NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Constantine III (usurper)

Constantine III (died 411 by September 18) was a Roman general who declared himself Western Roman Emperor in 407, abdicating in 411 (and being killed soon after). Constantine III. 407-411 AD. AR Siliqua (1. ... Constantine III. 407-411 AD. AR Siliqua (1. ... Events The Burgundians elevate Jovinus as Roman Emperor. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine... The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian. ... // Events Gunderic becomes king of the Vandals and the Alans after the death of his father Godgisel Gratianus of Britain is assassinated and Constantine III takes his place at the head of the mutinous Roman garrison in Britain. ...

The history

On 31 December 406 several tribes of Germanic invaders, including the Vandals, the Burgundians, the Alans and the Sueves, crossed the Rhine river near Mainz, and overran the Roman defensive works in a successful invasion of the Western Roman Empire. This was a mortal blow to the empire, from which it never recovered. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events December 31 - Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia Roman legions in Britain mutiny against the Roman Emperor and select Marcus as new Roman Emperor. ... The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century and created a state in North Africa, centered on the city of Carthage. ... The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr (the Island of the Burgundians), and from here to mainland Europe. ... The Alans or Alani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of mixed backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and shared, in a broad sense, a common culture. ... The Suebi or Suevi were an eastern Germanic people whose origin was near the Baltic Sea. ... At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Romansch: Rein, Italian: Reno) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... Mainz (French: Mayence) is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine...

Invasion of Gaul

At the time of this invasion, the provinces of Britain were in revolt, setting up and pulling down a series of emperors, which ended with the elevation of Constantine early in 407. A common soldier, but one of some ability, Constantine moved quickly. Constantine crossed the English Channel to the continent at Bononia, and historians have assumed he took with him all of the mobile troops left in Britain, thus denuding the province of any military protection and explaining their disappearance in the early fifth century. Constantine's two generals Justinianus and the Frank Nebiogastes, leading the vanguard of his forces, were defeated by Sarus, Stilicho's lieutenant, with Nebiogastes being first trapped in, then killed outside, Valence. However, Constantine sent forth another army headed by Edobich and Gerontius, and Sarus was forced to retreat into Italy, needing to buy his passage through the Alpine passes from the Bagaudae, who controlled them. Constantine secured the Rhine frontier, and garrisoned the passes that led from Gaul into Italy. By May 408 he had made Arles his capital, where he appointed Apollinaris, the grandfather of Sidonius Apollinaris, as prefect. Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche, IPA: , the sleeve), also for some time known in England as the British Sea, is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic federations. ... In legend and history, the following people are named Sarus: Sarus (SÃ¶rli), a son of the Norse mythological king, Jonakr. ... Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (c. ... Location within France Valence is a commune in south-eastern France, the capital of the dÃ©partement of DrÃ´me, situated on the left bank of the RhÃ´ne, 65 miles south of Lyon on the railway to Marseille. ... The name Gerontius, which is derived from a Greek word meaning old man, can refer to: The Dream of Gerontius (poem), a dramatic religious poem by Cardinal Newman. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... Bagaudae (also spelled Bacaudae) was the name for groups of peasant insurgents during the Crisis of the Third Century, particularly in Gaul. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (from Latin Gallia, c. ... Events Theodosius II succeeds his father Arcadius as Emperor of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire In the summer of this year, the usurper Constantine III captures Spain, destroying the loyalist forces defending it. ... Map of western Mediterranean, showing location of Arles Arles (Arle in ProvenÃ§al) is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-RhÃ´ne dÃ©partement, of which it is a sous-prÃ©fecture, in the former province of Provence. ... Apollinaris was an early church leader and writer who lived in the 2nd Century. ... Gaius Sollius Modestus Sidonius Apollinaris (c. ...

