 Maximian had two children with his Syrian wife , Eutropia : Maxentius and Fausta . There is no direct evidence in the ancient sources for their birthdates . Modern estimates of Maxentius ' birth year have varied from c . 277 to 287 , and most date Fausta 's birth to c . 289 or 290 . Theodora , the wife of Constantius Chlorus , is often called Maximian 's stepdaughter by ancient sources , leading to claims by Otto Seeck and Ernest Stein that she was born from an earlier marriage between Eutropia and Afranius Hannibalianus . Barnes challenges this view , saying that all " stepdaughter " sources derive their information from the partially unreliable work of history Kaisergeschichte , while other , more reliable sources , refer to her as Maximian 's natural daughter . Barnes concludes that Theodora was born no later than c . 275 to an unnamed earlier wife of Maximian , possibly one of Hannibalianus ' daughters . 
