The Life And Grotesque Death Of Emperor Galerius

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thehistorianshut
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Galerius, for most of his life, was physically large, strong, and intimidating. His strength served him well in his Roman military career, during which he displayed prowess in strategy and battle. Galerius rose to prominence in the complicated reign of Emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305), who decided to divide his empire between two emperors (with the titles of Augustus), and each Augustus had a subservient Caesar to help manage and defend the realm. Diocletian appointed Maximian as his co-emperor in 286 and the positions of the caesars were staffed in 293. Galerius was brought on as Diocletian’s personal caesar, while Constantius I (the father of Constantine) served as the caesar of Maximian.

Diocletian kept Galerius busy by sending the formidable military commander from frontier to frontier to oversee defenses and campaigns in areas like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Danube River region. Aside from a few momentary setbacks that he later corrected, Galerius had a lauded record of winning wars against Rome’s foes, including campaigns against the Persians, the Marcomanni, the Carpi, and the Sarmatians. In terms of military accomplishments, Galerius was a clear beneficial asset for the Roman Empire, but his reputation is more complicated when it comes to domestic policy. Unfortunately, Galerius was one of the primary catalysts of the spike of persecutions against Christians during the reign of Diocletian, and it was at Galerius’ urging that the so-called Great Persecution was begun in 303.

Diocletian and Maximian voluntarily retired from power in 305, willingly handing over control of government to their caesars. Galerius succeeded Diocletian, and Constantius replaced Maximian. Galerius would go on to rule for years, but Constantius did not prove so lucky—he died suddenly in 306, leaving his Gallic, Britannic, and Spanish lands and legions to his son, Constantine (r. 306-337). Galerius, as the surviving Augustus, immediately tried to fill the positions of the tetrarchy with loyalists, but he eventually had to begrudgingly acknowledge Constantine’s authority over his late father’s lands and troops. Suffice it to say, the precarious tetrarchy government in the Roman Empire began to crumble during the succession crisis that arose after Constantius’ death. Along with Galerius and Constantine, there was also Maxentius (r. 306-312), who, with the help of his father, the retired emperor Maximian, laid claim to Italy, Africa and later flipped Spain to their side. In order to counteract Constantine and Maxentius, Galerius elevated to power his followers, Licinius (r. 308-324) and Maximinus (r. 310-313), who aided Galerius in the central and eastern portions of the Roman Empire.

During these political machinations, the Great Persecution of Christians was still ongoing in the Roman Empire, with the severity of the oppression varying greatly depending on the disposition of the ruler in charge of each region. Constantine, famously, was the most tolerant toward Christians in his lands, but Maxentius and Licinius also showed leniency. Galerius and Maximinus, however, were true persecutors. Nevertheless, in 311, Galerius’ health began to dramatically and horrifically decline, and on his deathbed he decided to issue an edict calling for the toleration of the Christians and an end to the persecutions. As recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260-339), the edict stated, “Thus, in view of our clemency and our consistent practice of granting pardon to all men, we thought it right also in this instance to offer our concession most cheerfully, so that Christians may exist again and restore the houses in which they used to assemble, provided that they do nothing against the public order” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 8.17.9). All of the co-rulers of the empire signed on to this edict, but Maximinus only followed it half-heartedly and made use of loopholes to continue applying undue pressure to Christian communities in his realm.

Following the edict of toleration, Galerius’ conscience may have been less heavy, but his health did not improve. Quite the opposite, his condition became increasingly more disturbing. All accounts of his condition point to a horrific disease or infection in his pelvic region being the cause of his demise, and the Christian authors of the accounts made sure to record as many grotesque and disturbing details as possible about their tormentor’s end. Be advised, the following passages are not for the faint of heart or the full of stomach—you have been warned. Concerning Galerius’s death, the aforementioned Eusebius stated:

“Divine punishment overtook [Galerius], which started with his flesh and went on to his soul. An abscess suddenly appeared in the middle of his genitals, then a deep ulcerous fistula that ate into his inner intestines incurably. From them came a great mass of worms and a deadly stench, since gluttony had transformed his whole body, even before the disease, into a great blob of flabby fat that then decayed, offering a revolting and horrendous spectacle. Some of the doctors could not endure the excessive, unearthly stench and were executed. Others, who could give no help because the mass had swollen beyond any hope of recovery, were put to death with mercy…” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 8.16.3-5).

