Julian was the son of Constantius Gallus and made Caesar by his own father's murderer, Constantius II. Constantius then assigned him an army and sent to suppress yet another German invasion. Upon the successful completion of this task, however, his own soldiers promoted him to the rank of Augustus. Chafing still from his father's fate he was well-prepared to meet Constantius in battle. But the battle was never meant to be because Constantius died of an illness en route and he was able to rule uncontested. Reversing the growing momentum of Christianity within the empire, Julian attempted to bring...

Jovian succeeded Julian II as emperor when the latter died of battlefield wounds. The general realized that their army was on the brink of falling apart under the pressures of renewed attacks by the Persians who were deep within their own territory. Upon this analysis as well as the fact that supply columns could never hope to reach them effectively, he settled a truce with the Persians giving over all the territory the Romans had just won under Julian. Jovian died on the return from this episode as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. AU Solidus RIC 223v (Antioch), Depeyrot 18/2 Solidus...

Constantius joins the lenghty list of emperors whose career was marked by a seemingly endless series of wars both domestic and foreign. He served as Caesar from 324 until his father's death in 337 at which time he shared the title of Augustus with two other brothers, Constantine II and Constans. To make sure no more Johnny-come-latelies in his family would try their hand at being emperor too it is thought that he engineered a bloodbath that left nary a relative. Constantine II died in battle and Constans was murdered by the men of Magnentius, the first of several usurpers. This left Constantius...