Constantine III (Western Roman emperor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Constantine III |
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Coin of Constantine III
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| Roman emperor (in the West) | |||||
| Reign | 407–411 | ||||
| Predecessor | Gratian | ||||
| Successor | Honorius | ||||
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| Died | 411 (before 18 September) | ||||
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| Religion | Nicene Christianity | ||||
Constantine III (Latin: Flavius Claudius Constantinus) was a Roman soldier. He was declared emperor in Roman Britain in 407 AD. He then took control of Gaul (modern France). From 409 to 411, he was recognized as a co-emperor of the Roman Empire.
Constantine became powerful from his position in the Roman army in Britain. He was named emperor in early 407. He quickly moved to Gaul, taking all the mobile troops from Britain with him. His goal was to fight groups of Germanic invaders who had crossed the Rhine River. Constantine used both fighting and talking to make the situation stable. He took control of Gaul and Hispania (modern Spain and Portugal). His main city was Arles.
The emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Honorius, sent an army to stop Constantine. After some early wins, Honorius's army was pushed back. In Hispania, Honorius's family members tried to remove Constantine's control. Constantine sent his general, Gerontius, to fix this, and his power was restored. In early 409, Honorius officially recognized Constantine as a co-emperor. Constantine then made his oldest son, Constans II, a co-emperor too.
In 409, Gerontius rebelled against Constantine. He named his own chosen leader, Maximus, as emperor. Gerontius also encouraged barbarian groups in Gaul to rebel. Constans was sent to stop this revolt but was defeated. He went back to Arles. Meanwhile, Constantine tried to invade northern Italy, but his plan failed, and he also returned to Arles. In 410, Constans was sent to Hispania again. Gerontius had made his army stronger with Germanic fighters. He defeated Constans, who then retreated north. Constans was defeated again and killed in Vienne in early 411. Gerontius then surrounded Constantine in Arles. Honorius sent a new general, Flavius Constantius. He arrived at Arles while Gerontius was still outside the city. Many of Gerontius's soldiers joined Constantius, who then took over the siege. Constantine gave up his power and became a priest. He surrendered, but Constantius did not keep his promise. Constantine was killed, and his head was sent to Honorius.
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The Roman Empire's Situation
After the Roman emperor Theodosius I died in 395 AD, the Roman Empire was split between his two sons. Arcadius became emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. His ten-year-old brother, Honorius, became emperor of the Western Empire. Honorius was too young to rule alone. A powerful general named Stilicho became very important. He was like the main commander of the Roman armies in the west.
During this time, Roman Britain was often attacked by the Scoti, Saxons, and Picts. Around 396 to 398, Stilicho ordered a military campaign against the Picts. This was probably a navy attack to stop their raids on Britain's east coast. He might have also fought the Scoti and Saxons. This was the last time Roman military action in Britain was officially recorded. Stilicho also sent money to make the defenses stronger along Hadrian's Wall and the coast.
In 401 or 402, Stilicho needed more soldiers for wars against the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. So, he took troops from Hadrian's Wall. After 402, fewer Roman coins are found in Britain. This suggests the Empire might not have been paying the remaining soldiers. Meanwhile, the Picts, Saxons, and Scoti continued their attacks, which may have become worse. In 405, an Irish king named Niall of the Nine Hostages reportedly raided southern Britain.
Both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires faced invasions from large groups of Germanic tribes. Romans called these groups "barbarians." In 406, a group of Alans and Goths led by Radagaisus invaded Italy. This group included many people, with over 20,000 fighters. For six months, they caused great damage in northern Italy. They captured and looted several cities. Stilicho gathered his forces and defeated the Goths near Florence. Many captured fighters joined the Roman army. Even with this victory, the Western Empire still had big problems with barbarian invaders.
Constantine's Early Life
We don't know much about Flavius Claudius Constantinus before he became emperor. His birth date and place are unknown. We also don't know if he was married. He had two sons, but their original names are also unknown. One historian from the 400s said Constantine ate too much. Another thought his main fault was changing his mind often about his plans.
