A107 From Late Antiquity to Byzantium

Constantine and Constantinople

Key Sources

• Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors (covers up to 312)

• Eusebius, Church History (originally planned to finish 311, then extended up to 324)

• Eusebius, Life of Constantine (work in praise of Constantine, delivered in 336 for Constantine's 30^th anniversary)

• Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria (AD 295-373) - polemical tracts on religious controversies

• Imperial letters, correspondence of bishops, canons of councils

• Optatus (4^th century African catholic bishop), Against the Donatists

• Theodosian Code (compiled 438) begins with laws from 312

• Zosimus (5^th century) New History (pagan viewpoint)

Key Dates

272/3 Constantine born

305 Constantius (father) becomes augustus

306 Constantius dies at York

25^th July 306 Constantine proclaimed augustus at York by his father's troops, but made caesar by Galerius

306/7 Maxentius (son of Maximian) usurps power at Rome

Maximian returns to power, gives Constantine the title augustus, and his daughter Fausta in marriage

308 Maxentius and Maximian quarrel. Maximian flees to Constantine.

Demetrius Alexander, vicar of Africa, is proclaimed augustus by his troops

Galerius calls conference at Carnuntum in Pannonia

Maximian is persuaded to abdicate again

Galerius appoints a second augustus, Licinius, and eventually recognises Constantine as augustus (309/310)

310 Maximian tries to usurp power again, but is unsuccessful and flees to Marseilles where he is forced to commit suicide / or was executed

311 Galerius dies, calling off the persecution of the Christians

Maxentius and Maximin (Galerius' nephew) become allies

Licinius and Constantine become allies

312 Constantine defeats Maxentius at the battle of the Milvian Bridge

313 Constantine meets Licinius in Milan, and Licinius marries Constantine's sister, Constantia

Edict of Milan - confirmed religious toleration

Revolt of Maximin - defeated by Licinius

316 preliminary clash between Constantine and Licinius

317 Crispus and Constantine II (Constantine's sons) and Licinius II (Licinius' son) become caesars

324 Constantine defeats Licinius

Constantius II (only a boy) becomes caesar in charge of Gaul

Work begins on Constantinople

325 First Oecumenical Council at Nicaea 326 Mint at Constantinople established

Execution of Crispus and Fausta

Constantine visits Rome to celebrate his 20^th anniversary

11th May, 330 Inauguration of Constantinople

332 Constantine II defeats the Goths on the Danube with the help of the Sarmatians 333 Constans (Constantine's youngest son) becomes a caesar

334 Sarmatians are forced to seek sanctuary in the empire; more than 300,000 settle within the empire

335 Dalmatius (Constantine's nephew) becomes a caesar Inauguration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

337 Constantine dies

Major Reforms

Military

• Created a large scale field army (comitatenses) under 2 new commanders (magister peditum and magister equitum)

• Army increased by 25%

• Continued separation of civil and military powers

Reorganisation of government

• Revived the traditional importance of the senate as well as encouraging the new imperial aristocracy

• Introduced several new officials eg. notaries, quaestor sacri palatii, magister officiorum, comes sacri largitionum, comes rei privatae, corps of couriers and agents (agentes in rebus), the scholae replaced the praetorians, revived the title patrician etc.

Finance

• Introduced a new gold solidus

• Levied a gold and silver surcharge on the land tax

• Collected rents on imperial land in gold

• Instituted new taxes payable in gold and silver (chrysargyron and follis)

Legislation

• Widows and orphans were protected from harassment in litigation

• Immediate grants of food and clothes to parents who would otherwise sell their children into slavery

• Tightened up divorce laws

• Extended Diocletian's policy of making certain jobs hereditary

• Tried to stem judicial corruption

Christian inspired reforms

• crucifixion was abolished

• branding of convicts on the face was forbidden

• prisoners should see the light everyday

• tried to ban gladiatorial combats