Constantius Chlorus

   Member of the tetrarchy (q.v.); father of Constantine I the Great (q.v.). A career army officer, he fought in Syria (q.v.) under Aurelian, was governor of Dalmatia (q.v.), and by 288 was praetorian prefect in Gaul (qq.v.) of the emperor (q.v.) Maximian. In 289 he had married Maximian's daughter Theodora, divorcing his previous wife Helena, the mother of the future Constantine I the Great (q.v.). In 293 Diocletian (q.v.) made him caesar (q.v.) and part of the tetrarchy. Constantius demonstrated his generalship by driving the usurper Carausius from Gaul (q.v.), and then reclaiming Britain (q.v.) from the rebel Allectus in 296. In 305, when Diocletian abdicated, Constantius was elevated to augustus (q.v.) of the West, with Spain (q.v.) added to his jurisdiction. He venerated sol invictus (the unconquerable sun), but he did not persecute Christians during the Great Persecution (q.v.) of 303-311. He died in York in 306, with his son Constantine by his side. Constantine was proclaimed by his troops as the new augustus of the West, in response to Constantius's last request.