As told by Eusebius, Galerius died in 311, shortly after releasing the edict that called for the toleration of Christians. It should be noted that many scholars believe that the account of Galerius’ death was modeled on, or inspired by, descriptions of the demise of King Herod (r. 37–4 BCE) that were written by the historian, Josephus (c. 37/38-100). He wrote:

“From that time on Herod’s disease spread to affect every part of his body with a range of symptoms. He had a fever (relatively mild), intolerable itching all over his body, constant pain in his gut, dropsy-like swellings in his legs, inflammation of the lower abdomen, and gangrene of the genitals, which bred worms: he also suffered from breathing difficulties, only comfortable when he was upright, and from convulsions in all his limbs. His condition had the diviners saying that all this disease was a punishment for what he had done to the preachers.” (Josephus, The Jewish War, I.656).

Similarities aside, one should not be too quick to dismiss Eusebius’ account as a mere invention or an unrealistic copy that has no resemblance to Galerius’ actual death. Curiously, Eusebius’ fellow Christian author from that time period, Lactantius (c. 240-320), wrote many similar details in his own account of Galerius’ death. A word of warning, it is even more disturbing than Eusebius’ version. With that disclaimer aside, Lactantius wrote:

“And now, when Galerius was in the eighteenth year of his reign, God struck him with an incurable plague. A malignant ulcer formed itself low down in his secret parts, and spread by degrees. The physicians attempted to eradicate it, and healed up the place affected. But the sore, after having been skinned over, broke out again; a vein burst, and the blood flowed in such quantity as to endanger his life. The blood, however, was stopped, although with difficulty. The physicians had to undertake their operations anew, and at length they cicatrized the wound. In consequence of some slight motion of his body, Galerius received a hurt, and the blood streamed more abundantly than before. He grew emaciated, pallid, and feeble, and the bleeding then stanched. The ulcer began to be insensible to the remedies applied, and a gangrene seized all the neighbouring parts. It diffused itself the wider the more the corrupted flesh was cut away, and everything employed as the means of cure served but to aggravate the disease… his bowels came out, and his whole seat putrefied. The luckless physicians, although without hope of overcoming the malady, ceased not to apply fomentations and administer medicines. The humours having been repelled, the distemper attacked his intestines, and worms were generated in his body. The stench was so foul as to pervade not only the palace, but even the whole city; and no wonder, for by that time the passages from his bladder and bowels, having been devoured by the worms, became indiscriminate, and his body, with intolerable anguish, was dissolved into one mass of corruption…” (Lactantius, Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died, chapter 33).

From a herculean war hero to a decaying mass of fat—how the mighty fall, indeed. Lactantius’ unnerving account continued, alleging that the physicians tried to lure out the worms by placing fresh meat against the emperor’s wounds. It was also noted that the worst symptoms of the disease all took place in the year of Galerius’ death in 311. Like Eusebius, Lactantius claimed that Galerius died shortly after the publication of the edict that called for the toleration of Christians. Curiously, Galerius’ dying wish was for his wife, Valeria, and his son, Candidianus, to be looked after by his friend, Licinius. Unfortunately, this wish was not honorably fulfilled. After Galerius’ death in 311, Licinius did indeed take the deceased emperor’s wife and son under his watch while he and Constantine battled against their foes, Maxentius and Maximinus. Yet, in 313, when Licinius and Constantine emerged victorious as the only two major power players remaining in the Roman Empire, Licinius took the opportunity to execute Galerius’ wife and son. It was not long, however, before Galerius’s slain family was avenged, for Constantine campaigned inconclusively against Licinius in 316-317, and then finally removed Licinius from power (and subsequently life) around the year 324.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

Picture Attribution: (Coin-inspired portrait of Caesar Galerius, by Joos Gietleughen (16th century), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons and the Rijksmuseum).

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