Constantine had no reason to suspect that Maximian regarded him as anything other than simply the tribune who headed Diocletian’s personal guard, until he was startled at the beginning of their second week of residence in Rome to receive a peremptory summons from Maximian himself. Shortly he was ushered into a small audience chamber in the palace where the Emperor of the West and his family were staying upon their state visit to Rome for the triumph and the celebration of the Vicennalia, as well as the beginning of Diocletian’s official year as Consul.
Constantine had not seen Maximian at close hand before, but he knew him to be a soldier of considerable reputation whom his father respected. To his surprise he saw evidence of softness in the man’s face, the corpulence of his body and even the stain of wine upon his tunic, although it was still fairly early in the morning. When Constantine saluted, Maximian did not even bother to return it.
“So you are Constantius’ bastard,” he said. “No one could doubt that he is your father, no matter who your mother was.”
“You will find that my birth was quite legitimate, Augustus.” By now he had become so accustomed to unjustified slurs upon his legitimacy that he had learned to control himself, particularly when they came from a source which he could not force to swallow the slur. “You have only to ask the Emper ”
Maximian snapped
“Rome has two Emperors,” Maximian snapped. “We rule together and neither has authority over the other.”
Constantine did not dispute the assertion, though even the veriest plebe in the suhura knew Diocletian’s orders were obeyed without question by Maximian and both the Caesars.
“Maxentius has told me how you won favor with Diocletian by almost killing the Frankish prince, who was master of horse at Nicomedia,” Maximian continued. “And I have heard from Caesar Galerius of your trickery in claiming victory over the Persians when, in actual fact, he had already turned back the forces of King Narses.”
Constantine did not bother to dispute the lies, since Maximian had quite obviously decided already what he wished to believe.
“Everybody knows, too, how you insinuated yourself into the favor of Empress Prisca and Lady Valeria by supporting them in their Christian heresy,” Maximian continued. “But I must warn you that you shall not worm your way into my household through my daughter. Fausta is still a child and only a scoundrel would use her in the hope of gaining my approval for his ambitions, whatever they are.”
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