ABSTRACT
In the year 312, on 28 October, Constantine found himself in a decisive battle against Maxentius, a rival to the imperial throne. Constantine’s father, Constantius, had been one of the four rulers of Rome (known as the Tetrarchy) which was established in 293 in order to rule the affairs of the expansive empire more efficiently. When Constantius died in 306, his troops declared Constantine to be his replacement. Another of the four rulers, Galerius, saw things differently and named Severus to the open post. And Maxentius, the son of a previous Tetrarch, Maximian, thought he himself should not have been passed over.
