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Great Massacre" of 337 and the Promotion of the Sons of Constantine Author(S): R

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Great Massacre THE SUMMER OF BLOOD: The "Great Massacre" of 337 and the Promotion of the Sons of Constantine Author(s): R. W. BURGESS Reviewed work(s): Source: Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol. 62 (2008), pp. 5-51 Published by: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20788042 . Accessed: 16/05/2012 13:25 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Dumbarton Oaks Papers. http://www.jstor.org THE SUMMER OF BLOOD The "GreatMassacre" of 337and thePromotion of theSons ofConstantine R. W. BURGESS in a indeed. To Tim Barnes, thefirstyear ofhis retirementfrom teaching: giant's shoulders, I. Introduction Constantine was the firstChristian fact that these would be considered amiracle," HA Although emperor, days massacre his reignwas marred by more familialbloodshed than that Claud. 2.6).1 This of themale descendants of was to most of any other Roman emperor: he himself involved Theodora,the half brothers and of thehalf nephews one or another in the deaths of his wife's of isone of themost degree father, Constantine, intriguing personal epi his wife's brother, his half sister'shusband, his eldest son, sodes in the history of theRoman emperors. The problem no source his wife, and another half sister'shusband and son (Max is that surviving ancient directly describes this we have tendentious imian,Maxentius, Bassianus, Crispus, Fausta, Licinius, event; hints, rumors, accusations, see statements that readers were and Licinius II, respectively; stemma, p. 6).Moreover, coverups, vague obviously accounts soon after his death most of the male descendants of meant to understand, and doctored forpolitical or Such source material has created Constantius I, his father, and Theodora, Constantius's religious purposes. s and half sister numerous formodern with the result second wife and Constantine stepmother problems scholars, were in a at least that of themassacre is contested: in-law, assassinated plot that involved virtually every aspect sons. names of those who met their the dates of their one of his The late-fourth-century author of the the end, was one massacre or HistoriaAugusta had thisbloody record in mind when he deaths, whether there two, who Claudius ancestor ofConstantine: the assassinations, and the behind eulogized II, supposed prompted reason(s) res them. there are almost as scenarios as there "[Claudius] amauit propinquos; nostris temporibus Indeed, many loved his a are scholarswho have theorized because the comparanda miraculo" ("Claudius relatives, them, usually is as an interlude between more episode treated merely narratives.2 important military, political, and religious Pierre-Louis I should like to thank Tim Barnes, Cathy King, and Malosse for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper, aswell as the editors and was to have been between comments 1 Of course, since "Pollio" supposed writing the two anonymous referees for their detailed and helpful and and when Constantius I was still caesar Claud. 1.1, 3.1, I alone am for what told 293 305, {HA suggestions. As always responsible keeping they events as as 9.9,10.7,13.2), he could not have known about late 337, but me to remove or fix. I should also like to thank Joel Kalvesmaki for help is the subtle and not so subtle text. this just another of many chronological with the formidable technical problems presented by my original the author. For a short but to to the slipsmade by anonymous late-fourth-century I should like thank the following for permission reproduce excellent introduction to this see A. His Numismatic , Harlan general problem, Chastagnol, photographs: Classical Group (nos. 2,3,4,8,14), J. toire Les romains des Ile et lile si?cles Lanz Auguste: empereurs (Paris, 1994), Berk Ltd (no. 5),Dr. Paul Rynearson (Vcoins) (no. 11), Numismatik = IX-XXXIV, C-CXXXI. LHS Numismatik (nos. 12,16,18), Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger (nos. 9, AG Fritz 2 The studies are A. Olivetti, "Sulle di 15,17), H. D. Rauch GmbH (nos. 6,19, 21, 23), Tkalec (no. 7), major stragi Costantinopoli Marc ofAncient succedute alla morte di Costantino il RFIC 43 67-79; Rudolf K?nker M?nzenhandlung (no. 10), Breitsprecher grande," (1915): Coins & Artifacts X. Lucien-Brun, "Constance II et lemassacre des BullBud?, Imports Inc. (Vcoins) (no. 26), Imperial (Vcoins) (no. princes," M?nzen & Medaillen GmbH series, Lettres d'humanit? 