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Constans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roman emperor from 337 to 350
For other uses, seeConstans (disambiguation).

Constans
Portrait head of Constans on a coloured marble bust
Possible head of Constans set in a modern bust (Louvre)[1][2]
Roman emperor
in theWest
Augustus9 September 337 –
January 350
PredecessorConstantine I
SuccessorMagnentius
Co-rulers
Caesar25 December 333 –9 September 337
Born322 or 323
DiedJanuary 350 (aged 27)[3]
Vicus Helena, southwesternGaul
Names
Flavius Julius Constans[3]
Regnal name
Imperator Caesar Flavius Julius Constans Augustus
DynastyConstantinian
FatherConstantine I
MotherFausta
ReligionNicene Christianity

Flavius Julius Constans (c. 323 – 350), also calledConstans I, wasRoman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank ofcaesar from 333, and was the youngest son ofConstantine the Great.

After his father's death, he was madeaugustus alongside his brothers in September 337. Constans was given the administration of thepraetorian prefectures ofItaly,Illyricum, andAfrica.[4] He defeated theSarmatians in a campaign shortly afterwards.[4] Quarrels over the sharing of power led to a civil war with his eldest brother and co-emperorConstantine II, who invaded Italy in 340 and was killed in battle by Constans's forces nearAquileia.[4] Constans gained from him thepraetorian prefecture of Gaul.[4] Thereafter there were tensions with his remaining brother and co-augustusConstantius II (r. 337–361), including over the exiled bishopAthanasius of Alexandria,[4] who in turn eulogized Constans as "the most pious Augustus... of blessed and everlasting memory."[5] In the following years he campaigned against theFranks, and in 343 he visitedRoman Britain,[4] the last legitimate emperor to do so.[6]

In January 350,Magnentius (r. 350–353) the commander of theJovians and Herculians, a corps in theRoman army, wasacclaimedaugustus at Augustodunum (Autun) with the support of Marcellinus, thecomes rei privatae.[7] Magnentius overthrew and killed Constans.[4][7] Surviving sources, possibly influenced by the propaganda of Magnentius's faction,[8] accuse Constans of misrule and of homosexuality.[4]

Early life

[edit]

Sources variously report Constans' age at the time of his death as 27 or 30, meaning he was born in either 320 or 323.[3]Timothy Barnes, observing numismatic evidence, considered the younger age to be more likely.[9] He was the third and youngest son of Constantine I andFausta.[10] According to the works of bothAusonius andLibanius, he was educated atConstantinople under the tutelage of the poetAemilius Magnus Arborius, who instructed him in Latin.[3]

On 25 December 333, Constans was elevated to the imperial rank ofcaesar atConstantinople by his father.[3] Prior to 337, Constans became engaged toOlympias, the daughter of thepraetorian prefectAblabius, although the two never actually married.[10]

Reign

[edit]
Possible head of Constans from around his proclamation asaugustus.[11][12]
Solidus of Constans marked:constans augustus.

After Constantine's death, Constans and his two brothers,Constantine II andConstantius II were proclaimedaugusti and divided the Roman empire among themselves on 9 September 337.[3] Constans was left with Italy, Africa and Illyricum.[13] In 338, he campaigned against theSarmatians.[14]

Meanwhile, Constans came into conflict with his eldest brother Constantine II over the latter's presumed authority over Constans' territory. After attempting to issue legislation to Africa in 339, which was part of Constans' realm, Constantine led his army into an invasion of Italy only a year later. However, he was ambushed and killed by Constans' troops, and Constans then took control of his brother's territories.[14]

Gold medallion of Constans, equivalent to 9solidi.Aquileia, 342 AD –Bode Museum

Constans began his reign in an energetic fashion.[15][16] From 341 to 342, he led a campaign against theFranks where, after an initial setback,[17] the military operation concluded with a victory and a favorable peace treaty.[18]Eutropius wrote that he "had performed many gallant actions in the field, and had made himself feared by the army through the whole course of his life, though without exercising any extraordinary severity,"[19] whileAmmianus Marcellinus remarked thatJulian was the only person the Alamanni feared after the death of Constans.[18]

