Constantius Gallus Roman AE (AD 351-354) NGC

Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus (326 – 354) was a statesman and ruler in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire from 351 to 354, as Caesar under emperor Constantius II (r. 337–61), his cousin. A grandson of emperor Constantius Chlorus (r. 293–306) and empress Flavia Maximiana Theodora, and a son of Julius Constantius and Galla, he belonged to the Constantinian dynasty. Born during the reign of his uncle Constantine the Great (r. 306–37), he was among the few male members of the imperial family to survive the purge that followed Constantine's death. Under Constantius II, Gallus served as deputy emperor, based in Antioch and married to Constantius' sister Constantina. He dealt with a Jewish revolt in the years 351-352. Gallus ultimately fell out of favor with Constantius and was executed, being replaced as Caesar by his younger half-brother Julian.

Gallus was a son of Julius Constantius and his first wife Galla, who seems to have died at some point prior to 331/2. Gallus' paternal grandparents were the emperor Constantius Chlorus and his second wife Flavia Maximiana Theodora. Julius Constantius was a paternal half-brother of the emperor Constantine I, which, in turn, meant Gallus was a half-first cousin of Constantine's sons, Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans.

Gallus had three siblings: his elder sister, of unknown name, was the first wife of Constantius II, and his elder brother, also of unknown name, died in the purges after the death of Constantine I. His younger half-brother, by his father's second marriage to Basilina, was Flavius Claudius Iulianus, commonly known as Julian.