Galeria Valeria                     ? - 315 A.D.

 

Valeria was the daughter of Diocletian. To legitimize Diocletian's new scheme of dividing the empire into two halves, he had his daughter marry Galerius and move to the Eastern headquarters. Her marriage to Galerius was apparently an unhappy one and when he died his successor, Maximinus, attempted to marry her to cement his own power. Because this was evidently another marriage of convenience she refused and he exiled her to a remote village. He too died soon after and was succeeded by Licinius who, in turn, still bore her ill will over her spurning Maximinus. He had sent for her to have her executed but she had already vanished months before. She was eventually captured in Thessalonica where it was discovered she was seeking passage back to Italy in search of her father. She and her sister were unceremoniously beheaded and dumped in a river ending her unhappy life.

 


 

Obv-GAL VALE-RIA AVG Diademed and draped bust right.

Rev-VENERI V-ICTRICI Venus standing facing, head left, holding apleupwards and raising drapery. Star in left field. Delta in right field. SMTS in ex.