In the early months of 343, he visitedBritain, an event celebrated enough for Libanius to dedicate several sections of his panegyric to explaining it.[18] Although the reasons for the visit remain unclear,[20] the ancient writers were primarily interested in Constans' precarious journey to the province, rather than his actions within it.[18] One theory considers it to have involved the northern frontier, based on Ammianus' remark that he had discussed theAreani in his now-lost coverage of Constans' reign. Additionally, after recording attacks "near the frontiers" in 360, the historian wrote that the Alamanni were too much of a threat for Julian to confront the problem, in contrast to what Constans was able to do.[20]

Constans was accused of employing corrupt ministers during his reign, due to his purported personal greed.[21][22][23] One example included themagister officiorum (master of the offices) Flavius Eugenius, who remained in his position throughout most of the 340s.[24] Despite Eugenius being alleged to have misused his power to seize property,[24] the emperor continued to support him, his trust going as far as to honor him with a statue in theForum of Trajan inRome.[25]

Solidus of Constans marked:constansp·f· augustus on the obverse, with the emperor holding avexillum with achi-rho and crowned byVictory on the reverse, marked:spes rei publicae ("the hope of the Republic")

Religion

[edit]

Constans issued an edict banning superstition and pagan sacrifices in 341,[26] his justification being that he was following the precedent set by his father.[27] Only a short while later though, he tried to moderate his stance by legislating against the destruction of temple buildings.[28]

Constans' support ofNicene orthodoxy and the bishopAthanasius of Alexandria brought him into conflict with his brother Constantius. Although the two emperors called theCouncil of Serdica in 343 to settle the conflict, it was a complete failure,[29] and by 345 Constans was outright threatening civil war against his brother.[30] Eventually, Constantius agreed to allow Athanasius to return to his position, as the bishop's replacement had recently died.[31] Constans also used the military to suppressDonatism in Africa, where the church was split between Donatists and Catholics.[31]

Alleged homosexuality

[edit]

Unlike Constantius,[32] Constans was targeted with gossip over his personal life.[33] Numerous sources suspected him of homosexuality,[23] presumably based on the fact that he never married.[22]Aurelius Victor charged Constans with "rabid"[21]pederasty towards young barbarian hostages,[33] though Hunt remarked that "the allegation that he kept a coterie of captive barbarians to gratify his homosexual tastes sounds more like hostile folklore."[34] Constans' legislation against homosexuality has been cited to dispute the rumor.[34][35]

Death

[edit]
Solidus of Constans,Decennalia issue of 347/348

On 18 January 350,[36] the generalMagnentius declared himself emperor at Augustodunum (Autun) with the support of a number of court officials such asMarcellinus, Constans'comes rerum privatarum, as well asFabius Titianus, who had previously served as the praetorian prefect of Gaul.[34] At the time, Constans was distracted by a hunting trip.[37] As he was trying to reachHispania, supporters of Magnentius cornered him in a fortification in Helena (Elne) in the easternPyrenees of southwesternGaul, where he was killed after seeking sanctuary in a temple.[10][a] An allegedprophecy at his birth had said Constans would die "in the arms of his grandmother". His place of death happens to have been named afterHelena, mother ofConstantine and his own grandmother, thus realizing the prophecy.[40] Constans' name would later beerased from inscriptions in places that recognized Magnentius as emperor.[41]

Regarding possible motives for Constans' overthrow, ancient sources assert that he was widely unpopular,[21][34][42] and attribute his downfall to his own failings. Along with the accusation of corruption, he is also accused of neglecting portions of the empire[34] and treating his soldiers with contempt.[22][15] Ammianus lamented the emperor's failure to listen to wise counsel,[34] referencing one man he believed could have saved Constans from his own faults.[23]

