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Carney & Wehofer Family
Genealogy Pages
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 249 - 329 (80 years)
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| Name |
Saint Helena ('Of The Cross') (Flavia Iulia Helena) |
| Born |
248-249 |
Drepanum (Helenopolis), Roman Province Of Bithynia  |
| Gender |
Female |
| _UID |
AEC7D915CE71499EA0A9AB561A81583A0087 |
| Died |
328-329 |
Nicomedia, Roman Province Of Bithynia |
| Buried |
Mausoleum Near Ss. Marcellino E Pietro At The Via Labicana, Rome, Italy |
| Person ID |
I8755 |
Carney Wehofer 2024 Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
5 Jul 2009 |
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| Notes |
- A popular figure in the Orthodox tradition, St. Helena came from somewhatless than imperial circumstances. Born in Bithynia, she is said to havebeen the daughter of an innkeeper, a role which some have inferredslipped into prostitution. It is in this occupation that it is said sheconceived Constantine. Whether or not this is true, she did become theTetrarch's concubine. The two were to be separated by Constantius'marriage to Theodora.
Helena did not return to court until her son, Constantine, had assumedthe imperial purple. At court her influence was as great on the emperoras his wife's.
In 326, Helena made her now legendary pilgrimage to Palestine. Here theTrue Cross was revealed to her. She endowed many churches and becomeenjoined with her son in the Orthodox hagiography, both sharing the feastday 21st May, and becoming together the namesakes of innumerablechurches.
From Jan Willem Drijvers, University of Groningen -
Helena Augusta (248/249-328/329 A.D.) - Flavia Iulia Helena was probablyborn in the city of Drepanum in Bithynia. Various sources indicate thatDrepanum was renamed Helenopolis by Helena's son Constantinus I to honourand to perpetuate Helena's memory (e.g., Sozom., Hist. Eccl., 2.2.5).Procopius (Aedif. 5.2.1-5) mentions that Constantine changed the name ofDrepanum to Helenopolis because his mother was born there. Her year ofbirth may be established on Eusebius' remark (VC., 3.46) that she died atthe age of about eighty years. Since she probably died in 328/9, she musthave been born ca. 248/9. Helena was of low social origin. Ambrose (Deobit. Theod.,42) calls her a stabularia and Eutropius (Brev. 10.2)mentions that she was born ex obscuriore matrimonio. Philostorgius (Hist.Eccl., 2.16) calls her
a common woman not different from strumpets' (cf.also Zos. 2.8.2 and 2.9.2). Constantius I Chlorus and Helena probably metin Drepanum ca. 270. It is very likely that the pair lived inconcubinage, an accepted form of cohabitation for people of differentsocial origin. In 272/3 Helena gave birth to Constantine in Naissus. Itis not known whether Helena bore any other children besides Constantine.When in 289 Constantius became Caesar and married Theodora, he separatedfrom Helena and Helena's life recedes into obscurity for us.
The gap in our knowledge about Helena's life lasts at least until 306,when the troops in York proclaimed Constantine the successor of hisfather. It is probable that from this time on Helena joined her son'scourt. Constantine's foremost residences in the West were Trier and Rome.Ceiling frescoes in the imperial palace in Trier, on which Helenapossibly is depicted, as well as a lively medieval Helena tradition inTrier and its surroundings, may be an indication that Helena once livedin this northernmost, imperial residence. After Constantine had defeatedMaxentius at the Milvian Bridge, Helena probably came to live in Rome.The fundus Laurentus in the south-east corner of Rome, which included thePalatium Sessorianum, a circus and public baths (later called ThermaeHelenae), came into her possession. Several inscriptions (e.g., CIL,6.1134, 1135, 1136) found in the area, are evidence for a closeconnection between Helena and the fundus Laurentus. So is her interest inthe newly found basilica Ss. Marcellino e Pietro which was built in thearea that belonged to the fundus Laurentus (Lib. Pont., I, 183), as wellas the fact that she was buried in a mausoleum attached to this basilica.
Helena must have been a prominent person at the imperial court. Before324 she held the title of Nobilissma Femina as may be concluded fromcoins. In 324, after Constantine's defeat of Licinius, Helena receivedthe title of Augusta. The increase of coins - with the legend SECURITASREIPUBLICE - and inscriptions bearing this title indicate Helena's risein status and her prominency within the Neo-Flavian dynasty.
