Editing Maxentius (section)

=== Early life and family ===
[[File:MSR-ra-93-ter-2-DM.jpg|thumb|left|Possible portrait of a juvenile Maxentius, [[Musée Saint-Raymond]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Capus |first=Pascal |url=https://www.villachiragan.saintraymond.toulouse.fr/partie-04-l-antiquite-tardive/ra-93-ter-maxence |title=Tête juvénile de Maxence (?) |date=2019 |publisher=Musée d’Archéologie de Toulouse |isbn=978-2-909454-41-2 |language=fr-FR}}</ref>]]
Maxentius was the son of Emperor [[Maximian]] and his Syrian wife [[Eutropia]]. As his father became emperor in 285, he was regarded as the crown prince who would eventually follow his father on the throne. He seems not to have served, however, in any important military or administrative position during the reign of [[Diocletian]] and his father. The exact date of his marriage to [[Valeria Maximilla]], daughter of [[Galerius]], is unknown. He had two sons, [[Valerius Romulus]] (ca. 295 – 309) and an unknown one.

In 305, Diocletian and Maximian abdicated, and the former ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesares]]'' [[Constantius Chlorus|Constantius]] and [[Galerius]] became ''[[Augustus (honorific)|Augusti]]''. Although two sons of emperors – [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] and Maxentius – were available, they were passed over for the new [[tetrarchy]], and [[Valerius Severus]] and [[Maximinus Daza]] were appointed Caesars. [[Lactantius]]' ''Epitome'' states that Galerius hated Maxentius and used his influence with Diocletian to see that Maxentius was ignored in the succession; perhaps Diocletian also thought Maxentius was not qualified for the military duties of the imperial office. Maxentius retired to an estate some miles from [[Rome]].

When Constantius died in 306, his son Constantine was crowned emperor on July 25 and subsequently accepted by Galerius into the [[Tetrarchy]] as ''Caesar''. This set the precedent for Maxentius' accession later in the same year.