Editing Constantius II (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Miliarensis of Constantius II, AD 327.jpg|thumb|left|alt=|200x200px|''Caesar'' Constantius II on a [[miliarense]] of [[Siscia ]], AD 327]]
[[File:Bust_of_Prince_Constantius_II_in_blue_glass,_Romisch-Germanisches_Museum,_Cologne_(8115676712).jpg|thumb|left|alt=|218x218px|Bust of Constantius II while he was a prince, [[Romano-Germanic Museum]], [[Cologne]]<ref>{{cite book|author-link=David Whitehouse|first=David |last=Whitehouse|title=Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass|year=1940 |page=29|publisher=Hudson Hills|isbn=9780872901391 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tyg6KxKwLWYC&pg=PA29}}</ref>]]
Flavius Julius Constantius{{Efn|The origin of the name "Julius" is not known. It may have been added to his name in honour of one of Constantine's relatives, as one view identifies a "Julia Constantia" as [[Constantius I]]'s mother.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barnes |year=1982 |first=Timothy D. |title=The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine |publisher=Harvard University Press |doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674280670 |place=Cambridge|page=36|isbn=0-674-28066-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/barnes-new-empire}}</ref> It was likely not in honour of [[Helena, mother of Constantine I]], as she probably only adopted the name "Julia" just before her death.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Helena: empress and saint |last=Pohlsander |first=Hans A. |publisher=Ares Publishers |year=1995 |isbn=0-89005-562-9 |pages=17, 198}}</ref>}} was born in 317 at [[Sirmium]], [[Pannonia]], now [[Serbia]]. He was the third son of [[Constantine the Great]], and second by his second wife [[Fausta]], the daughter of [[Maximian]]. Constantius was made ''caesar'' by his father on 8 November 324.{{sfn|Jones|Martindale|Morris|p=226}} In 336, religious unrest in [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia]] and tense relations between Constantine and king [[Shapur II]] caused war to break out between Rome and [[Sassanid Persia]].{{sfn|Dodgeon|Greatrex|Lieu|pp=152–153}} Though he made initial preparations for the war, Constantine fell ill and sent Constantius east to take command of the eastern frontier.{{sfn|Dodgeon|Greatrex|Lieu|pp=152–153}}<ref>Julian, ''Orationes'' I, 13B</ref> Before Constantius arrived, the Persian general Narses, who was possibly the king's brother, overran [[Mesopotamia (Roman province)|Mesopotamia]] and captured [[Diyarbakir|Amida]]. Constantius promptly attacked Narses, and after suffering minor setbacks defeated and killed Narses at the Battle of Narasara.<ref>Festus, ''breviarum'' 27, pp. 2–3, 67</ref> Constantius captured Amida and initiated a major refortification of the city, enhancing the city's circuit walls and constructing large towers. He also built a new stronghold in the hinterland nearby, naming it ''Antinopolis''.<ref>Ammianus Marcellinus XVIII, 9, 1</ref>