Diocletian and Maximian stepped down as co-emperors on May 1, 305, possibly due to Diocletian's poor health. 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. 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. Constantine joined his father's court at the coast of Gaul, just as he was preparing to campaign in Britain.