Constantinian dynasty, being a son of Emperor Constantius Chlorus and his wife Flavia Maximiana Theodora, a younger half-brother of Emperor Constantine the Great and the father of Emperor Julian.
Eutropia, a Roman empress of Syrian origin, who was the wife of Emperor Maximian.
Flavius Dalmatius, also known as Dalmatius the Censor, was a censor (333), and a member of the Constantinian dynasty, which ruled over the Roman Empire at the beginning of the 4th century.
Flavia Julia Constantia was a Roman empress as the wife of Licinius. She was the daughter of the Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus and his wife Flavia Maximiana Theodora, and younger half-sister of Constantine the Great.
Minervina was either the first wife or a concubine of Constantine I, and the mother of his eldest son Crispus.
Flavia Valeria Constantina, later known as Saint Constance, was the eldest daughter of Roman emperor Constantine the Great and his second wife Fausta, daughter of Emperor Maximian. Constantina may have received the title of Augusta from her father, and is venerated as a saint, having developed a medieval legend wildly at variance with what is known of her actual character.
The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great, who became the sole ruler of the empire in 324. The dynasty is also called Neo-Flavian because every Constantinian emperor bore the name Flavius, similarly to the rulers of the first Flavian dynasty in the 1st century.
Anastasia was a daughter of Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and Flavia Maximiana Theodora, and half sister of Emperor Constantine I. She was married to Bassianus, who was found to be plotting against Constantine and executed. She is reputed to have built the public baths at Constantinople, which were named after her. The name Anastasia may indicate a sympathy on her father's part towards Christian culture.
Eutropia was the daughter of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus and Flavia Maximiana Theodora, and therefore half-sister of Constantine the Great. She was mother of the short-lived imperial pretender Nepotianus, and was probably killed alongside him by the rival usurper Magnentius in 350.
Constantia (362–383) was the first empress consort of Gratian of the Western Roman Empire. According to Ammianus Marcellinus, her mother was Faustina and her father was Constantius II, who died before Constantia was born.
Helena was a Roman Empress by marriage to Julian, Roman emperor in 360–363. She was briefly his Empress consort when Julian was proclaimed Augustus by his troops in 360. She died prior to the resolution of his conflict with Constantius II.
A daughter of Julius Constantius, of unknown name, was the first wife of Constantius II.
Afranius Hannibalianus was the consul of 292 AD, a praetorian prefect, a senator and a military officer and commander.
The full text of Letter to the senate and people of Athens at Wikisource 
Media related to Flavia Maximiana Theodora at Wikimedia Commons