Recognition as co-emperor

In the summer of 408, as the Roman forces in Italy assembled to counterattack Constantine, Constantine had other plans. Fearful that several cousins of the emperor Honorius in Spain, which was a stronghold of the House of Theodosius and loyal to the ineffectual emperor, would organize an attack from that direction while troops under Sarus and Stilicho attacked him from Italy in a pincer maneuver, he struck first at Spain. He summoned his eldest son Constans from the monastery where he was dwelling, elevated him to Caesar, or assistant Emperor, and sent him with the general Gerontius towards Spain. The cousins of the throne were defeated without much difficulty and two — Didymus and Theodosiolus — were captured, while two others — Lagodius and Verianus — managed to escape to safety in Constantinople. Bronze coin bearing the profile of Honorius Flavius Augustus Honorius (September 9, 384â€“August 15, 423) was Emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 395 until his death. ... The House of Theodosius was a Roman family that rose to eminence in the waning days of the Roman Empire. ... A pincer movement whereby the blue force doubly envelops the red force. ... A monastery is the habitation of monks, derived from the Greek word for a hermits cell. ... Caesar (p. ... Didymus the Blind Didymus the Musician Didymus Chalcenterus Apostle Thomas, who was also called Didymus Didymus, a member of The House of Theodosius and distant relative of the Roman emperor Honorius, of whom little is known. ... Map of Constantinople. ...

Constans left his wife and household at Zaragoza under the care of Gerontius to return to report to Arles. Meanwhile the Roman army mutinied at Ticinum (Pavia) on 13 August, which was followed by the execution of the patrician Stilicho on 22 August. As a by-product of these events, the actions of an intrigue within the Imperial court, the general Sarus abandoned the Imperial army followed by his men, leaving the emperor Honorius in Ravenna without any significant military power, who also faced the problem of a Gothic army under Alaric roaming unchecked in Etruria. So when Constantine's envoys arrived to parlay at Ravenna, Honorius eagerly recognized Constantine as co-emperor, and the two were joint consuls for the year 409. For alternative meanings, see Zaragoza (disambiguation). ... Ticinum (the modern Pavia) is an ancient city of Gallia Transpadana, founded on the banks of the river of the same name (now the Ticino river) a little way above its confluence with the Padus (Po). ... Church San Michele in Pavia The Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio) on the Ticino river is a symbol of Pavia PavÃ¬a (the ancient Ticinum) (population 71,000) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... Ravenna is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... Invasion of the Goths: a late 19th century painting by O. Fritsche portrays the Goths as cavalrymen. ... An 1894 photogravure of Alaric I taken from a painting by Ludwig Thiersch. ... Etruria was an ancient country in Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium and Umbria. ... For modern diplomatic consuls, see Consulate general. ... For the cleaning product 409®, see butoxyethanol. ...

March on Italy

That year was the high-water mark of Constantine's success. By September, the barbarians that had penetrated the Rhine defenses, and had spent the intervening two years roaming and plundering their way through Gaul, had reached the Pyrenees, where they broke through Constantine's garrisons and entered Spain. While Constantine prepared to send his son Constans back to deal with this crisis, word came that his general Gerontius had rebelled, raising his own man as co-emperor. Despite Constantine's best efforts, his fear of an attack from Spain did come to pass in the following year, when Gerontius advanced with the support of barbarian allies. Central Pyrenees The Pyrenees (French: PyrÃ©nÃ©es; Spanish: Pirineos; Occitan: PirenÃ¨us or PirenÃ¨as; Catalan Pirineus; Aragonese: PerinÃ©s; Basque: Pirinioak) are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. ...

About the same time Saxon pirates raided Britain, which Constantine had left defenseless. Obviously upset that Constantine could no longer effectively defend them, the Roman inhabitants of Britain and Armorica rebelled and expelled his officials. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A pirate diggingâ€¦perhaps to bury treasure, perhaps a grave. ... Armorica or Aremorica is the name given in ancient times to the part of Gaul that includes the Brittany peninsula and the territory between the Seine and Loire rivers, extending inland to an indeterminate point and down the Atlantic coast. ...

Constantine's response to this tightening circle of enemies was a final desperate gamble: with the remaining troops left to him, he marched on Italy, encouraged by the entreaties of one Allobich, who wanted to replace Honorius with a more capable ruler. But this invasion ended in defeat, with Allobich losing his life, and Constantine was forced to retreat into Gaul in the late spring of 410. Constantine's position grew even more desperate. His forces facing the rebel Gerontius were defeated at Vienne (411), where his son Constans was captured and executed. Constantine's Praetorian prefect Decimius Rusticus, who had replaced Apollinaris a few years earlier, abandoned Constantine, to be caught up in the rebellion of Jovinus in the Rhineland. Gerontius trapped Constantine inside of Arles, and besieged him. Events Alaric I deposes Priscus Attalus as Roman Emperor. ... Vienne is a commune of France, located 30 km south of Lyon, on the RhÃ´ne River. ... Events The Burgundians elevate Jovinus as Roman Emperor. ... Jovinus Jovinus was a Gallo-senator and claimed to be Roman Emperor (411 - 413). ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ...

