Flavia Maxima Constantia

Flavia Maxima Constantia (361/362 - 383) was the first Empress consort of Gratian of the Western Roman Empire.

Family

According to Ammianus Marcellinus, Constantia was a posthumous child of Constantius II by his third wife Faustina. [Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 1] Her paternal grandparents were Constantine I and Fausta.

Her paternal uncles included Crispus, Constatine II and Constans. Her paternal aunts included Constantina, wife of first Hannibalianus and secondly Constantius Gallus, and Helena, wife of Julian the Apostate.

Early life

On 5 October, 361, Constantius II died of a fever at Mopsucrenae, near Tarsus, Cilicia. He was heading west to face a revolt by Julian, his first cousin and brother-in-law. In a reported deathbed decision, Constantius officially acknowledged Julian as his heir. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/constaii.htm Michael DiMaio, Jr., "Constantius II (337-361 A.D.)"] ] When Constantia was born sometime after, Julian was already firmly established on the throne.

On 26 June, 363, Julian was fatally wounded in the Battle of Samarra against the forces of Shapur II of the Sassanid Empire. He died a few hours following the conclusion of the battle. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/julian.htm Michael DiMaio, Jr. and Walter E. Roberts, "Julian the Apostate (360-363 A.D.)"] ] His death left Constantia the last confirmed descendant of the Constantinian dynasty.

Procopius' revolt

The following day, the forces of the Roman army which had followed Julian on campaign proceeded to elect Jovian as the next emperor. Jovian died on 17 February 364 after a reign of only eight months. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/jovian.htm Thomas Banchich , "Jovian (363-364 A.D.)"] ] A meeting of civil and mitary officials at Nicaea in Bithynia proceeded to elect Valentinian I to the throne. He ruled alone for about a month and then appointed his brother Valens as his co-emperor. Valentinian assumed control of the Western Roman Empire, Valens of the Eastern Roman Empire. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/vali.htm Walter E. Roberts, "Valentinian I (364-375 A.D)"] ]

Their reign was contested by Procopius, a maternal cousin of Julian. According to Zosimus, the childless Julian himself had considered Procopius a potential heir to the throne. He was not present in the death of his cousin and the election of Jovian. But Ammianus Marcellinus, Zosimus and Philostorgius agree that Procopius was seen as having a legitimate claim to throne both by a number of supporters within the army and by the emperors eventually elected. He went into hiding to avoid persecution. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/procopis.htm Thomas M. Banchich, "Procopius (365-366 A.D.)"] ]

In autumn, 365, Valens left his capital Constantinople, heading for Antioch. Procopius was at the time hiding at Chalcedon, in an otherwise unoccupied residence belonging to Eunomius of Cyzicus. He saw Valens' absence as his opportunity to revolt. He secured the financial support of Eugenius, a wealthy eunuch, who provided him with sufficient funds to bribe the Dividensis and Thungricani Iuniores, two legions who had camped in Constantinople for two days, prior to their planned relocation to Thrace. They helped him secure control of Constantinople and proclaimed him emperor on 28 September, 365. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/procopis.htm Thomas M. Banchich, "Procopius (365-366 A.D.)"] ]

Faustina was present when Procopius received the insignia of the imperial rites in Constantinople. Faustina and her little daughter's presence suggested that Procopius was the rightful heir of the Constantinian dynasty which was still held in reverence. Ammianus Marcellinus tells that Procopius "always bore with him on a litter the little daughter of Constantius, with her mother Faustina, both when marching and when preparing for battle, thus exciting the soldiers to fight more resolutely for the imperial family, with which, as he told them, he himself was connected." [ [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/ammianus_26_book26.htm#C7 Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman History. London: Bohn (1862) Book 26. pp. 405-434 ] ] At age four Constantia had become an instrument in another conflict for the Roman throne. [Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]

Sophronius, a notarius, fled Constantinople and managed to reach Valens in Caesarea with news of the revolt. Valens was at first disheartened but proceeded to move to secure control of Galatia. The news reached Valentinian in Paris but an ongoing conflict with the Alamanni kept him preoccupied. The Western Roman forces did not march against Procopius, though Flavius Neoterius was assigned to secure Africa Province from any attack by Procopius. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/procopis.htm Thomas M. Banchich, "Procopius (365-366 A.D.)"] ]

