Empress Fausta: Death, Coins and the Palace Mystery of AD 326
What happened to Empress Fausta in AD 326? We know that Fausta, wife of Constantine the Great and mother of three future emperors, died in AD 326—the same year Constantine ordered the execution of his eldest son Crispus. What we do not know with certainty is why either death occurred or exactly how the two events were connected.
Later writers preserve dramatic stories involving accusations between Crispus and Fausta, and one tradition says Fausta was killed in an overheated bath. Those accounts were written long after the events and should be treated as evidence for later historical tradition, not as a surviving eyewitness record of Constantine’s court.
Who Was Empress Fausta?
Flavia Maxima Fausta was the daughter of the emperor Maximian and sister of Maxentius. She married Constantine in AD 307 and became an important link between competing branches of the late Tetrarchic imperial elite.
Fausta was the mother of Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans, all of whom later became emperors, as well as imperial daughters. Constantine elevated her to the rank of Augusta in AD 324, after his victory over Licinius made him sole ruler of the Roman Empire.
Her surviving coinage therefore belongs to the new Constantinian dynastic order of the mid-320s, not to the final years of the Tetrarchy.
What Happened in AD 326?
In AD 326, Constantine ordered the execution of Crispus, his eldest son and a successful Caesar who had played an important role in the final war against Licinius. Fausta also died during that year.
The precise sequence is uncertain. Modern retellings often state that Fausta died only weeks after Crispus, but the surviving evidence does not allow that chronology to be reconstructed so confidently.
What makes the episode so difficult is the absence of a contemporary explanation from Constantine’s court. Later sources attempted to explain the two deaths, but their narratives differ and reflect the concerns of writers living well after the Constantinian period.
Was Fausta Killed in an Overheated Bath?
Possibly—but it is not a securely documented contemporary fact. Later literary sources report that Constantine caused Fausta to die in an overheated bath or bath chamber. That story became the most famous version of her death and is often repeated as though the details were certain.
A more accurate formulation is that Fausta died in AD 326 under circumstances that remain uncertain, and later sources associated her death with an overheated bath.
The difference matters. Ancient history often survives through sources separated from events by generations or centuries, and responsible historical writing should distinguish what is securely known from what is preserved only in later narrative traditions.
Were Fausta and Crispus Accused of an Affair?
Some later accounts connect the executions through allegations of sexual misconduct involving Crispus and Fausta. Versions of the story portray Fausta as accusing Crispus, followed by Constantine discovering that the accusation was false and punishing Fausta.
Historians have proposed many interpretations: a genuine accusation, dynastic rivalry, succession politics, court intrigue or later moralizing invention. None can be demonstrated conclusively from the surviving evidence.
It is therefore better to describe the alleged affair as one later explanation for the crisis of 326, not as established fact.
Did Constantine Erase Fausta From History?
Fausta’s public memory was damaged after her death. Her name was erased from some inscriptions, and her official prominence disappeared. Similar evidence exists for the suppression of Crispus.
This is often described with the modern shorthand damnatio memoriae. The evidence, however, does not mean that every reference to Fausta was systematically destroyed or that Rome succeeded in erasing her completely. Her name, family relationships, inscriptions and coins all survived.
Coinage is especially important because it preserves the public identity Constantine’s government had promoted for Fausta immediately before the crisis.
What Do Empress Fausta Coins Show?
Fausta’s imperial bronze coinage was struck mainly after she became Augusta in AD 324 and continued into the period around her death in 326. Her obverse commonly bears the legend FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG with a draped imperial portrait.
Her best-known reverses emphasize dynasty, fertility and the security or hope of the state. Types include SALVS REIPVBLICAE and SPES REIPVBLICAE, often showing a female figure holding two children, as well as other personifications such as Securitas.
The children and maternal imagery are especially appropriate for an Augusta whose sons stood at the center of Constantine’s succession plans. They should not, however, automatically be described as specifically Christian imagery. Their immediate message is imperial family, continuity and dynastic legitimacy.
Are Fausta Coins AE3 or AE4 Denominations?
Collectors may describe many late Roman bronzes by modern size classes such as AE3 or AE4. These are modern numismatic labels based primarily on module or diameter; they were not denomination names used by the Romans themselves.
For Fausta, the safest description is usually a Late Roman bronze with its precise mint, reverse type and standard reference when those are known.
Are Fausta Coins Rare?
Fausta’s coins are less ubiquitous than the vast bronze output of rulers such as Constantine I or Constantius II, but they should not be marketed as though every example is a major rarity. Availability varies substantially by mint, reverse, condition, strike and variety.
Their strongest appeal is historical: they were issued during the brief period when Fausta held the title Augusta and stood at the center of Constantine’s dynastic presentation, immediately before the unexplained crisis of 326.
Collecting an Empress Fausta Coin
When choosing a Fausta bronze, look for a secure attribution, recognizable portrait, surviving legend, identifiable reverse type and honest surfaces. Mint and reference attribution can add considerably to the historical value of the piece.
Kinzer Coins currently has an authentic Fausta bronze available in the Empress Fausta collection listing. Because individual ancient coins sell and inventory changes, the article does not rely on a fixed displayed price.
If you are new to the hobby, start with the New to Ancient Coins collection or read our beginner’s guide to collecting ancient Roman coins.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Empress Fausta die?
Fausta died in AD 326, the same year Constantine ordered the execution of Crispus.
How did Fausta die?
The exact circumstances are uncertain. Later sources say she was killed in an overheated bath or bath chamber, but no contemporary court record confirms that account.
Why did Constantine execute Fausta?
We do not know with certainty that the later narratives preserve Constantine’s actual motive. Stories involving accusations against Crispus survive in later sources, while modern historians have also considered dynastic and political explanations.
Was Fausta the mother of Constantine’s heirs?
Yes. Her sons Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans all became Roman emperors.
What legends appear on Fausta coins?
A common obverse legend is FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG. Important reverse legends include SALVS REIPVBLICAE and SPES REIPVBLICAE on types emphasizing dynastic continuity and the imperial family.
Were Fausta’s coins Christian?
They were issued under Constantine during the increasingly Christianized imperial court, but Fausta’s familiar maternal reverse imagery is better understood first as dynastic and civic symbolism rather than as explicitly Christian iconography.
The Coins Survived the Mystery
The palace crisis of AD 326 remains unresolved. Crispus was executed. Fausta died. Later authors supplied dramatic explanations, but the evidence does not let us reconstruct Constantine’s motives with certainty.
Fausta’s coins require no invented certainty to be compelling. They preserve the portrait and public role of an Augusta who stood at the center of Constantine’s dynasty immediately before one of the darkest episodes of his reign.
History wasn’t just written. It was minted.