Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Roman emperor
Flavius Valerius Constantius (Template:Circa – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was a Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 to 305 and then ruling as augustus until his death. Constantius was also father of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome. The nickname "Chlorus" (Template:Langx) was first popularized by Byzantine-era historians and not used during the emperor's lifetime.
As an Illyrian soldier of humble origin, Constantius had a distinguished military career and rose to the top ranks of the army. Around 289, he set aside Helena, Constantine's mother, to marry a daughter of Emperor Maximian, and in 293 was added to the imperial college by Maximian's colleague Diocletian. Assigned to rule Gaul, Constantius defeated the usurper Carausius there and his successor Allectus in Britain, and campaigned extensively along the Rhine frontier, defeating the Alamanni and Franks. When the Diocletianic Persecution was announced in 303, Constantius ordered the demolition of churches but did not actively hunt down Christians in his domain.<ref name=odla> After his re-conquering of Roman Britain, he was given the title 'Redditor Lucis Aeternae', meaning 'The Restorer of Ethernal Light'.Template:Citation</ref> Upon becoming senior emperor in May 305, Constantius launched a successful punitive campaign against the Picts beyond the Antonine Wall.<ref>W.S. Hanson "Roman campaigns north of the Forth-Clyde isthmus: the evidence of the temporary camps" Template:Webarchive</ref> He died suddenly at Eboracum (York) in July the following year.
After Constantius's death, the army, perhaps at his own instigation, immediately acclaimed his son Constantine as emperor. This act contributed to the collapse of the Diocletianic tetrarchy, sparking a series of civil wars which only ended when Constantine finally united the whole Roman Empire under his rule in 324. According to the Oxford Classical Dictionary, "Constantinian propaganda bedevils assessment of Constantius, yet he appears to have been an able general and a generous ruler".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> His descendants, the Constantinian dynasty, ruled the Empire until the death of his grandson Julian in 363.
LifeEdit
Early careerEdit
Constantius's birthday was 31 March; the year is unknown, but his career and the age of his eldest son imply a date no later than c. 250.<ref name=barnes>Template:Cite book</ref> Constantius was an Illyrian.Template:Sfn<ref name="Murray221">Template:Harvnb</ref>Template:Efn He was born in Moesia Superior (later Dacia Ripensis),<ref name="ODB">Template:Citation</ref>Template:Sfn a Roman province on the south bank of the Middle Danube. According to the unreliable Historia Augusta he was the son of Eutropius, a nobleman from the province of Moesia Superior, and Claudia, a niece of the emperors Claudius Gothicus and Quintillus.<ref>Historia Augusta, Life of Claudius 13. LacusCurtius.</ref> The same source also gives Claudius the nomina "Flavius Valerius" to strengthen his connection to Constantius.<ref>Historia Augusta, Life of Claudius 1 (note 1). LacusCurtius.</ref> Modern historians suspect this maternal connection to be a genealogical fabrication created by his son Constantine I,<ref>Southern, p. 172</ref> and that his family was of humble origins.Template:Sfn<ref name="ODB" />Template:Efn Constantine probably sought to dissociate his father's background from the memory of Maximian.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref>
Constantius was a member of the Protectores Augusti Nostri under the emperor Aurelian and fought in the east against the secessionist Palmyrene Empire.<ref name="Potter, pg. 288">Potter, p. 288</ref> While the claim that he had been made a dux under the emperor Probus is probably a fabrication,Template:Sfn<ref>Historia Augusta, Life of Probus 22:3. LacusCurtius.</ref> he certainly attained the rank of tribunus within the army, and during the reign of Carus he was raised to the position of praeses, or governor, of the province of Dalmatia.<ref>Odahl, Charles Matson. Constantine and the Christian Empire. New York: Routledge, 2004. p. 16</ref> It has been conjectured that he switched allegiances to support the claims of the future emperor Diocletian just before Diocletian defeated Carinus, the son of Carus, at the Battle of the Margus in July 285.<ref>Potter, p. 280</ref>
