Our Family
 Genealogy Pages

Constantius I Chlorus (Flavius Valerius Constantius) (Emperor Of The Roman Empire - 305-306)

Constantius I Chlorus (Flavius Valerius Constantius) (Emperor Of The Roman Empire - 305-306)[1]

Male 250 - 306  (56 years)

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Constantius I Chlorus (Flavius Valerius Constantius) (Emperor Of The Roman Empire - 305-306)  
    Born 31 Mar 250  Illyria, Albania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    _UID 9670447D69FB463798E980768FD84E15E943 
    Died 25 Jul 306  Eboracum (York), England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Aft 25 Jul 306  Saint Helen's, Eboracum (York), Yorkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I28294  Carney Wehofer Feb 2024 Genealogy
    Last Modified 22 May 2011 

    Family ID F13289  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Saint Helena ('Of The Cross') (Flavia Iulia Helena),   b. 248-249, Drepanum (Helenopolis), Roman Province Of Bithynia Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 328-329, Nicomedia, Roman Province Of Bithynia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 80 years) 
    Married 264 
    Divorced 289 
    Divorced 
    _STAT MARRIED, Divorced 
    Children 
     1. Constantine I ('The Great') Gaius Flavius Valerius Constantinus (Emperor Of The Roman Empire - 306-337),   b. 272-273, Naissus, Moesia Superior (Now Nish, Serbia) Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 May 337, Nicomedia, Roman Province Of Bithynia Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 64 years)
    Last Modified 29 Aug 2016 
    Family ID F4461  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Theodora,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Married 1 Mar 292-293 
    Children 
     1. Flavius Dalmatius ('The Censor') Constantius,   d. 337
     2. Flavius Julius Constantius,   d. 337
     3. Hannibalianus Constantius,   d. Bef 337
     4. Anastasia Constantius,   d. Yes, date unknown
     5. Eutropia Constantius,   d. Yes, date unknown
     6. Flavia Julia Constantia Constantius,   b. 293, Rome, Italy Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 330  (Age 37 years)
    Last Modified 29 Aug 2016 
    Family ID F11810  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Born March 31st, Emperor Flavius Valerius Constantius may have come intothe world ca. 250. His family was from Illyricum. In the army he servedas a protector, tribunus, and a praeses Dalmatiarum. During the 270s orthe 280s, he became the father of Constantine by Helena, his firstspouse. By 288 he was the Praetorian Prefect of the western emperorMaximianus Herculius.

      On 1 March 293 Diocletian appointed Galerius as his Caesar (junioremperor) in the east and Constantius as the Caesar of MaximianusHerculius. Caesar in the west. Both Caesars had the right of succession.In order to strengthen the dynastic relationship between himself andHerculius., Constantius put aside his wife Helena and married Theodora,the daughter, or perhaps stepdaughter, of Maximianus Herculius.. Theunion was fruitful and of it there were six issue: Flavius Dalmatius,Julius Constantius, Hannibalianus, Constantia, Anastasia, and Eutropia.To strengthen his bond with Galerius and Diocletian in the east,Constantius allowed Galerius to keep his son Constantine as a hostage forhis good behavior.

      In the remainder of the time that he was a Caesar, Constantius spent muchof his time engaged in military actions in the west. In the summer of 293Constantius expelled the troops of the usurper Carausius from northernGaul; after Constantius' attack on Bononia (Boulogne), Carausius wasmurdered. At the same time he dealt with the unrest of the Germans. In296 he invaded Britain and put down the revolt of the usurper Allectus.Between 300 and 305 A.D. the Caesar campaigned successfully several timeswith various German tribes. It is worth noting in passing, that while hiscolleagues rigidly enforced the "Great Persecution in 303," Constantiuslimited his action to knocking down a few churches.

      On 1 May 305 Diocletian, at Nicomedia, and Maximianus Herculius, atMediolanum (Milan), divested themselves of the purple, probably becauseof the almost fatal illness that Diocletian contracted toward the end of304. Diocletian forced Maximianus to abdicate. They appointed as theirsuccessors Constantius and Galerius, with Severus and Maximinus Daia asthe new Caesars. The retired emperors then returned to private life.Constantius, as had his predecessor, ruled in the west, while Galeriusand Daia ruled in the east. Almost as soon as he was appointedAugustus, he crossed to Britain to face incursions by the Picts where hedied at York on 25 July 306 with his son at his side.

      From Michael DiMaio, Jr., Salve Regina University -

      Constantius I Chlorus (305-306 A.D.)

      Constantius' Early Life and Marriage - Born March 31st, Emperor FlaviusValerius Constantius may have come into the world ca. 250. His family wasfrom Illyricum. In the army he served as a protector, tribunus, and apraeses Dalmatiarum. During the 270s or the 280s, he became the father ofConstantine by Helena, his first spouse. By 288 he was the PraetorianPrefect of the western emperor Maximianus Herculius.

