Sons of Constantine
There were three sons born to Emperor Constantine and his wife Fausta, and these sons were Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans. Constantine II was the oldest son, and he was raised to be a Christian. He was given the title of Caesar in March of 317. When he was only seven years of age, Constantine II assisted his father in a military campaign against the Sarmatians. He was given the rank of commander while he was only 10 years of age, and this was a result of the death of his half brother. He would continue his career in the army and fight a number of battles against the Goths. When Constantine died in 337, Constantine II was first in line to become emperor. However, he held power jointly with his brothers, and the empire was divided among them. Constantine II was allowed to rule over the regions of Hispania, Britannia, and Gaul.
Constantine II was best known for dealing with the conflicts that occurred in the different areas of his empire. He would act as a guardian of his younger brothers for a short period of time. However, once Constans became an adult, Constantine II continued to act as his guardian, and this conflict led to a battle that occurred between the two. Constantine II was defeated at Aquileia and was killed during the battle. Upon his death, Constans controlled the territory that he had previously held. Constans was a Roman emperor who ruled from 337 until the year 350. He was the third brother and the youngest son of Constantine. Constans was best known for his military campaigns against the Franks.
While contemporary historians did mention him travelling to Great Britain, they have not mentioned his reasoning behind this. Due to the speed in which he moved, it is likely that it was a result of an emergency which required the use of his army. Like his other brothers, Constans had a deep religious connection. He would ban Pagan sacrifices, and he supported the formers rather than the latters like his brother. Constans was killed by general Magnentius after he attempted to flee the area. He was captured and killed in Gaul.
Constantius was a Roman emperor who ruled from the year 337 until 361. He was the second of the three sons who were born to Constantine and Fausta. He was given the title of Caesar by his father, and he would be married three times throughout his life. Constantius begin a purge of his own family in which he killed of the vast majority of the males. The only ones to survive where his brothers Constantine II, Constans, and his cousins Gallus and Julian. He would then split the empire into three parts with his brothers.
Original Authors: Stephen Palmer
Edit Update Authors: RPN
Updated On: 29/01/2007
