Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus, nicknamed Herculius, was the iron fist behind Diocletian's grand political scheme. Born circa 250 CE to a humble family, Maximian was the hardened general elevated to colleague Augustus on April 1, 286 CE , commanding the entire Western Empire. His two decades in power were a relentless campaign of warfare against rebels in Gaul, barbarian invaders along the Rhine frontier, and enemies across North Africa. He secured the West through violence and relentless military exertion. But a soldier emperor cannot easily accept peace. Forced to resign on May 1, 305 CE , Maximian could not settle into retirement. He returned to the arena of power, challenging the imperial succession and aligning with his own son, Maxentius, to overthrow the established order. The book centers on his desperate, high stakes political maneuvering against Constantine, his own son in law, a civil war struggle that redefined the Roman world's future and culminated in Maximian's capture and death in 310 CE . This is the compelling, authoritative history of a soldier emperor whose turbulent life and repeated, failed attempts to seize the throne make him one of the most dangerous and unpredictable men of the age. A definitive portrait for anyone serious about the era of Late Antiquity