A Brief History
On September 9, 337, almost four months after the death of Emperor Constantine the Great, his three sons inherited the throne as co-emperors, a situation that seems unworkable.
Digging Deeper
Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans inherited a Roman Empire in which Constantine had ended the persecution of Christians and made Christianity a lawful Roman religion. Constantine also unified the Church and State as a single entity and disestablished the old pagan religion.
Constantine made the city of Byzantium the “New Rome,” and renamed it Constantinople after himself. Despite his intent to divide the Empire among his sons and other relatives, the predictable result was the murder of some of those heirs.
Constantine II met his death in 340 in an effort to wrest control from his brother Constans. Constans was murdered at age 27 by one of his generals in 350. Constantius II lasted until 361 when he died of fever at the age of 44.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Should their be monarchs in the modern world?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Baker G.P. Constantine the Great: And the Christian Revolution. Cooper Square Press, 2001.
Baker, Simon. Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of An Empire. BBC Physical Audio, 2007.
