FAUSTA, FLAVIA MAXIMA. - Daughter of the emperor Maximian, born probably in Rome in 298. When Galerius set out to suppress the usurpation of Maxentius, and the latter, to defend himself, persuaded his father Maximian to resume the purple laid down in 305 upon the abdication imposed by Diocletian, F. was offered by Maximian in marriage to the Caesar of the Gauls, Constantine, in order to secure his support against Galerius.
The nuptial ceremony took place in Gaul in 307, and Eumenius delivered on that occasion a panegyric that is preserved (Paneg. Latini, VI). Naturally the matri-
mony of the not yet ten-year-old girl was symbolic, and the first son, Constantius II, was not born until ten years later, the two elder sons of Constantine, Crispus and Constantine II, being sons of concubines. Six years later the last son, Constans, was born, and three years afterward (326) a dark tragedy came to cast a gloomy shadow over Constantine's fortunate empire. Within a short interval the young Crispus and his stepmother F. were put to death by imperial order; in the great whispering that ensued, the two deaths were ascribed to a single cause, and the tale of Hippolytus and Phaedra was too well known among the people for any different explanation of the slaughter to be sought.
Paribeni, Roberto. “Fausta, flavia massima.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, coll. 1062–1063. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950. https://azioneromana.com/article/fausta-flavia-massima.
MLA
Paribeni, Roberto. “Fausta, flavia massima.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950, coll. 1062–1063. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/fausta-flavia-massima.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec5_fausta_flavia_massima,
author = {Paribeni, Roberto},
title = {Fausta, flavia massima},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {V},
pages = {1062--1063},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1950},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/fausta-flavia-massima}
}
One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.
Click or scroll to zoom · drag to pan · Esc to close
