Before the revolt, Calocaerus had served in the role of Magister pecoris camelorum ("Master of the Flock and Camels") in Cyprus according to the historian Aurelius Victor.
In order to become and remain emperor, a usurper needed a large and loyal army.
Due to this, there were a large number of ephemeral revolts, which were either rapidly put down by the incumbent emperor, or else had their usurper killed by his own troops.
[3] Dalmatius gathered evidence that a bastard son of Licinius, who had been emperor before Constantine I, was involved.
This son had been legitimized by edict, and survived the downfall of his father, and still held a high, although unrecorded, rank in the Roman Empire.