Roman Milestone, Ribchester, Lancashire

Recently a Roman milestone has been discovered at Ribchester, Lancashire.

The Roman milestone bears the inscription MAXIMIAN AVG

Maximian (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius Augustus; c. 250 – c. July 310), was Roman Emperor from 285 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305.

We can thus place the milestone sometime after 286 AD and before 305 AD.

Thanks John, good you put this on for the info and dates are of interest. Did Constantine follow Maximian as Emperor in the east, with Licinius getting in the way between 312 and 323 and then Constantine became Emperor of the entire Roman Empire ? I need my brother here, he is an expert on Roman history. He would have loved to have seen the Roman road at Downham.

Constantius, who was Ceasar to Maximain's Augustus, became Augustus in 306.

Given that Constantius put down the rebellion of Carausius in Gaul and Britain in 296/7 while Cearar to Maximain Augstus (Maximain had failed to put down Carausius rule in Britain some time before) we can safely place a date on the milestone between 297/300.

I think Carausius is one and the same as Caron, the Welsh or Irish character who styled himself as king in the 3rd century AD and was called a "saint" in later times, with Tregaron, Cardiganshire, named after him ? If my Welsh knowledge is correct ?
John, you could be correct. However, there is an inscriptional stone in memory of Carausius (King Crair, Caron) at Penmachno, N.Wales. The author Chris Barber mentions him in his book 'More Mysterious Wales' Paladin books, 1987. I have also mentioned him in my own book 'A Guide To The Saints Of Wales & The West Country', Llanerch Publications, 1991. Could Carausius have died in Wales ?

As I recall, Carausius was of Belgic stock and for a while under Maximain was in command of the channel fleet. I would have to consult a copy of Sheppard Frere to get the facts more precise.

john

RE: edited query:-

Carausius was also in charge of the Irish Sea fleet