In 286, Diocletian elevated a military colleague, Maximian, to the throne as co-emperor of the western provinces,<ref name="Southern, pg. 142">Southern, p. 142</ref> while Diocletian took over the eastern provinces, beginning the process that would eventually see the division of the Roman Empire into two halves, a Western and an Eastern portion. By 288, his period as governor now over, Constantius had been made praetorian prefect in the west under Maximian.<ref name="DiMaio, Constantine I Chlorus"/> Throughout 287 and into 288, Constantius, under the command of Maximian, was involved in a war against the Alamanni, carrying out attacks on the territory of the barbarian tribes across the Rhine and Danube rivers.<ref name="Southern, pg. 142">Southern, p. 142</ref> To consolidate the ties between himself and Emperor Maximian, Constantius married the emperor's daughter, Theodora.<ref name="Potter, pg. 288"/>
Elevation as CaesarEdit
By 293, Diocletian, conscious of the ambitions of his co-emperor for his new son-in-law, allowed Maximian to promote Constantius in a new power sharing arrangement known as the Tetrarchy. The eastern and western provinces would each be ruled by an augustus, supported by a caesar. Both caesares had the right of succession once the ruling augustus died.<ref name="Southern, pg. 145">Southern, p. 145</ref>
At Mediolanum (Milan) on 1 March 293, Constantius was formally appointed as Maximian's caesar.<ref>Birley, p. 382</ref> He adopted Diocletian's nomen (family name) "Valerius", and, being equated with Maximian, also took on "Herculius".<ref name="Southern, pg. 147">Southern, p. 147</ref> His given command consisted of Gaul, Britannia and possibly Hispania. Diocletian, the eastern augustus, in order to keep the balance of power in the imperium,<ref name="Southern, pg. 145">Southern, p. 145</ref> elevated Galerius as his caesar, possibly on 21 May 293 at Philippopolis (Plovdiv).<ref name="Potter, pg. 288">Potter, p. 288</ref> Constantius was the more senior of the two caesares, and on official documents he always took precedence, being mentioned before Galerius.<ref name="Southern, pg. 147">Southern, p. 147</ref> Constantius's capital was to be located at Augusta Treverorum (Trier).<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Constantius's first task on becoming caesar was to deal with the Roman usurper Carausius who had declared himself emperor in Britannia and northern Gaul in 286.<ref name="Potter, pg. 288"/> In late 293, Constantius defeated the forces of Carausius in Gaul, capturing Bononia (Boulogne-sur-Mer).<ref>Birley, p. 385</ref> Carausius was then assassinated by his rationalis (finance officer) Allectus, who assumed command of the British provinces until his death in 296.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
Constantius spent the next two years neutralising the threat of the Franks who were the allies of Allectus,<ref name="Southern, pg. 149">Southern, pg. 149</ref> as northern Gaul remained under the control of the British usurper until at least 295.<ref>Birley, p. 387</ref> He also battled against the Alamanni, achieving some victories at the mouth of the Rhine in 295.<ref>Birley, pp. 385–386</ref> Administrative concerns meant he made at least one trip to Italy during this time as well.<ref name="Southern, pg. 149"/> Only when he felt ready (and only when Maximian finally came to relieve him at the Rhine frontier)<ref name="Southern, pg. 150">Southern, p. 150</ref> did he assemble two invasion fleets with the intent of crossing the English Channel. The first was entrusted to Julius Asclepiodotus, Constantius's long-serving Praetorian prefect, who sailed from the mouth of the Seine, while the other, under the command of Constantius himself, was launched from his base at Bononia.<ref>Birley, p. 388</ref> The fleet under Asclepiodotus landed near the Isle of Wight, and his army encountered the forces of Allectus, resulting in the defeat and death of the usurper.<ref>Aurelius Victor, Liber de Caesaribus, 39</ref> Constantius in the meantime occupied Londinium (London),<ref>Potter, p. 292</ref> saving the city from an attack by Frankish mercenaries who were now roaming the province without a paymaster. Constantius massacred all of them.<ref name="Southern, pg. 150">Southern, p. 150</ref>