Although it has been suggested that from her childhood on Helena had feltgreat sympathy for Christianity, it is more likely that she onlyconverted after 312 when her son Constantine began to protect and favourthe Christian church. Eusebius reports that Helena was converted byConstantine and that he made her a devoted servant of God (VC, 3.47).That she once was Jewish, as suggested by the Actus Sylvestri and takenseriously by J. Vogt is most unlikely. There are indications - e.g. hersympathy for the martyr Lucian, Arius' teacher - that Helena wasfavourable towards Arianism.
The most memorable event of Helena's life was her journey to Palestineand the other eastern provinces in 327-328. Because of Eusebius'description of this journey (VC, 3.42-47), it is generally looked upon asa pilgrimage. Eusebius only has eyes for the religious aspects of herjourney. He depicts Helena as driven by religious enthusiasm: she wantsto pray at the places where Christ's feet had touched the ground, shecares for the poor and needy, she only does good deeds and is generous,and she builds churches. However, it may also be possible that herjourney to the East was a political act of conciliation. People living inthe East may have been dissatisfied with Constantine's radical(religious) reforms, which included e.g. the replacement of manyofficials by Christian dignitaries and the rigorous suppression of pagancults. Furthermore, Constantine's popularity may have suffered severedamage from murdering his wife Fausta and his son Crispus in 326. Areason why Helena travelled to the East may therefore have been toappease the inhabitants of the eastern regions of the Empire.
Shortly after her journey to the East Helena died in the presence of herson Constantine (Euseb., VC, 3.46). The abrupt interruption in the issueof Helena Augusta-coins in the spring of 329 suggests that she diedeither at the end of 328 or the beginning of 329. She was buried in Romein the mausoleum near the Ss. Marcellino e Pietro at the Via Labicana.The porphyry sarcophagus, which contained her remains, is now in theVatican Museum.
Her greatest fame Helena acquired by an act for which she was probablynot responsible, i.e. the finding of the True Cross. Her presence inJerusalem and the description Eusebius presented of her stay in the HolyLand led ultimately to connecting Helena with the discovery of the Cross.Remains of the Cross were already venerated in the Church of the HolySepulchre in Jerusalem at the end of the 340s as is clear from sermons ofCyril, bishop of Jerusalem (Cat. 4.10, 10.19, 13.4 PG 33, 467ff, 685-687,777). After 7 May 351, Cyril wrote the Emperor Constantius II that theCross was discovered during the reign of Constantine I; the bishop givesno indication who discovered the rel ic (Ep. ad Const., 3 PG 33, 1168B).The Emperor Julian believed in the discovery of the relic; he rebukesChristians for worshipping the object (Contra Gal. 194C). The legend ofHelena's discovery of the Cross originated in Jerusal em in the secondhalf of the fourth century and rapidly spread over the whole empire.Three versions of the legend came into existence in Late Antiquity: theHelena legend, the Protonike legend and the Judas Kyriakos legend. TheHelena legend, which was known in Greek and Latin, is found in: Rufinus(Hist. Eccl., 10.7-8), Socrates (Hist. Eccl. 1.17 PG 67, 117ff), Sozomen(Hist., Eccl. 2.1-2) Theodoretus (Hist. Eccl.. 1.18), Ambrose (De obituTheod., 40-49), Paulinus of Nola (Epist., 31.4-5), and Sulpicius Severus(Chron. 2.22-34). The Protonike legend was only known in Syriac (andlater on in Armenian) and was part of the Edessene Doctrina Addai butalso circulated independently in the Syriac-speaking regions. In thisversion of the legend Helena's role is taken over by the fictitiousfirst-century empress Protonike. The Judas Kyriakos legend originated inGreek, but became also known in Latin and Syriac and later on in manyvernacular languages. This version relates how Helena discovered theCross with the help of the Jew Judas, who later converted and receivedthe name Kyriakos. It became the most popular version of the three,probably because of its anti-Judaism.
Because of her alleged discovery of the Cross Helena became a saint inthe Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church. Her feast day in theeastern church is 21 May and in the western church 18 August.
Bibliography -
Barnes, T.D. Constantine and Eusebius. Cambridge, 1980.
