Constantius I Chlorus caesar, 293 – 305. Aurus, Cyzicus (?) circa 293, AV 6.55 g. CONSTANTIVS – NOB CAES Laureate head r. Rev. VIRTVTI HERCVLIS Naked Hercules standing r., leaning on club, covered with lion-skin, set on rock. C –. RIC –. Depeyrot –. Calicó –. Apparently unique and unrecorded. A very elegant portrait of fine style and an interesting reverse type. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc Provenance Sold by Harlan J. Berk, Chicago, Buy or Bid sale 109, 20 July 1999, lot 15a. William H. Williams Collection, sold by Numismatica Ars Classica, Zürich, auction 31, 26 October 2005, lot 132. Remembered as 'Chlorus', meaning pale or of poor health, by Byzantine writers, Constantius I was the senior of the two Caesars of the First Tetrarchy, and subsequently the senior Augustus from A.D. 305 until his untimely death in 306. The division of the Roman Empire into a tetrarchy – i.e., the rule by four – was instituted by Diocletian in 293 in order to combat the many threats facing the regime. Having already elevated Maximianus to rule alongside him jointly in 286, Diocletian saw the need to expand their diarchy and therefore appointed each a Caesar to serve as deputy: Galerius, who became the junior Caesar, was adopted by Diocletian and assisted him in ruling the eastern provinces, while Constantius was made the senior Caesar under Maximianus with responsibilities for the western provinces. Along with these adoptions each also chose a patron deity to lend legitimacy to their rule. In the case of Diocletian and Galerius, the god was Jove, and they adopted the name Jovius. Maximianus and Constantius took the name Herculius as their patron was Hercules. Both gods received special recognition on the coinage of their respective tetrarchs, such as on this aureus of Constantius where the reverse depicts Hercules in order to celebrate Constantius' membership in the Herculian house. Constantius' reign as Caesar saw the return to Roman hands of the break-away Romano-British Empire of Carausius and Allectus, and later the defeat of a horde of marauding Alemanni from across the Rhine. He established his capital at Trier, and secured his territories from further unrest. After the abdication of Diocletian and Maximianus in A.D. 305 and his and Galerius' elevations, Constantius inflicted a resounding defeat on the Picts of northern Britain. However, while he was involved in this campaign he fell gravely ill, and subsequently died at Eboracum in A.D. 306.