      Constantius' Reign as Caesar - On 1 March 293 Diocletian appointedGalerius as his Caesar (junior emperor) in the east and Constantius asthe Caesar of Maximianus Herculius. Caesar in the west. Both Caesars hadthe right of succession. In order to strengthen the dynastic relationshipbetween himself and Herculius., Constantius put aside his wife Helena andmarried Theodora, the daughter, or perhaps stepdaughter, of MaximianusHerculius.. The union was fruitful and of it there were six issue:Flavius Dalmatius, Julius Constantius, Hannibalianus, Constantia,Anastasia, and Eutropia. To strengthen his bond with Galerius andDiocletian in the east, Constantius allowed Galerius to keep his sonConstantine as a hostage for his good behavior.

      In the remainder of the time that he was a Caesar, Constantius spent muchof his time engaged in military actions in the west. In the summer of 293Constantius expelled the troops of the usurper Carausius from northernGaul; after Constantius' attack on Bononia (Boulogne), Carausius wasmurdered. At the same time he dealt with the unrest of the Germans. In296 he invaded Britain and put down the revolt of the usurper Allectus.Between 300 and 305 A.D. the Caesar campaigned successfully several timeswith various German tribes. It is worth noting in passing, thatwhile his colleagues rigidly enforced the "Great Persecution in 303,"Constantius limited his action to knocking down a few churches.

      Constantius as Augustus and His Untimely Death - On 1 May 305 Diocletian,at Nicomedia, and Maximianus Herculius, at Mediolanum (Milan), divestedthemselves of the purple, probably because of the almost fatal illnessthat Diocletian contracted toward the end of 304. Diocletian forcedMaximianus to abdicate. They appointed as their successors Constantiusand Galerius, with Severus and Maximinus Daia as the new Caesars. Theretired emperors then returned to private life. Constantius, as had hispredecessor, ruled in the west, while Galerius and Daia ruled in theeast. Almost as soon as he was appointed Augustus, he crossed toBritain to face incursions by the Picts where he died at York on 25 July306 with his son at his side.

      Bibliography -

      Barnes, T.D . Constantine and Eusebius,, Cambridge, 1980.
      ________. New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine. Cambridge, 1981.
      DiMaio, Michael. Zonaras' Account of the Neo-Flavian Emperors, (Ph.D.diss., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1977).
      Jones, A.H.M. J.R. Martindale, and J. Morris. "Fl. Val. Constantius 12."the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, (Cambridge, 1971),1.227-228.
      Kienast, Dietmar. R?mische Kaisertabelle: Grundz?ge einer r?mischenKaiserchronologie. Darmstadt, 1990.
      MacMullen, R. Constantine, New York, 1969.
      Mattingly, Harold, and B.H. Warmington ."Constantius (Chlorus)." OCD.2281-282.
      Seeck, Otto. "Constantius 1." RE 4, col.1040ff.

      Notes -
      Constantius' full name: ILS, 630, 641-3, 648, 650-52; suchvariations as Marcus Flavius Valerius Constantius(ibid, 637), ValeriusConstantius (ibid., 640), Gaius Valerius Constantius (ibid, 649), andGaius Fabius Constantius (ibid., 650a) appear on inscriptions.
      Constantius' date of birth, homeland, and career: Michael DiMaio,Zonaras' Account of the Neo-Flavian Emperors: A Commentary, (Ph.D diss.,University of Missouri-Columbia, 1977), 97-98, nn 11-14; Constantius asMaxiamianus' Praetorian prefect: T.D. Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius,,(Cambridge, 1980), 3, 7-8, New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine,(Cambridge, 1981), 36-37.
      For a discussion of Constantius' marriage to Helen, see infra, n.2.
      For a listing of the sources on the dating Constantius rise to therank of Caesar, see A.H.M. Jones, J.R. Martindale, and J. Morris, theProsopography of the Later Roman Empire, (Cambridge, 1971), s.v. "Fl.Val. Constantius 12," 1.227-228, and Dietmar Kienast, R?mischeKaisertabelle, (Darmstadt, 1990), 276ff
      The Caesarship of Constantius is discussed, for example, by O. Seeck, RE4, s.v. "Constantius 1," col.1041.57ff, and Ramsey MacMullen,Constantine, (New York, 1969), 35ff.
      Barnes has summarized the problems and the sources surrounding themarriages of Constantius to Helen and to Theodora (New Empire), 33,36-37.
      Constantius' campaigns are discussed by Barnes, Constantine andEusebius, 15ff, and by Harold Mattingly and B.H. Warmington, OCD,2s.v."Constantius (Chlorus)," 281-282.
      Lact., Mort. Pers., 15.7
      For a listing of sources which treat the acclamation of Constantiusto the rank of Augustus, see Barnes, New Empire, 4ff.
      For a discussion of the death of Constantius and the sources thattreat it, see DiMaio, 96ff.

      Copyright (C) 1996, Michael DiMaio, Jr. This file may be copied on thecondition that the entire contents, including the header and thiscopyright notice, remain intact.

  • Sources 
    1. [SAuth] Jim Carney, compiled by James H Carney [(E-ADDRESS), & MAILING ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Buderim, Queensland 4556 AUSTRALIA.