the life of the blessed emperor constantine

Their relationship was cemented in that year by the marriage of Licinius to Constantine's half sister Constantia but jealousy and ambition In the East, Galerius had died in 311 and in 313 Maximinus Daia died after being defeated by Licinius.īy 313 Constantine and Licinius were established as corulers of the Roman world. This event was immediately followed by war with Maxentius, who was defeated and drowned at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312.

But in 310 Maximian entered into a conspiracy against Constantine, and upon its discovery Constantine had his father-in-law strangled.

From 307 to 311 five men claimed the rank of augustus: Galerius, Maxentius, Maximinus Daia, Licinius (Severus's successor), and Constantine. He quarreled with his father, however, and Maximian fled to Constantine, gave him his daughter Fausta in marriage, and supported Constantine's pretensions as an augustus. Thereupon Maxentius, old Maximian's son, proclaimed himself augustus in Italy, killed Severus, and obtained Africa as well.

Struggles for EmpireĬonstantine's dynastic elevation set a bad example. Galerius acknowledged Constantine as a caesar, and he raised Severus to the role of emperor (augustus) in the West. Chlorus died at York in July 306, and his troops immediately proclaimed Constantine his successor. In 306, however, Constantine managed to escape to the West and joined Chlorus in campaigns in northern Britain. Galerius kept Constantine, who had distinguished himself as a soldier, at his own court, apparently fearing that he might develop imperial ambitions if left with his father. The new emperors chose caesars (Maximinus Daia and Falvius Valerius Severus) who were not their relatives. In 305 Diocletian and Maximian abdicated, and Chlorus became coruler, having superintendence of the West, while Galerius, Diocletian's son-in-law, superintended the East. In 293 his father became the son-in-law and caesar (successor-designate) of Emperor Maximian, who was coruler of the Roman Empire with Emperor Diocletian. He is frequently called 'the Great' because of his successes as a general, administrator, and legislator and because of his support of the Christian Church and efforts to maintain Christian unity.īorn Flavius Valerius Constantinus at Naissus (in modern Yugoslavia), Constantine was the son of Constantius Chlorus and his concubine Helena.

The life of the blessed emperor constantine