Constantia (c. 293–?)

Roman empress. Name variations: Constantina. Born Flavia Valeria Constantia around 293 ce; died before 330; daughter of Constantius I Chlorus (r. 305–306) and Theodora (fl. 290s); half-sister of Constantine I the Great, Roman emperor (r. 306–337); married C. Valerius Licinius (primary Roman emperor of the East), in 312; children: Licinius Caesar.

The daughter of Constantius Chlorus and Theodora (stepdaughter of Maximian, the senior Roman Emperor of the West), Constantia was born about the time her father was named Maximian's junior emperor with duties along the Rhine and the northern Roman frontier. She was the younger half-sister of the famous Constantine I the Great, who was Constantius Chlorus' son by his long-time consort Helena (c. 255–329). Constantia also had two full brothers, Flavius Dalmatius and Flavius Julius Constantius, but they never rivalled the importance of Constantine the Great. Although Constantius Chlorus married Theodora for political advancement (a union that forced him to leave Helena), there appears to have been no resentment of Constantia on Constantine's behalf. Too young to have a political marriage arranged for her while her father was still alive (Constantius Chlorus died in 306), Constantia became a pawn in her half-brother Constantine's ambitious plan to reunify the entire empire under his sole authority.

Theodora (fl. 290s)

Roman noblewoman. Flourished in late 200s ce; daughter of Eutropia (fl. 270–300 ce) and Afranius Hannibalianus; stepdaughter of Maximian, the senior Roman emperor of the West; half-sister of Fausta (d. 324); second wife of Constantius I Chlorus, Roman emperor (r. 305–306); children: Constantia (c. 293–?); Flavius Dalmatius; Flavius Julius Constantius; Hannibalianus; Eutropia (who married Nepotianus); and Anastasia (who married Bassianus).

Diocletian, the most prominent Roman political figure between 284 and 305, had divided the empire into four parts—the Tetrarchy—each dominated by an emperor, two (Diocletian and Maximian) of senior rank (called the Augusti) and two (Constantius Chlorus and Galerius) of junior rank (the Caesars), so as to bring an imperial presence to bear on the multiple problems facing the empire at the time. After Diocletian and Constantius Chlorus died, however, Constantine asserted his ambitions against several imperial rivals and by 312 he had already unified the West under his reign. In that year, Constantine married Constantia to Licinius, the primary emperor of the East, who was at the time Constantine's ally against two additional imperial competitors named Maxentius and Maximinus. After these rivals were removed by Constantine and Licinius (313), however, their own competition only intensified. The opening salvo in the following conflict occurred in 316, leaving Licinius battered but not overthrown. Ironically, their fallout had been precipitated by Constantia giving birth to Licinius' son, a younger Licinius. Constantine, now an Augustus and seeking to establish his authority in the naming of Caesars before Licinius could act to elevate his own heir to that status, proposed to elevate a kinsman-inlaw named Bassianus to the rank of Caesar. Not caring for Constantine's unilateral action, and not wanting to see his own position hedged in by Constantinian supporters, Licinius objected. There followed a brief war in which Constantine won some territory from Licinius, but Constantine could not crush his eastern rival. In the subsequent treaty (317), which established an uneasy peace, it was agreed that Constantine's two sons (Crispus and Constantinus) along with the younger Licinius should all become Caesars, although the oldest of the lot (Crispus) was only a teenager at the time.

A precarious truce ensued, during which Constantine increasingly championed the Christian cause—in large part to win over the political loyalty of that organized minority. Although Licinius was no die-hard enemy of Christians and had even, with Constantia, favored certain Church officials (especially the Arian bishop, Eusebius of Nicomedia), he could not be described as a good friend of the Church. In fact, knowing that the greater number of Christians lived in the East (where he ruled), and suspecting that Constantine was wooing Christians for political reasons, Licinius began to take precautions against the formation of a pro-Constantinian/Christian faction in the East by dismissing Christians from his imperial service. This, however, only provided Constantine with an excuse to renew his attack eastward (in 323–324). Constantine's victory was decisive this time, for in a single campaign he overthrew Licinius and assumed a position of unrivaled authority over the entire empire. Licinius "retired" from office upon the promise of his own personal safety, but along with his son he was immediately put under house arrest. Within a year, both were executed at Constantine's command, despite Constantia's plea for their lives. With Licinius' reign declared an usurpation and his law declared void, Constantine became sole ruler of the Roman Empire.

Whatever emotions privately consumed Constantia in the wake of her half-brother's ruthlessness (also wreaked upon other members of his immediate family in 325), neither Constantia nor her two full-brothers publicly broke with the emperor. In fact, they continued to enjoy Constantine's largesse, a sure sign that they kept any displeasure to themselves. For her part, Constantia maintained a public presence and a formal association with Constantine's interests.

As attracted to Christianity as was Constantine, Constantia had been a friend and confidant of many church leaders. In fact, it is probably no exaggeration to say that the prominence that Eusebius of Nicomedia had realized at the court of Licinius was due largely to Constantia. After Constantine's victory, Eusebius continued as a figure of some importance, albeit a controversial one, because he (along with many others) was long inclined to embrace the theological arguments of Arius on the nature of Christ, which were revolutionary concepts at the time, especially the proposition that Christ was not one with the Father, but of a "similar" substance. This position generated heated discussion within the Church and produced the Council of Nicaea in 325 presided over by Constantine. Here, the view of Arius was rejected as heretical and the "orthodox" understanding of the Trinity was articulated. Although many Arians subsequently confessed their "error," the issue of the nature of Christ did not go away, and many—including Constantia's and Constantine's mother, Helena—continued to associate closely with those like Eusebius of Nicomedia, who, even after his reconciliation with the forces of orthodoxy, tended to skirt the issue of Christ's essence.

Although Constantia thus flirted with heresy, her beliefs never officially alienated her from Constantine, and she may even (in part because of her unwillingness to provoke Constantine on other issues) have helped to protect the more circumspect of one-time Arians from persecution. Regardless, Constantia's devotion was famous enough for Constantine to rename the city of Maiuma (the port city of Palestinian Gaza) "Constantia" in her honor after it had converted to Christianity. The date of Constantia's death is not known precisely, but it seems that she was dead before 330. As such, perhaps the renaming of Maiuma (c. 327) can be helped to date her passing, for the creation of a new "Constantia" would have been an appropriate dedication to the memory of a devoted and loyal partisan of the Empire's first Christian emperor.

William S. Greenwalt , Associate Professor of Classical History, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California