Borgehammer, S. How the Holy Cross was Found: From Event to MedievalLegend. Stockholm, 1991.
Brubaker, Leslie. "Memories of Helena: Patterns in Imperial FemaleMatronage in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries", in: Liz James (ed.), Women,Men and Eunuchs. Gender in Byzantium, London/New York 1997, pp. 52-75.
Bruun, Patrick. Roman Imperial Coinage 7: Constantine and Licinius A.D.313-337. London, 1966.
Cohen, H. Description historique des monnaies frapp?es sous l'Empireromain. Paris, 1880-1892.
Couzard, R. Sainte H?l?ne d'apr?s l'histoire et la tradition. Paris,1911.
Deichmanm, F.W. and A. Tschira. "Das Mausoleum der Kaiserin Helena unddie Basilika der heiligen Marcellinus und Petrus an der Via Labicana vorRom." Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archaeologischen Instituts. 72(1957): 44ff.
Drijvers Han J.W., and Jan Willem Drijvers, The Finding of the TrueCross. The Judas Kyriakos Legend in Syriac. Introduction Text andTranslation, CSCO 565, Subs. 93, Louvain 1997.
Drijvers, Jan Willem. Helena Augusta: The Mother of Constantine the Greatand her Finding of the True Cross. Leiden, 1992.
________. "Helena Augusta: Exemplary Christian Empress." StudiaPatristica. 25(1993): 85ff.
Frolow, A. La Relique de la Vraie Croix: Recherches sur le d?veloppementd'un culte. Paris, 1961.
Heid, S. "Der Ursprung der Helenslegende im Pilgerbetrieb Jerusalems."Jahrbuch f?r Antike und Christentum 32(1989): 41ff.
Heinen, H. "Helena, Konstantin und die ?berlieferung der Kreuzauffindungim 4. Jahrhundert." In E. Aretz et al. Der Heilige Rock zu Trier: Studienzur Geschichte und Verehrung der Tunika Christi. Trier, 1995, 83ff.
________. Fr?christliches Trier: Von den Anf?ngen bis zurV?lkerwanderung. Trier, 1996.
Hunt, E.D. Holy Land Pilgrimage in the Later Roman Empire AD 312-460.Oxford, 1982.
Kienast, Dietmar. R?mische Kaisertabelle: Grundz?ge einer r?mischenKaiserchronologie. Darmstadt, 1996.(rev. ed.)
Klein, R. "Helena." Reallexikon f?r Antike und Christentum. 14(1987):355ff.
Jones, A.H.M., J.R. Martindale, and J. Morris. "Fl. Iulia Helena 3," theProsopography of the Later Roman Empire. Cambridge, 1971, 1.410ff.
Maurice, J. Numismatique Constantienne. 3 vols., Paris, 1908-1912.
________. Sainte H?l?ne: L'Art et les Saints. Paris, 1930.
L'Orange, H.P. Das sp?tantike Herrscherbild von Diokletian bis zu denKonstantin-S?hnen 284-361 n. Chr., mit einem Nachtrag von Max Wegner, DieBildnisse der Frauen und des Julian. Berlin 1984.
Pohlsander, Hans A. Helena: Empress and Saint. Chicago, 1996.
Rouillon, A.-M. Sainte H?l?ne. Paris, 1908.
Seeck, O. "Helena (2)." RE 7: col. 2820ff.
Simon, E. Die Konstantinische Deckengem?lde in Trier, Trierer Beitr?gezur Altertumskunde 3. Mainz, 1986.
Straubinger, J. Die Kreuzauffindungslegende: Untersuchungen ?ber ihrealtchristlichen Fassungen mit besonderer Ber?cksichtigung der syrischenTexte. Paderborn, 1912.
Vogt, J. "Helena Augusta, das Kreuz und die Juden: Fragen um die MutterConstantins des Grossen." Saeculum. Jahrbuch f?r Universalgeschichte.27(1976): 211ff.
Weber, W. Constantinische Deckengem?lde aus dem r?mischen Palast unterdem Dom. Bisch?fliches Museum Trier, Museumf?hrer Nr.1, Trier, 1984.
Copyright (C) 1996, Jan Willem Drijvers. This file may be copied on thecondition that the entire contents, including the header and thiscopyright notice, remain intact.
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