CONSTA'NTIUS II. (FLAVIUS JULIUS), son of Constantine the Greet, was left by his father's will Emperor of the East. The troops however, in order to secure the empire to the three sons of Constantine, killed Julius Constantine, heltbrothor of the late emperor, Daimatius and Anuibalienus, his nephews, and other of his relatives, with several patricians and ministers. This massacre was allowed by Coustantius, and some say was ordered by him ; only two nephews of Constantine escaped, Gallus and Julianue, afterwards emperor. Constantine was repeatedly engaged in war against the Persians and the Armenians, but with little success on his part. ALUtIliMUUS Mereelliuun, in epsakiog of these wars, says that the Romans were successful when led by the emperor's lieutenants, but were generally losers when led by the emperor in person. After the death of Constans in 350, Conetantius marched with a large force against Magnentius to revenge his brother's death, and at the same time to take possession of his dominions. A desperate battle was fought In 351 Lear Mursa, on the banks of the Drove, and at last the cavalry of Constantius gained the victory. Magnentius escaped into Italy, but Conetantius was too much weakened by his victory to follow him until the next year, when he entered Italy, defeated Magnentius again, and compelled him to escape into Gaul. In the year after, 353, Coustantiue again defeated Magnentius in Gaul. The usurper, finding himself forsaken by his soldier; killed himself; and his brother Decentius, whom he had made Cesar, followed his example. Constautius now became master of the West as well as of the East, and thus reatuited tho whole empire under his dominion. He had appointed his cousin Gallus Creme and governor of the East, when he set out to oppose 51agnentitts. In the same year, 353, Constantine assembled a council at Arles, which was composed of Arian bishops. The emperor favoured that sect, and persecuted the orthodox or Nic.xans, and exiled many of their bishops, among others Liborius, bishop of Rome. In the year 354, Constantine, having received repeated complaints of the cruelties and oppressions com mitted by Gallus in the East, scut for him, and caused him to be beheaded in Dalmatia. Several conspiracies were also discovered or
invented by the courtiers of Constantius, and numerous persons tortured and put. to death. Meantime the Franke and the Alemanni had passed the Rhine, and destroyed Colonia (Cologne) and other town, ; the Quadi and the Sarmatian. were ravaging Pannonia, tied the Persians attacked the eastern provinces. It was in this emergency that Con stautius, being at Milan in November 355, proclaimed his cousin Julian Caesar, gave him his sister Helena in marriage, and sent him as com mander to the Gauls. In the following year Constautius issued lima forbidding under pain of death any sacrifice to idols, cud condemning to death all magicians, astrologers, and soothsayers. In 357 the emperor repaired to Rome for the first time, and was received with great pomp by the senate, and public festivals and games were celebrated in his honour. He caused the obelisk which Constautine had removed from Heliopolis to Alexandria to be carried to Rome, where it was raised in the Circus Maximue : it was now called the Lateran Obelisk. Constantine having returned to the East, defeated the Sarmatians, while Julian conquered the Germans on the Rhine. Ile then marched against the Pereiane, but was unsuccessful. In the meantime Julian had been proclaimed emperor by the soldiers at Paris. Constantine was making preparations to attack him when he was taken ill at Tarsus, and died there iu November 361. On his death-bed he named Julian his successor. Constantine, though not n good priuce, had yet some valuable qualities. lie was cautious and discriminating in the appointment of his great officers; he took care of the soldiers; he bestowed office generally on the most deserving; was fond of science and application; was temperate, sober, slept little, and his habits wero regular. But he was suspicious, and cruel in consequence of his sus picions. He oppressed the people with taxes, and spent much money in pomp, parade, and useless building. (Ammianus, b. xiv.)