Constans I
Constans I was a Roman Emperor, the youngest son of Constantine the Great, who ruled from 337 to 350 CE. After his father's death, he became Augustus alongside his brothers, Constantius II and Constantine II, and was assigned control over Italy, Africa, and Illyricum. Constans gained full control of the Western Empire following his defeat of Constantine II in 340 CE. Notably, he was the last Roman emperor to visit Britain and was a baptized Christian who adhered to the orthodox beliefs established by the Council of Nicaea. His reign faced challenges, including a significant rebellion led by the general Magnentius in Gaul, which ultimately led to his assassination. Following his death, Constantius II became the sole ruler, which allowed him to pursue a religious unification strategy marked by increased tensions over Arianism within the empire. Constans's legacy is intertwined with the political and religious dynamics of early Christianity as it developed in the Roman Empire.
Constans I
Related civilization: Imperial Rome
Major role/position: Emperor of the West
Life
The youngest son of the emperor Constantine the Great and Fausta, Constans I (KAHN-stanz) was proclaimed Caesar in 333 c.e. Upon his father’s death in 337 c.e., he became Augustus together with his two older brothers, Constantius II and Constantine II. The three split responsibilities for the empire, with Constans receiving Italy, Africa, and Illyricum (under Constantine II’s supervision). When Constantine II invaded Italy in 340 c.e., he was defeated and killed by Constans, who then took over all the Western Empire. During the next decade, he campaigned on the Rhine, visited Britain (the last Roman emperor to do so), and threatened Constantius II with war if he would not allow Saint Athanasius to return from exile to Alexandria. (Constans was a baptized Christian and, unlike his brother, orthodox, that is, in compliance with the Council of Nicaea.) Internal dissatisfaction led to a rebellion in Gaul under the general Magnentius. Constans was killed, leaving Constantius II the only legitimate ruler of the Roman Empire.
Influence
Constans’s death left an opening that, after the defeat and death of Magnentius in 353 c.e., was filled by Constantius II. In his effort to unify the empire religiously, Constantius was now free to impose his Arianizing policy as he saw fit, leading to a flurry of ecclesiastical councils in the 350’s c.e. and the intensification of the controversy over Arianism.
Bibliography
Barnes, Timothy D. Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1993.