Flavius Valerius Constantius[1]
(March 31 c. 250 – July 25, 306), also Constantius I,
was an
emperor of the
Western Roman Empire (305–306). He was commonly
called Chlorus (the Pale)[2]
an epithet given to him by
Byzantine historians. He was the father of
Constantine the Great and initiator of the
Constantinian dynasty.
History
The
Historia Augusta says Constantius was the son of
Eutropius, a
noble from northern
Dardania in modern
Serbia, and Claudia, a niece of the emperors
Claudius II and
Quintillus.[3]
Historians, however, suspect this maternal connection to
be a
genealogical
fabrication created by his son
Constantine I, thus connecting his family to two
rather highly regarded predecessors. His father,
however, might have been the brother of Eutropia, wife
of Maximian.
Under the emperor
Carus, he was governor of
Dalmatia, and Carus is said to have considered
adopting him as his heir in place of his dissolute son,
Carinus.[4]
In 293 the emperor
Diocletian created the
Tetrarchy, dividing the
Roman Empire into
Western and
Eastern portions. Each would be ruled by an
Augustus, supported by a
Caesar. Diocletian became Augustus of the Eastern
empire, with
Galerius as his Caesar. Constantius was appointed
Caesar to the Western Augustus,
Maximian, and married
Theodora, Maximian's stepdaughter. They had six
children. Constantius divorced his first wife (or
concubine),
Helena, by whom he already had a son,
Constantine. Helena was probably from
Nicomedia in Asia Minor.[5]
He was given command of
Gaul,
Britain and possibly
Hispania.
In 293, Constantius defeated the
forces of
Carausius, who had declared himself emperor in
Britain and northern Gaul in 286, near
Bononia. Carausius was killed by his
rationalis
Allectus, who took command of Britain until 296,
when Constantius sent
Asclepiodotus, a prefect of the
Praetorian Guard, to invade the island. Allectus was
defeated and killed, and Roman rule in Britain restored.[6]
Also in 296, Constantius fought a
battle against the
Alamanni at the city of
Lingonae (Langres)
in Gaul. He was shut up in the city, but was relieved by
his army after six hours, and defeated the enemy.[7]
He
defeated them again at Vindonissa (Windisch,
Switzerland),[8]
thereby strengthening the defenses of the
Rhine frontier.
Diocletian and Maximian stepped down
as co-emperors in 305, possibly due to Diocletian's poor
health, and the Caesars, Constantius and
Galerius, became co-emperors. Constantius ruled the
western empire, Galerius the eastern.
Severus and
Maximinus Daia were appointed Caesars. Constantine,
who had hoped to be a Caesar, joined his father's
campaigns in Gaul and Britain.[9]
Constantius died in Britain, at
York, in 306, and Constantine was declared emperor
by the army.[10]
Legend
Christian
legends
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.[11]
His first wife,
Helena, is the subject of many legends, including
the finding of the
True Cross.
British
legends
Constantius's activities in Britain
were remembered in medieval British legend. In
Geoffrey of Monmouth's
History of the Kings of Britain (1136), he is
sent to Britain by the
Senate after Asclepiodotus, here a British king, is
overthrown by
Coel of Colchester. Coel submits to Constantius and
agrees to pay tribute to Rome, but dies only eight days
later. Constantius marries Coel's daughter Helena and
becomes king of Britain. He and Helena have a son,
Constantine, who succeeds to the throne of Britain when
his father dies at York eleven years later.[12]
The identification of Helena as British had previously
been made by
Henry of Huntingdon,[13]
but has no historical validity: Constantius had divorced
Helena before he went to Britain.