However, some modern scholars have questioned this portrayal. According to historianJill Harries, "The detail that Constans was in the habit of making journeys with only a small escort may account for his vulnerability in 350."[22] Based on several factors - the small number of people behind the plot, how the setting for Magnentius' coup was not a military centre,[37]Vetranio's proclamation as emperor in opposition to Magnentius,[43] and Julian's report that the usurper had to murder several of Constans' generals to take control of the Gallic army[44] – she concluded that Magnentius' revolt was "the result of a private grudge on the part of an apprehensive official and not the outcome of widespread discontent among the military or the wider population."[45] This view is supported by Peter Crawford, who considered the explanation from the ancient sources to be a misconception caused by the rapid success of the coup.[46]

Harries does, however, acknowledge how the Gallic army accepted Magnentius seemingly without difficulty, and how according toZosimus, Constantius' official Philippus emphasized Constantine, rather than Constans, when addressing Magnentius' troops.[47] On speculating the basis for Constans' overthrow, she suggested that one reason may have been regarding financial difficulties in Gaul by the end of his reign, which could have been related to the finance officer Marcellinus' support of him.[44] After Magnentius took power, he levied taxes, sold imperial estates in Gaul and debased the coinage.[48] Nicholas Baker-Brian also observed how Magnentius sent his brotherDecentius to defend the region after Constans had neglected it, writing that, "it is apparent that among the reasons for Magnentius' rebellion was a desire to remedy Constans' governmental failings in Gaul."[49]

Family tree

[edit]
See also:Constantinian dynasty


CONSTANTINIAN DYNASTY detailed family tree
Afranius HannibalianusEutropiaMaximian
Western emperor
TheodoraConstantius I Chlorus
Western emperor
250-305-306		Helena
250–330		Maxentius
Western emperor
Constantia
293–330
∞Licinius
250-308-324-325		Flavius Dalmatius
censor		1.Galla
Julius Constantius
d. 337
∞ 2.Basilina		AnastasiaEutropiaFausta
289–326		Constantine I the Great
272-306-337		Minervina
Dalmatius
caesar		Hannibalianus(1)Constantius Gallus(2)Julian
331-360-363		Helena
d. 360		Constantina
∞ 1.Hannibalianus
2.Constantius Gallus		Constantius II
317-337-361
∞Faustina		Constantine II
Western emperor
316-337-340		Constans I
Western emperor
320-337-350		(daughter)
∞ Justus		Crispus
d. 326
Jovian
331-363-364		Marina SeveraValentinian I
Western emperor
VALENTINIANIC DYNASTY		Justina
Constantia
361–383		Gratian
Western emperor
359-367-383		GallaTheodosius I
Eastern emperor
THEODOSIAN DYNASTY
Family of Constans

Emperors are shown with a rounded-corner border with their dates asAugusti, names with a thicker border appear in both sections

1: Constantine's parents and half-siblings

HelenaFlavia Maximiana Theodora
  • Constantine I
  • 306–337
Flavius DalmatiusHannibalianusFlavia Julia Constantia
AnastasiaBassianus
GallaJulius ConstantiusBasilinaLicinius IIEutropiaVirius Nepotianus
HannibalianusConstantinaConstantius Gallus
HelenaNepotianus


2: Constantine's children

Minervina
  • Constantine I
  • 306–337
Fausta
Crispus
  • Constans
  • 337–350
HannibalianusConstantinaConstantius Gallus
FaustinaHelena
Constantia