Becoming Emperor
In 406, about 6,000 Roman soldiers in Britain were unhappy. They had not been paid for years. A large group of soldiers had left to fight in Europe four years earlier and had not come back. The coastal defenses were also taken apart to form a new army. The soldiers' commander had been replaced. So, they rebelled and decided to choose their own leader.
First, they chose a man named Marcus as emperor. But they were not happy with him, so they killed him. Then they chose Gratian. He also did not meet their hopes and was killed after four months. On December 31, 406, several barbarian tribes, including the Vandals, Sueves, and Alans, crossed the Rhine River. They successfully invaded the Western Roman Empire.
When the Roman military in Britain heard about this invasion, they felt very insecure. They chose a common soldier named Flavius Claudius Constantinus as their leader. They named him after the famous emperor Constantine the Great, who also became emperor through a military takeover in Britain. In early 407, perhaps in February, his fellow soldiers declared him emperor. Some historians think Constantine was a clever politician. They believe he planned these choices to become emperor himself.
Rebellions in Roman Britain were common. People at the time called it a "province rich in usurpers." Britain was far from the center of the Empire. People there often felt they did not get enough resources or attention. These revolts usually did not last long. Constantine was different because he built a strong power base and successfully spread his rebellion to the mainland.
Constantine acted fast. He named two officers already in Gaul (modern France) as generals. These were Justinianus and Nebiogastes. He told them to capture Arles and the mountain passes leading to Italy. Constantine crossed the Channel at Bononia (modern Boulogne). He took all 6,000 or so mobile troops left in Britain with him. Their commander, General Gerontius, also went. This left Roman Britain without front-line military protection. This explains why the Roman legions disappeared from Britain in the early 400s.
Constantine traveled to Lyon, where he set up his main base. He started making coins with his own name on them. The Roman Army in Gaul declared their support for him. Then, the civilian government in Hispania (modern Spain and Portugal) also supported him. The main Roman government did not respond to the Germanic invasion. Constantine's forces won at least one battle against the Vandals. Constantine also made agreements with the Germanic groups of the Franks, Alamanni, and Burgundians. This secured the Rhine River border. The main Vandal army and their allies moved into northern Gaul (modern Belgium).
Emperor Honorius and his general Stilicho were having problems with the Eastern Roman Empire. They were also allied with a large group of Visigoths led by Alaric. The Visigoths were demanding land or money. An agreement was made for a joint Roman-Visigoth army to threaten the Eastern Empire. This was supposed to start in May or June 407. But by then, the Vandals and their allies had entered Gaul. Constantine controlled the army there and claimed to be emperor. Sending a large Western Roman army to the east would leave Italy open to invasion. So, the attack was canceled. Instead, a small army led by Sarus the Goth was sent west to stop Constantine's revolt. Stilicho's main army waited to see what would happen.
Sarus defeated the army led by Justinianus in a big battle, killing Justinianus. Constantine himself moved against Sarus but was surrounded in Valence. Nebiogastes tried to talk to Sarus but was killed. Another army, led by Gerontius and Edobichus, arrived to help Valence after a week. This army was mostly new soldiers from the Franks and Almannics. Sarus had to retreat into Italy. The central government's control was so weak that Sarus had to pay bandits to pass through the Alpine mountains. With this success, Constantine gained control over most of Gaul and the Alpine passes into Italy.
Becoming Co-Emperor
By May 408, Constantine had captured Arles and made it his capital. He took over the existing government and officials. He appointed Apollinaris as his chief minister. Heros was made the archbishop of Arles, even though local people did not want him. Constantine started making many good quality coins at Arles. He might have used gold and silver taken from Sarus during his quick retreat. Constantine tried to show that he was equal to both the Western and Eastern Emperors.
Constantine's oldest son had been a monk in a monastery when his father rebelled. But he was called to the new imperial court. Constantine made him a caesar. This was a high position that also meant he was the heir apparent. Constantine gave him the imperial name Constans. Constans quickly got married so that a new royal family could begin. In early 408, Constans was sent with Gerontius to Hispania.
