Constantius II was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. After the death of his father in 337, he gained rule of most of the Eastern lands of the empire. In the struggle to establish control over the entire Empire, he eliminated two of his uncles (the brothers of Constantine the Great) and seven cousins. In 353, after the victory over the usurper Magnetius, he became the sole ruler of the Empire. In his reign, there was much civil war, complicated by the fact that the Empire was forced to wage a grueling war with the Persians and Germans. The sons of Constantine the Great were separated not only by political interests, but also by religious ones. While Constantine and Constans were on the side of the Nicaeans, Constantius stood for the Arians.
Origin
Flavius Julius Constantius was born on August 7, 317, in Sirmium. He was the third son of Constantine I the Great and his second wife, Fausta. He got his name in honor of his grandfather, Tetrarch Constantius I Chlorus. In 324, Constantius was appointed by his father as Caesar, and was given control of the eastern part of the Empire. When his brother Constantine II was sent by his father to fight on the Danube border, Constantius was sent to Gaul, where he defeated the Goths. In 335, Constantine the Great announced four of his heirs: Constantine II, Constant, Dalmatia and Constantius II. Constantius married the daughter of Julia Constantius, the half-brother of Constantine, thereby strengthening family ties.
After the death of his father in 337, Constantius took the title of August and was given the administration of Asia, as well as the entire East. Constans received Africa, Italy, Illyricum, Dalmatia. Constantine II: Gaul, Spain, Britain, as well as Constantinople. The Balkan peninsula went to Dalmatia, a nephew of Constantine the Great.
The Emperor died in the midst of preparations for war with Persia. Constantius was already in Mesopotamia. Upon learning of his father’s death, he hurried to Constantinople and there, apparently, inspired a military mutiny; killing his uncles and cousins. After that, he again went to the East. The war with the Persians dragged on. Meanwhile, in the West, in 340, the struggle between Constans and Constantine II began, in which the latter perished. Constans seized his possessions, and for 10 years united the entire Empire.
The Civil Wars
In 350, Constans fell victim to a conspiracy led by his commander, Magnus Magnesium. An inevitable war broke out between he and the last of the sons of Constantine the Great. Magnesium collected enormous forces, he included many German mercenaries in his army. Constantius launched an offensive against Italy, but suffered heavy losses and was forced to retreat.
Refusing peace proposals, Magnesium entered the Danube provinces. There, despite initial setbacks, he managed to gain a foothold behind the army of Constance, forcing Constance to turn back. During the long battle at Moors, in Lower Pannonia, the right wing of Magnesium was crushed by the enemy’s cavalry, and he was completely defeated. Magnesium lost 24,000 troops, and Constantius, 30,000. This most bloody battle of the century dealt irreparable damage to the military power of the Empire.
In 350, in Upper Moesia, Vetranion, commanding infantry in Illyricum, proclaimed himself Emperor. Constantius won without bloodshed, solely by virtue of his eloquence. Constantius made a speech to the enemy soldiers. Influenced by his words, they immediately went over to his side.
Religion Policy
His rule marked the complete triumph of Arianism. The death of Constans ended the orthodox course of its’ most influential defender. He vigorously pursued pagan cults and destroyed them.
Foreign Policy
Together with the East, Constantius also conducted an unsuccessful war with the Persians. The main struggle was fought for the Mesopotamian fortifications. The military actions of Constantius II were not very vigorous. Constantius went to Constantinople to be closer to the theater of operations.
Learning about the invasion of the barbarians, Constantius went to the site and arrived in Sirmium, where he spent the winter receiving reports of the course of hostilities. Sarmatians and quads operated small cavalry detachments, which made them difficult to fight. Pannonia was devastated.
In the spring of 358, the Emperor, having collected considerable forces, spoke out against the barbarians. Having reached a strategic point on the river Danube, which was swollen because of melting snows, the Romans built a bridge from the ships. Constantius and his army crossed to enemy lands and conquered them. The Sarmatians were taken by surprise, as they did not expect such swiftness, and could not organize a viable resistance. They fled from their villages. The Romans also ravaged enemy lands on the border. Roman soldiers defeated the barbarians. Many of them were killed, others managed to slip away. Fearing more devastation, the barbarians asked for peace, knowing that the Emperor in such cases showed great indulgence. They sought peace and promised to pay an annual tribute, supply auxiliary troops and be fully obedient, but decided that if they were ordered to move to another land, they would refuse, because their current lands had natural protection from enemies. They were granted Roman citizenship.
Death of Constantius
He continued the Persian campaign; entering Armenia through Mesopotamia. From Antioch, the Emperor moved to Tarsus, but came down with a fever. He continued on his way, but the disease overcame him completely. The heat was so great that it was impossible to touch his body. Medicine did not work. Feeling his last gasp, Constantius mourned, and appointed Julian his successor.
Sources:
- Ammianus Marcellinus . Roman history
- Pavel Oroziy . History against the Gentiles
- Jean-Claude Shane . History of Byzantium
- Nick Constable . History of Byzantium