The reverse of this coin presents a familiar allegorical reference to the empire's struggles during a period of great turmoil, encapsulated through the depiction of Hercules' second labor—slaying the Lernaean Hydra. This mythical serpent-like creature, guarding an entrance to the underworld, posed a seemingly insurmountable challenge: for every head Hercules severed, two more would grow in its place. Assisted by his nephew Iolaus, Hercules employed fire to cauterize the stumps, eventually overcoming the Hydra despite further distractions sent by Juno, such as a crab. This mythological feat, symbolized in the coin's design, resonates with themes of perseverance and triumph over adversity.

The story of Hercules and the Hydra has a deep artistic and numismatic legacy. Early Greek art, such as Boiotian fibulae from c. 750-700 BC, depicted Hercules combating the Hydra, accompanied by the crab. This imagery persisted into classical art and coinage, particularly in depictions from Phaistos on Crete, which are believed to replicate a lost masterpiece, possibly by Lysippos. The coin's design likely drew inspiration from significant Greek artworks, such as an Attic black-figure lekythos in the Louvre, further emphasizing the enduring appeal of this mythological scene in Greek and Roman cultural memory.

During the Tetrarchic period, this mythological imagery took on symbolic significance under Emperor Diocletian's reforms to restore the prominence of Roman religion. Diocletian identified with Jupiter, while his co-Augustus Maximian represented Hercules, embodying the "man of action." The coin's reverse, depicting Hercules' struggle with the Hydra, became a metaphor for the challenges faced and overcome by the Tetrarchic regime. The many-headed Hydra symbolized the myriad difficulties confronting the empire, and Hercules' victory paralleled the successes of the emperors in restoring order and stability.

The coin also reflects the broader political and military context of the time. As the empire expanded its minting operations under Diocletian's monetary reforms, these efforts coincided with significant campaigns, including those against the rebel Carausius. Maximian's failures to defeat Carausius earlier had strained resources and morale, but a renewed offensive under Constantius, his Caesar, achieved victory with the surrender of Bononia. The reverse of this aureus, dedicated to "Hercules the vanquisher," celebrated this triumph, drawing a clear parallel between Hercules' conquest of the Hydra and the empire's success in overcoming rebellion, symbolizing strength, unity, and resilience under Maximian's patron deity.

Maximianus Herculius, 286 – 308. Aureus circa 293-294, AV 5.28 g. MAXIMIA – NVS P F AVG Laureate head r. Rev. HERCVLI D – EBELLAT Hercules standing l., fighting Hydra with club in r. hand; in exergue, P R. C 255 var. (in exergue PROM). RIC – , for the type cf. Treviri, 9). Depeyrot 6/13. Calicó 4659a (this coin); One of only two in private hands.

ex NGSA, Auction 13, Lot 13 (2021); Roma, Auction XX, Lot 681 (Long Valley River Collection, 2020); NAC, Auction 105, Lot 108 (2018); Gemini, Auction III, Lot 450 (2007); Tkalec, Auction 25 October 1996, Lot 264; Leu, Auction 65, Lot 480 (1996); Published in Calico 4659a