Surrender and execution

At the same time a new general was found to support Honorius. The future Constantius III, who arrived at Arles, put Gerontius to flight then took over the siege of Constantine in Arles. Constantine held out, hoping for the return of his general Edobich, who was raising troops in northern Gaul amongst the Franks, but on his return Edobich was defeated with a simple stratagem. Constantine's last slender hope faded when his troops guarding the Rhine abandoned him to support Jovinus, and he was forced to surrender. Despite his promise of safe passage, and Constantine's assumption of clerical offices, Constantius imprisoned the former soldier and had him beheaded in either August or September 411. Costantius on a solidus. ... The Franks or the Frankish people were one of several west Germanic federations. ... Events The Burgundians elevate Jovinus as Roman Emperor. ...

Although Gerontius committed suicide in Spain, and Constantius later suppressed the revolt of Jovinus, Roman rule never returned to Britain after the death of Constantine III: as Procopius later explains, "from that time it remained under [the rule] of tyrants." Procopius was a prominent Byzantine scholar of Late Antiquity (500?-565?). The writings of Procopius of Caesarea, in Palestine, are the primary source of information for the rule of the emperor Justinian. ...

The legend

Constantine was remembered as a King of the Britons in the Welsh chronicles and Geoffrey of Monmouth's highly popular Historia Regum Britanniae, where he comes to power following Gracianus Municeps' reign, which had ended with his assassination. Geoffrey states that Britain was in civil crisis after the death of Gracianus, so the people called for help from their cousins in Brittany. The current king of Brittany, Aldroenus, did not wish to rule both Brittany and Britain, and so sent his brother to rule instead as Constantine II (Constantine I was Roman Emperor Constantine the Great). Constantine accepted the kingship and repelled the Huns and Picts who had invaded Britain, and soon after his coronation, he fathered three sons: Constans, Ambrosius Aurelianus, and Uther Pendragon. He dedicated Constans to the church then sent his other two sons away to Brittany to have them raised by the Bretons. Constantine reigned for ten years, but was fatally stabbed in a thicket by a traitorous Pictish servant in the employ of Vortigern, who eventually succeeded him as king. In some versions of the legend, Vortigern was his seneschal. The term King of the Britons refers to kings of Celtic Great Britain as recorded by much later authors, including Nennius, Gildas, and predominantly Geoffrey of Monmouth. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... Geoffrey of Monmouth was a clergyman and one of the major figures in the development of British history. ... Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum BritanniÃ¦ (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) was written around 1136. ... Gracianus Municeps was a legendary king of the Britons after the death of Emperor Magnus Maximus, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical duchy and French province, as well as the cultural area of Brittany. ... Roman Emperor is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. ... Constantine. ... The Huns were a group of Central Asian nomadic tribes, who appeared in Europe in the 4th century. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Constans was the eldest son of the usurping Emperor Constantine III and was a Roman Caesar under his father. ... Ambrosius Aurelianus (incorrectly referred to in the Historia Regum Britanniae as Aurelius Ambrosius ) was a leader of the Romano-British, who won important battles against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas and to the legends preserved in the Historia Britonum. ... Uther Pendragon (pen-dragon = head of the dragons) is the legendary father of King Arthur in Arthurian legend. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical duchy and French province, as well as the cultural area of Brittany. ... The Picts inhabited Caledonia (Scotland), north of the River Forth. ... Vortigern, Vortiger, or Vortigen was a fifth century warlord, possibly legendary, traditionally said to have invited the Anglo-Saxons to settle in Britain as mercenaries, who later revolted and established their own kingdoms. ... A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. ...

This story was taken up in much Arthurian literature, including Robert de Boron's Merlin and the Lancelot-Grail Cycle. Though intriguing as fiction, it greatly contradicts the known history of this period. King Arthur is an important figure in the mythology of Britain. ... Robert de Boron (also spelled in the manuscripts Bouron, Beron) was a French poet of the 13th century, originally from the village of Boron, in the département of Montbéliard. ... Merlin Ambrosius (Welsh: Myrddin Emrys; also known as Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the Wild), Merlin Caledonensis (Scottish Merlin), Merlinus, and Merlyn) is the personage best known as the mighty wizard featured in accounts of Arthur of Britain starting with Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae. ... The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend. ...

Contents

The history

Invasion of Gaul

Recognition as co-emperor

March on Italy

Surrender and execution

The legend

See also

Bibliography

External links