Chapters
| Name | Flavius Iulius Constantius |
|---|---|
| Ruled as | |
| Reign | 9 September 337 – 3 November 361 CE |
| Born | 7 August 317 CE |
| Died | 3 November 361 CE |
Constantius II was born on August 7, 317 CE. in Sirminum in Panonia Dolna (Pannonia Inferior) under the names of Flavius Iulius Constantius. He was a Roman emperor in the years 337-361 CE and the son of the ruler of Constantine the Great and his wife Fausta. He ascended the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans after his father’s death.
Constantius was born as the third son of Constantine I, and the second to Fausty – the daughter of Emperor Maximian. On November 13, 324, the father appointed the young boy Caesar. In 336 CE War broke out between Rome and Sassanid Persia due to religious unrest and tense relations between Constantine I and Shapur II. Despite the fact that the emperor was making serious preparations for the war, he was forced to stay in the capital due to illness, and he sent his son Constantius to the forefront of the army in Antioch. The young commander was making intensive preparations in the region for the anticipated enemy attack.
August in the East
In early 337 CE, Constantius II had to give up command in the east and hurried to Constantinople, on news of his father’s imminent death. On May 22 died a man rebuilt the Empire and restored some reign after years of civil wars. Constantius bade him farewell in a generous and respectful ceremony at the Church of the Holy Apostles. Soon after his father’s death, Constantius ordered (probably) the massacre of his relatives from his grandfather’s second marriage Constantius I Chlorus. Eutropius, writing between 350 and 370 CE, claims that Constantius approved the order more than he ordered. Two of Constantius’s uncles and six cousins were killed, including Dalmatian and Hannibalianus, the stewards of (successively) Moses and Pontus. The massacres of the deceased ruler’s family were avoided by his two brothers: Constantine II (the elder) and Constans (the younger) and three cousins: Gallus, Julian (later Apostate) and Nepotian.
Shortly thereafter, Constantius II met his brothers in Pannonia in the city of Sirmium to divide the Empire. Eventually, Constantius was given Eastern Provinces, including: Constantinople (which was the capital from his father’s time), Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and Cyrenaica. His brother Constantine II received: Britain, Gaul, Spain and Mauritania; when Konstans had to be content with: Italy, Africa, Illyria, Pannonia, Macedonia and Achaea.
War with Persia
After the disputes over power in the state were resolved, Constantius hurriedly headed east to Antioch to finish the war with the Sassanids, or rather to defend the eastern borders from the attack of Shapur II. In the absence of Constantius, the Persian ruler in early 337 CE he gathered a mighty army of elephants and struck Mesopotamia.
Szapur’s plan was mainly based on an attempt to capture important fortifications, incl. Nisbis, Singara or Amida. Although the Sassanids emerged victorious from most of the situations, these were not important successes. The chief Persian commander was probably Shapur’s brother, Narses, who captured Mesopotamia and captured Amida (with the exception of Nisbis). Constantius immediately attacked Narses’ forces, which were defeated in the Battle of Narasara, and the king’s brother himself fell. Constantius took Amida and began a major process of refortification and fortification of the fortress. In addition, a new fortress was built on his behalf, Antinopolis. Eventually, Constantius managed to contain the Sassanid threat and pushed the enemy forces out of his own territory. In September 350 CE Constantius II ended the war with Persia, thanks to which he was finally able to deal with the affairs of the state.
Meanwhile, Constantius II wished to take control of the land once owned by his brother Konstans. Konstans in 340 CE Constantine II, who was killed in an ambush near Aquileia, took over. In this way, he became the only emperor of the West, and in practice 2/3 of the territory of the Empire. This state of affairs continued until 350 CE when Constans was murdered by forces loyal to the usurper Magnentius.