32 R. Klein, "Die 20), Roman Lode (Vcoins) (nos. 22,24), and 4th (1973): 585-602; um nach dem Tode Constantins des (no.25). I shouldalso liketo thankMariana Reynolds for all her help with K?mpfe die Nachfolge Gro?en," in for 101-50 in idem, Roma versa aevum: Aus the intricacies involved preparing these photos publication. ByzF6 (1979): (reprinted per = = zur heidnischen und christlichen ed. R. von Conventions for dates: 337-38 337 to 338, 337 / 38 337 or 338. gew?hlte Schriften Sp?tantike, DOP 62 6 R.W. Burgess Stemma The Descendants of Constantius = = ? (i) Maximian* (2) Eutropia = = theodora Maxentius* helena (1) constantius (2) Fausta* = constantine i fl. DALMATiust Julius CONSTANTiusf Hannibalianus Constantia Eutropia Anastasia (i)=Galla =Liciniusr =Virius =Bassianus* I Nepotianus?tI DALMATIUSf HANNIBALIANUSf Licinius II* = Constantina Nepotianus gallus four other cousins of Juli?nt sont daughter = constantius ii =Constantina (2)=Basilina Minervina=(i) constantine i (2)=Fausta* Julian=Helena constantine h constantius h Constantina constans Helena Crispus* (1) =daughter (1)=hannibalianus =julian (2) =Eusebia (2)=Gallus *executed by Constantine tassassinated in 337 sources: Barnes, New Empire, 265-166, and PLRE 1:1129. andM. Di suivis de ed. A. Dihle Haehlingand Scherberich [Hildesheim, 1999], 1-49); Maio, Sept expos?s discussions, (Geneva, 1989), 120-25; T. Gr?newald, Constantinus Maximus in Jr., and D. W.-H. Arnold, "Per Vim, Per Caedem, Per Bellum: A Study Augustus: Herrschaftspropaganda der 153;P. Cara, ofMurder and Ecclesiastical Politics in the Year 337 A.D.," Byzantion 62 zeitgen?ssischen ?berlieferung (Stuttgart, 1990), "Aspetti see e e del conflitto per la successione di Costantino," RSCI (1992): 158-211 (on which, I. Tantillo, "Filostorgio la tradizione sul politici religiosi 47 39-5?; I?Tantino, La orazione di Giuliano a Costanzo: testamento di Costantino," Athenaeum 88 [2000]: 559-63). A selection (!993): prima recent can Introduzione, traduzione e commento 1997), 228-39; D. Hunt, of important interpretations be found (in chronological order) (Rome, , trans, "The Successors of Constantine," in The Ancient in E. Stein, Histoire du bas-empire, vol. and aug. J.-R. Palanque Cambridge History, vol. 13,The Late A.D. 337-42$, ed. Av. Cameron and P. (Paris, 1959), 131-32 and 484-85; A. H. M.Jones, The Later Roman Empire, Empire, Garnsey 3-4; B. Bleckmann, "Der zwischen Con 284-602: A Social, Economic, and Administrative Survey (Oxford, 1964), (Cambridge, 1998), B?rgerkrieg n. A. stantin II. und Constans (340 Chr.)," Historia 52 (2003): 225-26 , 112;R. MacMullen, Constantine (New York, 1969), 224-25; Piganiol, 241-43; D. S. Potter, The Roman at AD 180-3?$ (New York, L'empire chr?tien (Paris, 1972), 82-83; R- Browning, The Emperor Julian Empire Bay, 460-63; and R. M. Frakes, "The of Constantine down (London, 1975), 34-35; J.W. Leedom, "Constantius II: Three Revisions," 2004), Dynasty . to 363," in The to the Constantine, ed. Byzantion 48 (1978): 132-36; RIC 8:4-7; G. W. Bowersock, Julian the Cambridge Companion Age of T. D. Constantine and Lenski 2006), 98-99. For lists of earlier accounts and discus Apostate (Cambridge, MA, 1978), 22-23; Barnes, (Cambridge, sions, seeOlivetti 76-77; Lucien-Brun 595-99; Di Maio Eusebius (Cambridge, MA, 1981), 261-62; E. G. Gonzalez, "Observaciones (above), (above), un cristiano: and Arnold 161-62 n. 24; H. Chantraine, Die sobre emperador Fl. Jul. Constante," Lucentum 3 (1984): (above), Nachfolgeordnung Constantins des 5-9. 268-70; C. Pietri, "La politique de Constance II: Un premier 'C?saro Gro?en (Mainz-Stuttgart, 1992), ou in et au IVe papisme' Vimitatio Constantini?" LEglise l'empire si?cle: DOP 62 The Summer of Blood | 7 in matter is not two To make any headway this therefore wives, Helena and Theodora,3 bywhom he had had necessitate a one son sons easy, and the complexities of the evidence (Constantine), and three and three daugh is as two sons complex analysis. My approach follows. ters, respectively (see the stemma). The eldest context for of Constantine Constantine After establishing the general historical himself, Crispus and II, events summer caesar on the of the of 337 (section II and Appen had been proclaimed March 317, the former at dix 1),I beginwith theproblem of establishing"what perhaps around twenty years of age the time, the lat in of events and the ter less than a His next Constantius was happened," particular the sequence year.4 son, II, a caesar on 8 seven responsibilityfor them (section III). This beginswith proclaimed November 324, when only in or summer lengthyand detailed analysisof the survivingliterary years old.5 Shortly afterward, the spring of are as was memo sources, since they abundant and complex, well 326,Crispus executed and suffereddamnatio as sources The next subsection riae? on December his the epigraphical (III.i). Eight years later, 25 333, youngest presentsthe hints and cluesoffered by thecoinage of the son, Constans, then either ten or thirteen, was invested of Con with the rank of caesar aswell.7 Constantine had period immediately preceding the promotion By 332 stantine s sons This section reached or was about to reach his sixtieth (III.2 and figures).
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