Hispania was a strong area for Honorius's family. But when Constantine first landed in Europe, Honorius's relatives there could not stop him. When Sarus seemed close to ending Constantine's revolt, two of Honorius's cousins, Didymus and Verinianus, rebelled. They overthrew Constantine's rule in Hispania. When Sarus went back to Italy, the news of a large new army gathering encouraged them. They even tried to block the Pyrenean mountain passes. Constantine worried that Honorius's cousins would attack from that direction. He also feared that Sarus and Stilicho would attack him from Italy. So, he attacked Hispania first.
Constans and Gerontius's army forced their way through a pass and got more soldiers. Constans set up his base in Saragossa and rebuilt the government. Gerontius took the army and strongly defeated Honorius's supporters in a battle in Lusitania. Didymus and Verinianus were captured. With Hispania back under Constantine's control, Constans left his new wife in Saragossa. He returned to Arles to report to his father. Didymus and Verinianus came with him and were executed. This made relations with Honorius even worse.
By early 408, the Visigoths were losing patience with Stilicho. They moved from Epirus (modern Albania) to Noricum (modern Austria). They demanded 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) of gold, or they would invade Italy. Honorius and the Roman Senate wanted to fight them. But Stilicho convinced them to approve the payment. This allowed him to focus on the situation in Gaul. He had gathered an army to fight Constantine. It is possible that the Visigoths were supposed to join this force as allies.
On May 1, the emperor of the Eastern Empire, Arcadius, died. He left a seven-year-old heir, Theodosius II. Stilicho and Honorius disagreed about who should go to Constantinople (the capital of the Eastern Empire) to represent the Western Empire. Stilicho got his way. He was to go east while Honorius stayed in Ravenna, the Western Empire's capital. But it was clear there was a problem between them.
The Roman leaders, led by Olympius, worked against Stilicho. They spread rumors that he wanted to remove Theodosius and put his own son on the throne. On August 13, Honorius was formally reviewing the army that was about to leave to fight Constantine. Many senior officers and officials were with him. The troops rebelled. They killed Stilicho's supporters but did not harm the Emperor. Stilicho sought safety, then surrendered and was executed on August 22.
Olympius changed the policy of paying the Visigoths. Roman soldiers in Italy began killing Goths, especially their fellow soldiers and their families. These Goths lived in Italian cities, sometimes as hostages. Those Goths who could escape fled north and joined Alaric. This greatly increased his fighting strength. Alaric quickly crossed the Alps and went south through Italy, destroying the countryside. He camped his army outside Rome and demanded a huge payment.
In late 408, Constantine sent a message to Ravenna. Honorius needed to calm him down. So, Honorius recognized Constantine as co-emperor and sent him a purple robe as official recognition. They were joint consuls in 409. Around this time, Constantine made Constans a co-emperor. This meant Constans was theoretically equal in rank to Honorius, Theodosius, and Constantine himself.
With the Visigoths deep in Italy and unopposed, Olympius lost his power. A new chief minister, Jovius, started peace talks. But Honorius still refused to agree with Alaric. In return, the Visigoths continued to move across Italy and demand huge sums of money from Rome. Alaric even named his own emperor, a senator named Priscus Attalus, but it did not help. On August 24, 410, the Visigoths entered Rome and looted the city for three days.
Constantine's Decline
In spring or summer 409, Decimus Rusticus replaced Apollinaris as chief minister. Constans was sent back to Hispania. Either before Constans left Arles or while he was traveling, Gerontius rebelled. He named his chosen leader, Maximus, as emperor. Maximus was important, but Gerontius clearly controlled him. They set up their court in Tarraco (modern Tarragona).
Gerontius worried he could not fight Constantine's army alone. So, he tried to make the barbarians who had entered Gaul in late 406 fight against Constantine. These groups had been quiet in the north. But now they moved across Gaul to the rich areas of Aquitaine and Narbonensis (modern southwest and southern France). They caused great damage in these areas, which horrified the people. Gerontius focused on the threat from Constans. He weakened his soldiers in the Pyrenean mountain passes. In autumn 409, many barbarian forces entered Hispania. Eventually, Gerontius made a deal with some of these groups. They gave him soldiers, which allowed him to attack Constantine.