Procopius managed to secure the support of various units situated in Thrace and captured Chalcedon, Nicaea, Helenopolis, Cyzicus and Lesbos Island. But then stopped campaigning for the duration of the winter. Ammianus Marcellinus considers that Procopius thus lost the strategic initiative. Conflicts began again in spring but by then Valens had reorganized his army and received the support of Arbitio, a former cavalry commander under Constantius II and Julian. Arbitio in turn managed to convince former supporters of Julian to join Valens instead of Procopius. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/procopis.htm Thomas M. Banchich, "Procopius (365-366 A.D.)"] ]

During the spring, Procopius' forces were diminished due to a series of defections. The final battle of the conflict took place in Phrygia and left Procopius attempting to flee again. His own companions in flight, Florentius and Barchalba, betrayed him and delivered their emperor to Valens. On 27 May, 366, Procopius was executed. [ [http://www.roman-emperors.org/procopis.htm Thomas M. Banchich, "Procopius (365-366 A.D.)"] ] Faustina does not resurface in sources following this defeat of her faction. Constantia survived the fall of her kinsman.

Empress consort

In 374, Constantia would be about twelve-years-old. She was just reaching marriage-able age when she was sent west to marry Gratian, eldest son and co-ruler of Valentinian I. He was about fourteen. Near Sirmium, Constantia and her escort were attacked by a raiding party including Quadi and Sarmatians. She barely evaded captivity. [ David Stone Potter, "The Roman Empire at Bay: AD 180-395" (2004), page 543] On 27 June, 374, the dedication of a bath complex in Calabria, first mentions Constantia as an empress alongside her stepmother-in-law Justina. [ Noel Emmanuel Lenski, "Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D." (2003), page 104-105]

Within the year following the marriage, Valentinian I moved his headquarters to Aquincum, Pannonia to be better able to coordinate his conflict with the Quadi. Gratian and Constantia were left in charge of Trier, implying that Gratian had started acting as co-ruler in more than name. [ Noel Emmanuel Lenski, "Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D." (2003), page 104-105] During an audience to an embassy from the Quadi at Brigetio on the Danube (near Komárom, Hungary), Valentinian suffered a burst blood vessel in the skull while angrily yelling at the people gathered. On 17 November, 375, Valentinian died. Gratian became the senior Western Emperor, with his younger half-brother Valentinian II proclaimed co-emperor. [ David Stone Potter, "The Roman Empire at Bay: AD 180-395" (2004), page 543]

In 380, John Chrysostom mentions Constantia still being alive. She is next mentioned in the Chronicon Paschale dating the arrival of her remains in Constantinople to 31 August, 383. She must have died earlier in the same year but the exact date and cause of her death are unknown. She was about twenty-one at the time of her death. Gratian had proceeded to marry Laeta but was himself assassinated on 25 August, 383. The Chronicon gives her burial date as 1 December, 383. [Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, vol. 1]

External links

* [http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0839.html Her article in the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]
* [http://books.google.gr/books?id=uOHw4idqAeYC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=%22Constantia%22+Prosopography&source=web&ots=pNg2kh0Dqx&sig=kd5e3qTqdwHEFVnJnptIkH-Ko4U&hl=el Her article in the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire]
* [http://www.roman-emperors.org/eusebia.htm An article on her mother by Michael DiMaio, Jr.]
* [http://www.roman-emperors.org/gratian.htm An article on her husband by Walter E. Roberts]
* [http://books.google.gr/books?id=uvXo39xOV8kC&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=%22Constantia%22+Gratian&source=web&ots=o4rF4HuE8T&sig=sQh4FL5syhSr8ziCtkxckQTbOfs&hl=el Page in "Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century A.D." (2003) by Noel Emmanuel Lenski mentioning her marriage]
* [http://books.google.gr/books?id=Da6U4NaBMZAC&pg=PA543&lpg=PA543&dq=%22Constantia%22+Gratian&source=web&ots=wEaWnwjmfT&sig=UkbUKfaJMII_LZy9qftZFDhmD4c&hl=el Page in "The Roman Empire at Bay: AD 180-395" (2004) by David Stone Potter mentioning her marriage]

References