Empress Fausta Death: The Palace Scandal of AD 326

Empress Fausta death bronze coin AD 326 Constantinian dynasty
History's Mysteries · Constantinian Dynasty

The Death of Empress Fausta

Palace scandal, political murder, and the coins that survived it — AD 326

Constantinian Era AD 289–326 Kinzer Coins

The Empress Fausta death occurred in AD 326 inside Constantine the Great's imperial court — and the truth behind it has never been fully resolved.

Many historians consider it one of the most controversial events of the Constantinian era. Ancient sources suggest her death followed accusations involving Crispus, Constantine's eldest son. The episode remains one of the most dramatic and debated moments in all of Roman history.

Politics shaped the outcome. History remembers the scandal. And the coins struck in Fausta's name survive as physical witnesses to the years before her fall.

Who Was Empress Fausta?

Flavia Maxima Fausta was born around AD 289 into one of Rome's most powerful families. She was the daughter of Maximian, a tetrarchic emperor; sister of Maxentius, Rome's last pagan ruler; wife of Constantine the Great (married AD 307); and mother of Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans.

Elevated to Augusta around AD 313–314, Fausta became a central figure in Constantine's emerging Christian dynasty. Her bronze coins reflect this status, bearing the legend FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG and depicting themes of maternity, peace, and imperial continuity.

She was not merely Constantine's wife. She was the living link between two dynasties — and the mother of three future emperors.

The Palace Scandal of AD 326

The Empress Fausta death occurred the same year Crispus, Constantine's son from a previous marriage, was executed. Ancient writers such as Zosimus and later Christian historians suggest Constantine ordered Fausta's execution after allegations of scandal.

July AD 326
Crispus executed in Pola (modern Croatia) — Constantine's eldest son and most capable military commander, suddenly eliminated
Weeks Later
Fausta reportedly killed in an overheated bath — both individuals appear to have suffered forms of damnatio memoriae
No contemporary court transcript survives. The possible explanations include accusations of adultery with Crispus, political intrigue involving succession, false charges designed to protect her sons, or personal retaliation. Historians have debated the true cause for seventeen centuries. The answer remains unknown. Though Fausta's memory was partially preserved due to her sons' imperial legitimacy, her name was erased from many official records.

Ancient Sources on the Empress Fausta Death

The historical record is fragmented. Zosimus presents one version of events. Eusebius, writing in a Christian framework, avoids explicit accusations. No contemporary court transcript survives.

As a result, the Empress Fausta death remains a mystery debated by historians and numismatists alike — one of the great unresolved questions of the Constantinian era.

Zosimus
The pagan historian presents the most explicit account, implicating palace intrigue — but writing decades after the events
Eusebius
Writing in a Christian framework, he conspicuously avoids the scandal entirely — silence that speaks its own volumes
Damnatio Memoriae
Both Crispus and Fausta appear to have suffered official memory erasure — their names removed from inscriptions and monuments
The Coins
The physical coinage struck in Fausta's name remains among the most honest surviving records of her life and imperial status

The Coins of Empress Fausta

Fausta's bronze coins were minted between approximately AD 312 and 326 at mints such as Trier, Rome, and Lyons. They circulated during a pivotal transition in Roman religious and political history — and graded examples today show natural circulation wear from the very years surrounding the palace scandal.

Common characteristics include a draped imperial bust, maternal iconography (Venus, Salus, Peace holding a child), and AE3 and AE4 bronze denominations. These coins document the final years of the Tetrarchic system, the consolidation of Constantine's dynasty, and the transition from pagan imperial imagery to Christian imperial motherhood. Because female imperial issues were already less common than those of emperors, examples tied to a figure erased from official memory hold particular numismatic significance.

Despite attempts to diminish her legacy, her coins survived. They are among the most honest records history preserved of who Fausta actually was.

Empress Fausta Coins at Kinzer Coins

At Kinzer Coins, we curate authenticated Constantinian bronzes that illuminate this dramatic chapter of Roman history. Collectors new to the period can explore our New to Ancients guide for background on grading, dynasty timelines, and attribution.

View the History's Mysteries: Empress Fausta album to study genuine pieces connected to this extraordinary moment in imperial history.

If you have questions about authenticity or collecting, feel free to contact our team directly.

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Authenticated Constantinian bronzes — physical witnesses to one of history's great unsolved mysteries.

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