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^While it has sometimes been assumed that Constans had to flee for his life,[10][38][21] Harries has disputed this, believing that the location of Constans' death indicates he was unaware of the revolt.[39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"L'empereru Constant Ier?".Louvre
  2. ^http://laststatues.classics.ox.ac.uk, LSA-563 (J. Lenaghan)
  3. ^abcdefJones, Martindale & Morris, p. 220.
  4. ^abcdefghTougher, Shaun (2018),"Constans I", in Nicholson, Oliver (ed.),The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, Oxford University Press,doi:10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001,ISBN 978-0-19-866277-8, retrieved2 November 2020
  5. ^Athanasius (2018), Atkinson, M. (ed.),Apologia ad Constantium, Christian Literature Publishing Co., retrieved24 November 2023
  6. ^Harries 2012, p. 221.
  7. ^abTougher, Shaun (2018), Nicholson, Oliver (ed.),"Magnentius",The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity, Oxford University Press,doi:10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001,ISBN 978-0-19-866277-8, retrieved2 November 2020
  8. ^Woudhuysen 2018, pp. 179–180.
  9. ^Barnes 1982, p. 45.
  10. ^abcdMichael DiMaio Jr. and Robert Frakes,Constans I (337–350 A.D.)
  11. ^Weitzmann, Kurt (1979).Age of Spirituality: Late Antique and Early Christian Art, Third to Seventh Century.Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 22–23.
  12. ^http://laststatues.classics.ox.ac.uk, LSA-336 (J. Lenaghan)
  13. ^Hunt 1998, p. 4.
  14. ^abHunt 1998, p. 5.
  15. ^abCrawford 2016, p. 67.
  16. ^Barnes 1993, p. 269.
  17. ^Woudhuysen 2018, p. 175.
  18. ^abcdHunt 1998, p. 6.
  19. ^Eutropius,Historiae Romanae Breviarium X.9
  20. ^abBirley 2005, p. 415.
  21. ^abcdBarnes 1993, p. 101.
  22. ^abcdHarries 2012, p. 190.
  23. ^abcWoudhuysen 2018, p. 160.
  24. ^abJones, Martindale & Morris, p. 292.
  25. ^Crawford 2016, p. 66.
  26. ^Woudhuysen 2018, p. 165.
  27. ^Hunt 1998, p. 7.
  28. ^Woudhuysen 2018, p. 166.
  29. ^Hunt 1998, p. 8.
  30. ^Barnes 1993, p. 89.
  31. ^abHunt 1998, p. 9.
  32. ^Crawford 2016, p. 24.
  33. ^abCrawford 2016, p. 71.
  34. ^abcdefHunt 1998, p. 10.
  35. ^Woudhuysen 2018, pp. 167, 179.
  36. ^Jones, Martindale & Morris, p. 532.
  37. ^abHarries 2012, p. 195.
  38. ^Hunt 1998, p. 11.
  39. ^Harries 2012, pp. 195–196.
  40. ^Baker-Brian 2022, p. 208.
  41. ^Usherwood 2022, p. 236.
  42. ^Baker-Brian 2022, p. 163.
  43. ^Harries 2012, pp. 196–197.
  44. ^abHarries 2012, pp. 194–195.
  45. ^Harries 2012, p. 196.
  46. ^Crawford 2016, p. 72.
  47. ^Harries 2012, p. 222.
  48. ^Harries 2012, p. 194.
  49. ^Baker-Brian 2022, pp. 260–262.

Sources

[edit]

Primary sources

[edit]

Secondary sources

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External links

[edit]
  • Media related toConstans at Wikimedia Commons
Regnal titles
Preceded byRoman emperor
337–350
With:Constantius II
andConstantine II		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded byRoman consul
339
With:Constantius Augustus II		Succeeded by
Preceded byRoman consul II
342
With:Constantius Augustus III		Succeeded by
Preceded byRoman consul III
346
With:Constantius Augustus IV		Succeeded by
Roman andByzantine emperors and empresses regnant
Principate
27 BC – AD 235
Crisis
235–284
Later Roman Empire
284–641
Western Empire
395–476
Eastern Empire
395–641
Eastern/
Byzantine Empire
641–1453
See also
Italics indicates a junior co-emperor, underlining indicates an emperor variously regarded as either legitimate or a usurper
International
National
Artists
People
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