CONSTANTIDS, FLAVIUS VALERIUS, commonly called CHLORUS (the Pale), Roman emperor and father of Con stantine the Great (q.v.), was born about A.D. 25o. He was of Illyrian origin. 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. In the distribution of the provinces Gaul and Britain were allotted to Constantius. But Britain, where Allectus had declared himself independent, was not re-united to the empire until 296. In 298 Constantius overthrew the Alamanni in the territory of the Lin gones (Langres) and strengthened the Rhine frontier. During the persecution of the Christians in 3o3 he behaved with great hu manity. He obtained the title of Augustus on May 1, 305, and died the following year before July 25 at Eboracum (York) dur ing an expedition against the Picts and Scots.
See Aurelius Victor, De Caesaribus, 39 ; Eutropius ix. 14-23 ; Zosimus ii. 7.