From 408, Saxon pirates raided Roman Britain a lot. Constantine had left very few soldiers there. The local people organized their own defenses. They were so successful that they defeated the Saxons in 409. The Roman people in Britain were upset that Constantine had not defended them. So, they rebelled and removed his officials. They decided they would have to defend themselves from then on. Inspired by Britain, later that year, the Bagaudae of Armorica (modern Brittany) also removed Constantine's officials and declared independence.
Constantine sent another message to Ravenna, but it did not achieve much. However, Constantine's messenger, Jovius, did convince one of Honorius's senior generals, Allobich, to secretly support Constantine. In spring 410, Constantine led an army into northern Italy. He might have claimed he wanted to help Honorius against the Visigoths. He was also likely counting on Allobich's support. When he reached the Po River, he wrongly heard that Allobich was dead. This made him give up his mission and go back to Arles.
Meanwhile, Constans, with an army led by a general named Justus, tried to defeat Gerontius. He failed, and no details are known. He returned to Arles in spring 410. Around the same time, Constantine returned from his failed invasion of Italy. Given the problems the Visigoths were causing in Italy, Gerontius was seen as a bigger threat than Honorius. Edobichus was again sent north to gather soldiers from the Franks. Constans returned to fight Gerontius with a new army. The events are unclear, but it seems Gerontius was also moving towards Arles. The two armies fought, and Constans was defeated. He retreated north with his remaining soldiers, hoping Edobichus would reinforce him. But Gerontius caught him in Vienne, probably in early 411. Gerontius defeated Constans's army and killed Constans. Gerontius's army then marched on Arles and surrounded Constantine.
Constantine's Fall
In 411, Honorius appointed a new general, Flavius Constantius. He took the Army of Italy over the Alps into Gaul to try to defeat Constantine. Constantius arrived at Arles while Gerontius was outside the city. Many of Gerontius's soldiers left him and joined Constantius. Gerontius retreated to Hispania with the rest of his army. Constantius's army took over the siege of Arles.
Meanwhile, Edobichus gathered soldiers in northern Gaul from the Franks and Alamanni. He combined them with the Army of Gaul soldiers still loyal to Constantine. He marched to help Constantine. Constantius defeated this force in a surprise attack. Constantine's hopes faded after the soldiers guarding the Rhine River left him. They went to support another person claiming to be emperor, a Gallo-Roman named Jovinus.
Constantine surrendered to Constantius along with his surviving son, Julian. Constantius had promised them safe passage. Constantine even became a priest. But Constantius broke his promise. He imprisoned Constantine and Julian. They were both beheaded in August or September 411. Constantine's head was put on a pole and shown to Emperor Honorius on September 18. It was later displayed outside Carthage, as was Julian's head.
What Happened Next
Constantius pulled back when Jovinus's forces appeared. The Roman Army of Gaul was left "in tatters" after Constantine's wars, according to historian Peter Heather. In 413, a Visigoth army led by Athaulf, who was now allied with Honorius, stopped Jovinus's revolt. Constantius took over Stilicho's role as the main power in the Western Empire. He was largely able to improve the situation for the central government and help rebuild. Gaul became peaceful. The rebellion in Armorica was stopped, and the area came back under Roman control. The barbarians in Hispania were mostly defeated. The Visigoths were settled on land in Aquitaine as Roman allies.
Roman rule never returned to Britain after Constantine took away its defenses. In 417, Constantius married Honorius's sister, Galla Placidia. On February 8, 421, Honorius made Constantius a co-emperor. Constantius ruled for only seven months, dying on September 2. Honorius then ruled alone until his death in 423. After that, Constantius's son, Valentinian III, became emperor.
Constantine in Legends
Constantine III is also known as Constantine II of Britain. He has been linked to the Constantine found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's famous book, Historia Regum Britanniae. In this story, Constantine comes to power after Gracianus Municeps. Geoffrey's Constantine, through his son Uther Pendragon, becomes the grandfather of the legendary King Arthur. Other stories also say that Constantine III is Arthur's grandfather.
See also
In Spanish: Constantino III para niños
Images for kids
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Solidus coin of Constantius III
