CONSTANTINE

From Agepedia

CONSTANTINE. Caius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Claudius Constantine, surnamed the Great, son of the emperor Constantius Chlorus and of his wife Helena, was born A. D. 274. When Constantine's father was associated in the government by Diocletian, the son was retained at court as a hostage, but was educated with the greatest care. After Diocletian and Maximian Hercules had laid down the reins of government, Constantine fled to Britain, to his father, to escape the machinations of Galerius. After the death of his father, he was chosen emperor by the soldiery, in the year 306. Galerius was very unwilling to allow him the title of Augustus, and gave him that of Casar only. Constantine, however, took possession of the countries which had been subject to his father, viz., Gaul, Spain and Britain. He overcame the Franks, who had formerly overrun the territory of Gaul, made prisoners of two of their leaders, followed them over the Rhine, sur prised and defeated them. He then directed his arms against Maxentius, who had joined Maximian against him. In the campaign in Italy, he saw, it is said, a flaming cross in the heavens, beneath the sun, bearing the inscription, " In hoc signo vinces" (Under this sign thou shalt conquer). In the following night, Christ himself appeared to him, and commanded him to take for his standard an imitation of the fiery cross which he had seen. He accordingly caused a standard to be made in this form, which was called the labarvm. Some days after this (Oct. 27, 312), he vanquished the army of Maxentius, under the walls of Rome, and drove it into the Tiber. He then entered the city in triumph, set at liberty all whom Maxentius had unjustly imprisoned, and pardoned all who had taken up arms against him. He was declared by the senate chief Augustus and pontifex maximus. In the year 313, together with Licinius, he published the memorable edict of toleration, in favor of the Christians. By this, every one was allowed to embrace the religion most agreeable to his own mode of thinking, and all the property was restored to the Christians, that had been taken from them during the persecutions. They were also made eligible to public offices. This edict marks the period of the triumph of the cross and the downfall of paganism. Constantine had married his daughter to Licinius; but the latter, jealous of his fame, conceived a mortal hatred against him, which he displayed by persecuting the Christians. Both emperors took up arms, and met in Pannonia, A. D. 314. Constantine, surrounded by bishops and priests, besought the assistance of the God of the Christians; while Licinius, calling upon his soothsayers and magicians, relied upon the protection of their gods. Licinius was defeated, but the conqueror granted him peace. He, however, renewed hostilities, was vanquished again, taken prisoner, and put to death at Constantine's command. Thus the latter became, in 325, the sole head of the Eastern and Western empires. His first and chief cares were the establishment of peace and order, and the propagation of his religion. Many beneficial decrees were proclaimed by him. Among these were those which abolished all the establishments of debauchery, ordered the children of the poor to be supported at his expense, gave permission to complain of Ms officers, and promised that the emperor would not only hear complaints, but compensate the complainants for injuries VOL.in. 39 received, when they were proved to exist. He diminished the landtaxes one quarter; and, to secure a fair distribution of them, he caused a new valuation of estates to be taken. The state treasury had always been enriched by the property of criminals ; but Constantine spared the property of their wives, and ameliorated the condition of their children. Death in prison, he said, was a cruel punishment for the innocent, and an insufficient penalty for the guilty ; he therefore ordered all trials of prisoners to take place at once. He forbade the use of unwholesome dungeons and oppressive chains. The reason which he assigned was, that it was hi duty to secure the person of the accused, but not to injure him. He gave leave to sick persons, widows and orphans, to appeal from the local magistrates, and refused this privilege to their adversaries. It had been customary for the heirs of a person deceased to divide his slaves among them ; Constantine forbade the separation, in these cases, of husbands from their wives, and of parents from their children. Divorces had been very common among the Romans, but he made them much more difficult. To the Christians he gave permission, not only to erect churches, but to be remunerated, for the cost of them, from his domains. Amidst all the cares of government and the occupations of war, he found leisure to assemble the council of Aries, to put an end to the schism of the Donatists. The oecumenical council, held at Nice, in Bithynia (q. v.), A. D. 325, was attended by him in person. Nov. 26, 329, he laid the foundations of a new capital of the empire, at Byzantium, upon the Bosphorus, in Thrace. The city of Byzantium had been almost entirely destroyed by Severus ; it was rebuilt by Constantine, enlarged, and adorned with open squares, fountains, a circus and palaces, and called by his own name. Highly favored by nature, it soon rivalled Rome herself. All the wealth of the empire was collected in the East; thither the nations poured their tribute and their trade; and Rome, the ancient mistress of the world, sunk from her supremacy. Constantine divided the empire into four parts, which were governed by four pretorian prefects. These four parts contained 13 dioceses, each under the direction of a vicar, and the dioceses comprised 117 provinces. Constantine contributed to bring much evil on the empire by employing mercenary troops to guard the frontiers; and the legions which had occupied the frontiers were dispersed in the provinces. Tow ards the close of his life, he favored the Arians, to which he was induced by Eusebius of Nicomedia; and he even banished many Catholic bishops. In the year 337, he fell sick in the neighborhood of Nicomedia, was baptized, and died after a reign of 31 years. Constantine committed a great political error in dividing his empire among his three sons, Constantine, Constantius and Constans. The condemnation of his son Crispus, who had been falsely accused by his stepmother of an attempt to seduce her, has always been considered a stain on his memory. His zeal for Christianity appears to have been excited not less by the Knowledge, that the religion which was embraced by a majority of the inhabitants of the Roman empire must prevail, and that, of course, the strength of the government must be increased by protecting it, than by a wish to apply its consoling powers to the relief of a heavy conscience. He has been accused of inordinate ambition, excessive liberality, and an Oriental fondness for parade. But he was brave at the head of his army, mild and indulgent in his intercourse with his subjects, the favorite of his people, the terror of his foes. In the year 332, he fought successfully against the Goths, who had already experienced his power. His eldest son gained many victories over them, and about 100,000 of the enemy perished by the sword or by hunger. Constantine made use of his advantages only to grant them a favorable peace, upon terms equally beneficial to himself. He took this opportunity to rid his empire of a disgraceful tribute, which his predecessors had paid to these barbarians, and to secure his frontier upon the Danube. The Sarmatians, who had been expelled their country by the slaves whom they had injudiciously armed against the Goths, and who took refuge in his dominions, he provided with lands in Thrace, Lesser Scythia, Macedonia, and in Italy itself. He even resolved, in his 56th year, and but a short time before his death, to take the field against the Persians. He was fond of the sciences, as well as of arms, and gave them his protection. He read much, and w*<)te nearly all his own letters. In Eusebius we find many proofs of his theological learning. Some of the liiartyrologists have counted him among the saints, and fix the 20th of May as his festival. The Greeks and Russians observe it upon the 21st of the same month. Among all the writers who have attempted to describe the character, influence and policy of Constantine, Gibbon, from the extent of his researches and the profoundness of his views, appears to deserve the first place.