History's Mysteries: The Death of Empress Fausta (about 1,690 years ago)
This is a coin or collection featuring Fausta, wife of Constantine the Great, whose mysterious death has fascinated historians for centuries.
Coin Description:
Front side: Likely portrait of Empress Fausta
Back side: Probably features Roman goddesses or personifications associated with imperial women
Technical Details:
Likely bronze composition
Part of a special album collection (FAUSTAALB)
Minted during early 4th century CE
Historical Significance: Herself an Augusta (empress), Fausta (b. 289) was kin to numerous Roman emperors: she was the sister of Maxentius, the daughter of Maximianus, the second wife of Constantine the Great, and the mother of Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans. But it was her relationship with Crispus, her step-son, that led to her untimely death—a death that remains shrouded in mystery. The circumstances surrounding her demise (reportedly executed in an overheated bath) have generated centuries of speculation about palace intrigue and scandal at the heart of the first Christian imperial dynasty.
This is a coin or collection featuring Fausta, wife of Constantine the Great, whose mysterious death has fascinated historians for centuries.
Coin Description:
Front side: Likely portrait of Empress Fausta
Back side: Probably features Roman goddesses or personifications associated with imperial women
Technical Details:
Likely bronze composition
Part of a special album collection (FAUSTAALB)
Minted during early 4th century CE
Historical Significance: Herself an Augusta (empress), Fausta (b. 289) was kin to numerous Roman emperors: she was the sister of Maxentius, the daughter of Maximianus, the second wife of Constantine the Great, and the mother of Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans. But it was her relationship with Crispus, her step-son, that led to her untimely death—a death that remains shrouded in mystery. The circumstances surrounding her demise (reportedly executed in an overheated bath) have generated centuries of speculation about palace intrigue and scandal at the heart of the first Christian imperial dynasty.
This is a coin or collection featuring Fausta, wife of Constantine the Great, whose mysterious death has fascinated historians for centuries.
Coin Description:
Front side: Likely portrait of Empress Fausta
Back side: Probably features Roman goddesses or personifications associated with imperial women
Technical Details:
Likely bronze composition
Part of a special album collection (FAUSTAALB)
Minted during early 4th century CE
Historical Significance: Herself an Augusta (empress), Fausta (b. 289) was kin to numerous Roman emperors: she was the sister of Maxentius, the daughter of Maximianus, the second wife of Constantine the Great, and the mother of Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans. But it was her relationship with Crispus, her step-son, that led to her untimely death—a death that remains shrouded in mystery. The circumstances surrounding her demise (reportedly executed in an overheated bath) have generated centuries of speculation about palace intrigue and scandal at the heart of the first Christian imperial dynasty.