Constantius remained in Britannia for a few months, replaced most of Allectus's officers, and the British provinces were probably at this time subdivided along the lines of Diocletian's other administrative reforms of the Empire.<ref>Birley, p. 393</ref> The result was the division of Britannia Superior into Maxima Caesariensis and Britannia Prima, while Flavia Caesariensis and Britannia Secunda were carved out of Britannia Inferior. He also restored Hadrian's Wall and its forts.<ref>Birley, p. 405</ref>
Later in 298, Constantius fought in the Battle of Lingones (Langres) against the Alemanni. He was shut up in the city, but was relieved by his army after six hours and defeated the enemy.<ref>Eutropius, Breviarum Template:Usurped</ref> He defeated them again at Vindonissa<ref>UNRV History: Battle of the Third Century AD</ref> thereby strengthening the defences of the Rhine frontier. In 300, he fought against the Franks on the Rhine frontier,<ref name="Southern, pg. 152">Southern, pg. 152</ref> and as part of his overall strategy to buttress the frontier, Constantius settled the Franks in the deserted parts of Gaul to repopulate the devastated areas.<ref>Birley, p. 373</ref> Nevertheless, over the next three years the Rhine frontier continued to occupy Constantius's attention.<ref name="Southern, pg. 152"/>
From 303 – the beginning of the Diocletianic Persecution – Constantius began to enforce the imperial edicts dealing with the persecution of Christians, which ordered the destruction of churches.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref> The campaign was avidly pursued by Galerius, who noticed that Constantius was well-disposed towards the Christians, and who saw it as a method of advancing his career prospects with the aging Diocletian.<ref>Potter, p. 338</ref> Of the four Tetrarchs, Constantius made the least effort to implement the decrees in the western provinces that were under his direct authority,<ref>Potter, p. 339; Southern, p. 168</ref> limiting himself to knocking down a handful of churches.<ref name="DiMaio, Constantine I Chlorus">DiMaio, Constantine I Chlorus</ref> Eusebius denied that Constantius destroyed Christian buildings, but Lactantius records that he did.<ref name=":0" />
Accession as Augustus and deathEdit
Between 303 and 305, Galerius began maneuvering to ensure that he would be in a position to take power from Constantius after the death of Diocletian.<ref>Potter, p. 344</ref> In 304, Maximian met with Galerius, probably to discuss the succession issue and Constantius either was not invited or could not make it due to the situation on the Rhine.<ref name="Southern, pg. 152"/> Although prior to 303 there appeared to be tacit agreement among the Tetrarchs that Constantius's son Constantine and Maximian's son Maxentius were to be promoted to the rank of caesar once Diocletian and Maximian had resigned the purple,<ref>Potter, p. 340</ref> by the end of 304 Galerius had convinced Diocletian (who in turn convinced Maximian) to appoint Galerius's nominees Severus and Maximinus as caesares.<ref name="Southern, pg. 152"/>
Diocletian and Maximian stepped down as co-emperors on 1 May 305, possibly due to Diocletian's poor health.<ref name="DiMaio, Constantine I Chlorus"/> 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.<ref>Potter, p. 342</ref> 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.<ref>Southern, p. 169</ref> Constantine joined his father's court at the coast of Gaul, just as he was preparing to campaign in Britain.<ref>Southern, p. 170; Eutropius, Breviarum Template:Usurped; Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus 39; Zosimus, Historia Nova 2</ref>
In 305, Constantius crossed over into Britain, travelled to the far north of the island and launched a military expedition against the Picts, claiming a victory against them and the title Britannicus Maximus II by 7 January 306.<ref>Birley, p. 406</ref> After retiring to Eboracum (York) for the winter, Constantius had planned to continue the campaign, but on 25 July 306 he died.<ref>Consularia Constantinopolitana 306, in Monumenta Germaniae Historica ant. 11: Chronica Minora Vol. 1 (Theodor Mommsen ed., 1892) p. 231. Template:ISBN</ref> As he was dying, Constantius recommended his son to the army as his successor;<ref>Potter, pg. 346</ref> consequently, Constantine was declared emperor by the legions at York.<ref>Eutropius, Breviarum Template:Usurped</ref>
FamilyEdit
Constantius was either married to, or was in concubinage with, Helena, who was probably from Nicomedia in Asia Minor.<ref>Eutropius, Breviarum Template:Usurped; Zosimus, Historia Nova 2; Exerpta Valesiana 1.2</ref> They had one son, the future emperor Constantine the Great.
