Flavia Julia Constantia Constantius

293 - 330  (37 years)

• Name	Flavia Julia Constantia Constantius
  Birth	293	Rome, Italy
  Gender	Female
  _UID	7B45D09CA234496BA3C420240D14B9346F76
  Death	330
  Person ID	I26180	Carney Wehofer July 2025
  Last Modified	5 Feb 2012

  
  

  Father	Constantius I Chlorus (Flavius Valerius Constantius) (Emperor Of The Roman Empire - 305-306),   b. 31 Mar 250, Illyria, Albania d. 25 Jul 306, Eboracum (York), England (Age 56 years)
  Mother	Theodora   d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	1 Mar 292-293
  Family ID	F11810	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Valerius Licinianus ('Licinius') (Emperor Of The Roman Empire),   b. 265   d. 325, Valerius (Age 60 years)
  Marriage	Feb 313	Milan, Italy
  Children	1. Valerius Licinianus Licinius,   b. Jul 315   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F11805	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	29 Aug 2016

  
  

• Notes

  The emperor Constantius (Chlorus) I and his wife Theodora had sixchildren: Flavius Dalmatius, Julius Constantius, Hannibalianus,Constantia, Anastasia, and Eutropia. Constantia's full name was FlaviaJulia Constantia. The date of her birth is not known; even the relativeages of the six siblings are unknown, so that any list is ratherarbitrary in order. If one accepts 293 as the year of her parents'marriage --- that date, however, has been called in question -- then onemay assume that she was born at the very earliest in the following year.Nor is there direct evidence for her place of birth. But a good case canbe made for Trier, since this city served as Constantius' principalresidence during the years 293-306, and here, too, she must have spenther childhood years. Late in 311 or early in 312, Constantine I, Constantia's half-brother,betrothed her to his fellow-emperor Licinius. She was then eighteen yearsold at most, while Licinius was more than twice her age. The marriagetook place some months later, probably in February of 313, on theoccasion of Constantine's meeting with Licinius in Milan. But therelationship between the two emperors was a strained one, and openhostilities, the bellum Cibalense, erupted in 316. Constantia remained ather husband's side. In about July of 315 she bore him a son namedValerius Licinianus Licinius. A second war between Constantine and Licinius took place in 324.Licinius. was defeated twice, on July 3 at Adrianople and on September 18at Chrysopolis, and soon thereafter surrendered to Constantine.Constantia interceded with her half- brother for the life of her husband,and Constantine spared Licinius' life, ordering him to reside atThessalonike as a private citizen. A few months later, in the spring of325, Constantine ordered Licinius to be executed, violating an oath whichhe had sworn to Constantia. A year or so later, in 326, the youngerLicinius also fell victim to Constantine's wrath or suspicions. The loss of both husband and son must have been a severe blow toConstantia and must have strained her relationship to Constantine.Nevertheless she occupied a position of honor and influence atConstantine's court, held the rank of nobilissima femina, and receivedConstantine's loving attention; Constantine was at her side when she diedca, 330, before reaching the age of forty. We do not know when, where, orhow Constantia first embraced Christianity. We do know that Eusebius,bishop of Nicomedia from ca. 317 on, wielded considerable influence atcourt. On one occasion Constantia exchanged letters with the otherEusebius, bishop of Caesarea. Jerome, Rufinus, Socrates, Sozomen, andTheodoret, while not in full agreement on some of the details, all reportthat she was a defender of the person and doctrine of Arius. She alsoattended the Council of Nicaea, where she counseled the representativesof the Arian party.