| Constantia | |
|---|---|
 Imaginary 16th-century portrait fromSpeculum Romanae Magnificentiae | |
| Roman empress | |
| Tenure | 374 AD – 383 AD(alongsideJustina in 374–375 AD) |
| Born | 362 AD |
| Died | 383 AD |
| Spouse | Gratian |
| Dynasty | Valentinianic dynastyby marriage; Constantinian dynastyby birth |
| Father | Constantius II |
| Mother | Faustina |
Constantia[a] (362–383) was the first empress consort ofGratian of theWestern Roman Empire. According toAmmianus Marcellinus, her mother wasFaustina and her father wasConstantius II, who died before Constantia was born.[2]
Constantia's paternal uncles includedCrispus,Constantine II andConstans. Her paternal aunts includedConstantina, wife of firstHannibalianus and secondlyConstantius Gallus, andHelena, wife ofJulian the Apostate. Her paternal grandparents wereConstantine the Great andFausta.
On 3 November 361, Constantius II died of a fever atMopsucrene, nearTarsus,Cilicia. He was heading west to face a revolt by Julian, his first cousin and brother-in-law. In a reported deathbed decision, Constantius officially acknowledged Julian as his heir.[6] When Constantia was born sometime after, Julian was already firmly established on the throne.
On 26 June 363, Julian was fatally wounded in theBattle of Samarra against the forces ofShapur II of theSassanid Empire. He died a few hours following the conclusion of the battle.[7] His death left Constantia the last confirmed descendant of theConstantinian dynasty.
Constantia and her mother Faustina were present whenProcopius received the insignia of the imperial rites inConstantinople. Faustina and her young daughter's presence suggested that Procopius was the rightful heir of theConstantinian dynasty which was still held in reverence. Ammianus Marcellinus tells that Procopius "always bore with him on a litter the little daughter of Constantius and grand daughter of the great Constantine, with her mother Faustina, both when marching and when preparing for battle, thus exciting the soldiers to fight more resolutely for the imperial family, with which, as he told them, he himself was connected."[8] At age four Constantia had become instrumental in another conflict for the Roman throne.[9] On 27 May 366, Procopius was executed[10] and Faustina does not resurface in the sources after that, but Constantia survived the fall of her kinsman.
In 374, Constantia, who was about twelve years old, was just reaching marriageable age when she was sent west to marry Gratian, who was about fourteen and was the eldest son and co-ruler of Valentinian I. NearSirmium, Constantia and her escort were attacked by a raiding party includingQuadi andSarmatians. She barely evaded captivity.[11] On 27 June 374, the dedication of a bath complex inCalabria first mentions Constantia as an empress alongside her stepmother-in-lawJustina.[12]
Within the year following the marriage, Valentinian I moved his headquarters toAquincum,Pannonia, to be better able to coordinate his conflict with the Quadi. Gratian and Constantia were left in charge ofTrier, implying that Gratian had started acting as co-ruler in more than name[12] Gratian soon became the seniorWestern Emperor, with his younger half-brotherValentinian II proclaimed co-emperor.[11]
In 380,John Chrysostom mentions Constantia still being alive. She is next mentioned in theChronicon Paschale dating the arrival of her remains in Constantinople to 31 August 383. She must have died earlier in the same year but the exact date and cause of her death are unknown. She was about twenty-one at the time of her death. Gratian had proceeded to marryLaeta but was assassinated on 25 August 383. The Chronicon gives her burial date as 1 December 383.[13]
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Roman Empress consort 374–383 withJustina (374–375) Domnica (374–378) Aelia Flaccilla (379–383) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Succeeded by | |