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Gaius Flavius Valerius Constantius (March 31, 250 - July 25, 306)
was an emperor of the Western Roman Empire (305 - 306). He was commonly called Chlorus (the Pale), an epithet given to him by Byzantine historians. He was the father of Constantine the Great. He was of Illyrian origin; a
fictitious connection with the family of Claudius Gothicus was attributed to
him by Constantine.
The early years of Constantius's life is sketchy. Geoffrey
of Monmouth writes in his Historia Regum
Britanniae that Constantius was a Roman senator early in his career. The text
states that early in his career, he forced Spain to submit to Roman rule and that he
continued throughout his life to increase the power of Rome. Probably around 296, Constantius
was sent to Britain to quell the rebellions caused by various tribes. This accound
comes at odds with the story of King Cole, who was said to have stopped
the rebellions before submitting to Rome. It is possible that their two reigns overlapped somewhat, since Cole gave Rome control
over the island.
Nevertheless, Constantius made peace with the Britons and ruled them throughout the
remainder of his life. At this point, a contradiction between the origin of Helena comes into play. Most sources cite her as the daughter of an innkeeper while Monmouth and
the Welsh chronicles state she was Coel's daughter. Regardless, this Helen gave birth to
Constantine.
Having distinguished himself by his military ability and his able and gentle rule of Dalmatia, he was, on March 1, 293,
adopted and appointed Caesar by Maximian, whose step-daughter, Flavia Maximiana Theodora, he had married in 289 after renouncing his wife, Helena. In the distribution of the provinces, Gaul and Britain were allotted to Constantius.
In 298 Constantius overthrew the Alamanni in
the territory of the Lingones (Langres) and strengthened the defenses of the Rhine
frontier. During the persecution of the
Christians in 303, he behaved with great humanity. He obtained the title of Augustus on
May 1, 305, and died the following year in Eboracum
(York) during an expedition against the Picts and
Scots. He was succeeded by his son Constantine in the rule of Britain and Galerius in the rule of Rome.
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