Editing Constantius Chlorus (section)

===Accession as Augustus and death===
[[File:Constantius I capturing London after defeating Allectus Beaurains hoard.jpg|thumb|Copy of a medal of Constantius I capturing [[Londinium]] (inscribed as LON) after defeating [[Allectus]]. The original was part of the [[Beaurains Treasure]] from [[Arras]], France.]]
Between 303 and 305, Galerius began maneuvering to ensure that he would be in a position to take power from Constantius after the death of Diocletian.<ref>Potter, p. 344</ref> In 304, Maximian met with Galerius, probably to discuss the succession issue and Constantius either was not invited or could not make it due to the situation on the Rhine.<ref name="Southern, pg. 152"/> Although prior to 303 there appeared to be tacit agreement among the Tetrarchs that Constantius's son [[Constantine I|Constantine]] and Maximian's son [[Maxentius]] were to be promoted to the rank of ''caesar'' once Diocletian and Maximian had resigned the purple,<ref>Potter, p. 340</ref> by the end of 304 Galerius had convinced Diocletian (who in turn convinced Maximian) to appoint Galerius's nominees [[Severus II|Severus]] and [[Maximinus Daza|Maximinus]] as ''caesares''.<ref name="Southern, pg. 152"/>

Diocletian and Maximian stepped down as co-emperors on 1 May 305, possibly due to Diocletian's poor health.<ref name="DiMaio, Constantine I Chlorus"/> Before the assembled armies at Mediolanum, Maximian removed his purple cloak and handed it to Severus, the new ''caesar'', and proclaimed Constantius as ''augustus''. The same scene played out at [[Nicomedia]] ([[İzmit]]) under the authority of Diocletian.<ref>Potter, p. 342</ref> Constantius, notionally the senior emperor, ruled the western provinces, while Galerius took the eastern provinces. Constantine, disappointed in his hopes to become a ''caesar'', fled the court of Galerius after Constantius had asked Galerius to release his son as Constantius was ill.<ref>Southern, p. 169</ref> Constantine joined his father's court at the coast of Gaul, just as he was preparing to campaign in Britain.<ref>Southern, p. 170; Eutropius, ''Breviarum'' {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20031019084032/http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/eutropius/trans10.html#1 10.1]}}; Aurelius Victor, ''[[Epitome de Caesaribus]]'' [http://www.roman-emperors.org/epitome.htm 39]; Zosimus, ''Historia Nova'' [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/zosimus02_book2.htm 2]</ref>

In 305, Constantius crossed over into Britain, travelled to the far north of the island and launched a military expedition against the [[Picts]], claiming a victory against them and the title ''Britannicus Maximus II'' by 7 January 306.<ref>Birley, p. 406</ref>  After retiring to [[Eboracum]] ([[York]]) for the winter, Constantius had planned to continue the campaign, but on 25 July 306 he died.<ref>''Consularia Constantinopolitana'' 306, in ''[[Monumenta Germaniae Historica]]'' ant. 11: ''[[iarchive:chronicaminorasa09momm/page/231/mode/1up|Chronica Minora]]'' Vol. 1 ([[Theodor Mommsen]] ed., 1892) p. 231. {{ISBN|978-0656631308}}</ref> As he was dying, Constantius recommended his son to the army as his successor;<ref>Potter, pg. 346</ref> consequently, [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] was declared emperor by the legions at York.<ref>Eutropius, ''Breviarum'' {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20031019084032/http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/eutropius/trans10.html#1 10.1–2]}}</ref>