In 289, political developments forced him to divorce Helena. He married Theodora, Maximian's daughter. They had six children:Template:Sfn
- Flavius Dalmatius
- Julius Constantius
- Flavius Hannibalianus
- Flavia Julia Constantia
- Anastasia, married to Bassianus
- Eutropia
The name of Anastasia (Template:Langx) may indicate a sympathy with Christian or Jewish culture.<ref name="ODB" />
Family treeEdit
Template:Chart top Emperors are shown with a rounded-corner border with their dates as Augusti, names with a thicker border appear in both sections
1: Constantine's parents and half-siblings Template:Tree chart/start Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart/end Template:Break 2: Constantine's children Template:Tree chart/start Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart Template:Tree chart/end Template:Chart bottom
Template:Constantinian dynasty family tree
LegendEdit
Christian legendsEdit
As the father of Constantine, a number of Christian legends have grown up around Constantius. Eusebius's Life of Constantine claims that Constantius was himself a Christian, although he pretended to be a pagan, and while Caesar under Diocletian, took no part in the Emperor's persecutions.<ref>Eusebius, Vita Constantini 1.13–18</ref> It was claimed that his first wife, Helena, found the True Cross.Template:Citation needed
British legendsEdit
Constantius's activities in Britain were remembered in medieval Welsh legend, which frequently confused his family with that of Magnus Maximus, who also was said to have wed a Saint Elen and sired a son named Constantine while in Britain. Henry of Huntingdon's History of the English identified Constantius's wife Helen as British<ref>Henry of Huntingdon, Historia Anglorum 1.37</ref> and Geoffrey of Monmouth repeated the claim in his 1136 History of the Kings of Britain. Geoffrey related that Constantius was sent to Britain by the Senate after Asclepiodotus (here a British king) was overthrown by Coel of Colchester. Coel submitted to Constantius and agreed to pay tribute to Rome, but died only eight days later. Constantius married his daughter Helena and became king of Britain. He and Helena had a son, Constantine, who succeeded to the throne of Britain when his father died at York eleven years later.<ref>Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae 5.6</ref> These accounts have no historical validity: Constantius had divorced Helena before he went to Britain.Template:Sfn
Similarly, the History of the Britons traditionally ascribed to Nennius<ref name=mommy>Nennius (Template:Abbr). Theodor Mommsen (Template:Abbr). Historia Brittonum. Composed after AD 830. Template:In lang Hosted at Latin Wikisource.</ref> claims the inscribed tomb of "Constantius the Emperor" was still present in the 9th century in the Roman fort of Segontium (near present-day Caernarfon, in North Wales).<ref name=shusher>Newman, John Henry & al. Lives of the English Saints: St. German, Bishop of Auxerre, Ch. X: "Britain in 429, A. D.", p. 92. Template:Webarchive James Toovey (London), 1844.</ref> David Nash Ford credited the monument to Constantine, the supposed son of Magnus Maximus and Elen, who was said to have ruled over the area prior to the Irish invasions.<ref name=nashford>Ford, David Nash. "The 28 Cities of Britain Template:Webarchive" at Britannia. 2000.</ref>
NotesEdit
SourcesEdit
Ancient sourcesEdit
Modern sourcesEdit
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- DiMaio, Robert, "Constantius I Chlorus (305–306 A.D.)", De Imperatoribus Romanis, 1996.
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Potter, David Stone, The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180–395, Routledge, 2004
- Template:Wikicite
- Southern, Pat. The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine, Routledge, 2001
ReferencesEdit
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External linksEdit
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