Constantius
- the name of a Roman emperor who reigned from 292 A. D. to 306 A. D., Eutr. 10, 6 sqq.; Lact. Mort. Pers. 15, 6; Aur. Vict. Caes. 40.—Hence, the adjj.: Constantĭăcus, a, um: legiones, Amm.21, 11, 2: Constantĭānus, a, um: thalamus, id. 22, 3, 12; and Constantĭensis, e, of or pertaining to Constantius: bellum, Sext. Ruf. Brev. 27.
emperor of the West, A. D. 421, was born in Illyria in the latter part of the 4th century of our aera. He became early known by his military deeds, and was beloved at the court of the emperor Honorius, as well as among the people and the soldiers, for his talents and amiable yet energetic character. which were enhanced by extraordinary manly beauty. When the tyrant Constantine, after his return fiom Italy, was besieged in Arles by his rebellious and successful general, Gerontius, Constanitius was despatched by Honorius to reduce Gaul and Spain to obedience; but the emperor refrained from sending troops over to Britain, since this country was then in a hopeless state of revolt against everything Roman. It is related under Constantine the tyrant [p. 831] how Constantius, whose first lieutenant was Ulphilas, a Goth, compelled Gerontius to raise the siege and to fly to the Pyrenees, where he perished. Constantius then continued the siege; but, although closely confined, his adversary found means to send one Edobicus or Edovinchus into Germany, for the purpose of calling the nations beyond the Rhine to his assistance. Edobicus soon returned at the head of a body of Frankish and Alemannic auxiliaries; but, instead of surprising Constantius, the latter surprised him, having suddenly left his camp. and marched to attack the barbarians, whom he and Ulphilas met with beyond the Rhône and defeated entirely. Edovicus was murdered by a friend in whose house he had taken refuge, and the murderer presented the head of Edovicus to the victor, expecting a recompense. With the virtue of an ancient Roman, Constantius refused to accept the hideous present, and ordered the murderer to be turned out of his camp straightway. Constantius hastened back to Aries, resumed the interrupted siege, and forced Constantine to surrender, whose fate is related in his life.
Constantius w;as re w;uded for his victory by Honorius with the consulship (A. D. 414), and was also created comes and patricius. In A. D. 414 he marched against Ataulphus, who supported the claims of the rival emperor Attalus, but was defeated and compelled to give him up to his victor in 416. [Attalus.] The reward of Constantius was the hand of Placidia, the sister of Honorius, who, after being a captive of the West-Gothic kings, Ataulphus (to whom she was married), Sigericus, and Wallia, since 410, was given up in 417 by Wallia, who became an ally of the Romans. Constantius afterwards induced him to cede the conquests which he had made in Spain to Honorius, and Wallia received in compensation Aquitania II. and probably also Novenmpopulania, or Aquitania III. From this time Toulouse became the capital of the West-Gothic kings. In 421 (8th of February), Honorius conferred upon Constantius the dignity of Augustus and the authority of a co-emperor of the West. Theodosius II., emperor of the East, having refused to recognize him as Augustus, Constantius prepared to make war against him; but, before actual hostilities had broken out, he died at Ravenna, on the 11th of September, 421, after a short reign of not quite seven months. After his accession he was more severe than he used to be, but it seems that he does not deserve reproaches for it, since he shewed that severity in restoring domestic peace to Italy and Rome, where ambitious men of all nations caused disturbances of the worst description. His children by Placidia were Flavius Placidius Valentinianus, afterwards Valentinian III., emperor, and Justa Grata Honoria, afterwards betrothed to Attila. Only gold coins of Constanitius have been found; they are very rare. (Zosim. lib. v. ult. and lib. vi., the chief authority; Sozom. 9.13-16; Oros. 7.42, 43; Philostorg. 12.4, 12; Theoph. pp. 66-72, ed. Paris; Prosper, Chon. Theodosio Aug. IV. Cons. &c.)
[W.P]
[Constantius.]
a native of Gaul, was private secretary to Attila and his brother Bleda, to whom he was recommended by Aetius. Constantius was a very rapacious man. Having been sent to the court of Theodosius II. to negotiate a lasting peace, he promised to promote the interest of the emperor if he would give him a rich woman in marriage. Theodosius offered him the hand of a daughter of Saturninus, Comes Domesticorum, who was very rich, but who had been carried off by Zeno, Praefectus Orienti. Constantius having complained about it to Attila, this king threatened to invade Greece if the emperor did not produce the woman, and as Theodosius was unable to do so, Attila availed himself of the circumstance as a pretext for making war upon the emperor. During this war (A. D. 441) he laid siege to Sirmium. The bishop of Sirmium sent a considerable quantity of gold and silver vessels belonging to his church to Constantius, requesting that he would keep them as his ransom in case the town should be taken and he fall into the hands of the victors. But Constantius kept those vessels for himself, and pledged them to a banker of the name of Sylvanus. When after the capture of Sirmium and the captivity of the bishop, Attila was informed of the robbery, he requested Theodosius to give up Sylvanus and his property, and Theodosius having refused to comply with the demand, Attila prolonged the war on that ground. Constantius was afterwards charged with high treason, and crucified by order of his master. (Priscus, in Excerpt. de Legyat. pp. 54, 57, 69, ed. Paris.) [W.P]
a presbyter of Lyons, who flourished towards the close of the fifth century, has been characterised by a French writer as at once the Maecenas and the Aristarchus of the literary men of that period, fostering them by his munificence and training them to excellence by his counsel. We find four letters addressed to him by his friend Sidonius Apollinaris, from the first of which we learn, that this collection of epistles was made at his suggestion and submitted to his criticism and correction.
Constantius, at the request of Patiens, bishop of Lyons, drew up a biography of Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, who died in A. D. 448. This work, entitled Vita S. Germani Episcopi Autissiodorensis, appears from the second dedication to have been completed about A. D. 488, and is contained in the compilations of Surius and of the Bollandists under the Saints of July. It was rendered into verse by Ericus, a Benedictine monk of Auxerre, who lived about A. D. 989, and translated into French by Arnauld d'Andilly.
Some persons have ascribed to Constantins the "Vita S. Justi Lugdunensis Episcopi," who died in A. D. 390, but there is no evidence that he was the author. This performance also will be found in Surius under September 2nd, and has been translated into French by Le Maitre de Sacy in his " Vies des Pères du Désert." [W.R]
(1) Chlorus, son of Eutropius, and father of Constantine the Great, received at Paris the title of Caesar, which he obtained by his victories in Britain and Germany. He became the colleague of Galerius on the abdication of Diocletian; and, after bearing the character of a humane and benevolent prince, he died at York, and had his son for his successor, A.D. 306.
(2) The third son of Constantine the Great. See Constantinus.
(3) The father of Julian and Gallus , was son of Constantius by Theodora, and died A.D. 337.
(4) A Roman general, who married Placidia, the sister of Honorius, and was proclaimed emperor, an honour he enjoyed only seven months. He died, universally regretted, A.D. 421, and was succeeded by his son Valentinian in the West.