Constantius Gallus
Caesar of the Roman Empire
Gallus coin celebrating Rome and Constantinople.
Reign	15 March 351 - 354 (Caesar of the east under Constantius II)
Full name	Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus
Born	ca. 325/6
	Massa Veternensis
Died	354
	Pola
Wife/wives	Constantina
Dynasty	Constantinian
Father	Julius Constantius
Mother	Galla

Flavius Claudius Constantius Gallus (ca. 325/326 - 354), better known as Constantius Gallus, was a member of the Constantinian dynasty and Caesar of the Roman Empire (351-354). Gallus was consul three years, from 352 to 354. Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Solidus-Constantius_Gallus-thessalonica_RIC_149. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 15 - Constantius II elevates his cousin Gallus to Caesar, or assistant emperor, and is put in charge of the Western Roman Empire. ... Events Gallus deposed, executed at Antioch. ... Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. ... Flavius Iulius Constantius, known in English as Constantius II, (7 August 317 - 3 November 361) was a Roman Emperor (337 - 361) of the Constantinian dynasty. ... Events May 20 - First Council of Nicaea - first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church: The Nicene Creed is formulated, the date of Easter is discussed. ... Events September 14 - Discovery of the (alleged) True Cross by Vatican City, where St. ... Massa is a town in Italy. ... Events Gallus deposed, executed at Antioch. ... Pula (Latin Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola; Italian Pola (the city has an official Croatian-Italian bilingualism [1]); Istriot Pula, German Polei) is the largest city in Istria, situated at the southern tip of the peninsula, with a population of 62,080 (2006). ... Constantina Augusta was the eldest daughter of Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor. ... Category: ... Flavius Julius Constantius (d. ... Events May 20 - First Council of Nicaea - first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church: The Nicene Creed is formulated, the date of Easter is discussed. ... Events September 14 - Discovery of the (alleged) True Cross by Vatican City, where St. ... Events Gallus deposed, executed at Antioch. ... Category: ... Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Events March 15 - Constantius II elevates his cousin Gallus to Caesar, or assistant emperor, and is put in charge of the Western Roman Empire. ... The List of Roman Consuls from the Death of Commodus // 193 Q. Pompeius Sosius Falco, C. Iulius Erucius Clarus Vibianus; M. Silius Messalla, L. Fabius Cilo Septiminus Catinius Acilianus Lepidus Fulcinianus 194 Imp. ... [edit] Events [edit] By Place [edit] Roman Empire The Alamanni and the Franks defeat the Roman army, taking control of 40 towns between the Moselle and the Rhine. ... Events Gallus deposed, executed at Antioch. ...

Family

Son of Julius Constantius by his first wife Galla, Gallus' paternal grandparents were Western Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus and his second wife Flavia Maximiana Theodora. Flavius Julius Constantius (d. ... The Western Roman Empire is the name given to the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian. ... On the reverse of this argenteus struck in Antioch under Constantius Chlorus, the tetrarcs are sacrificing to celebrate a victory against the Sarmatians. ... Flavia Maximiana Theodora. ...

Julius Constantius was also a half-brother of Roman Emperor Julian, and thus Gallus was a first cousin of Emperors Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans. Ordinary Magistrates Extraordinary Magistrates Titles and Honors Emperor Politics and Law This article discusses the nature of the imperial dignity, and its dynastic development throughout the history of the Empire. ... Look up Julian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flavius Claudius Constantinus, known in English as Constantine II, (316 – 340) was Roman Emperor from 337 to 340. ... Flavius Iulius Constantius, known in English as Constantius II, (7 August 317 - 3 November 361) was a Roman Emperor (337 - 361) of the Constantinian dynasty. ... Flavius Julius Constans (320 - 350), was a Roman Emperor who ruled from 337 to 350. ...

The older sister of Gallus, of unknown name, was the first wife of Constantius II. Julius Constantius had married a second wife, who had borne him a son, Flavius Claudius Iulianus, later emperor, and known as Julian. Flavius Claudius Iulianus (331–June 26, 363), was a Roman Emperor (361–363) of the Constantinian dynasty. ...

Youth

Gallus was born in Massa Veternensis, Italia, after his father had returned from exile. In 337, during the purges that hit the imperial family after the death of Constantine I, Gallus saw his father and his elder brother killed, probably by order of his cousin Constantius. The only imperial males surviving were the three Emperors, Gallus, and Julian, who were probably too young or ill (Banchich) to be a menace to Constantius. Massa is a town in Italy. ... September 9 - Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans succeed their father Constantine I and rule as co-emperors of the Roman Empire. ...

With regards to Gallus' youth, the most accepted view is that he lived with Julian under Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, then in Constantinople since 340 (when Eusebius became bishop of the capital). After 341 (death of Eusebius), Constantius sent Gallus and Julian to the imperial manor in Macellum, Cappadocia. An alternative view accepts hints from sources that want Gallus in Ephesus to study, and then going to Macellum from an exile in Tralles. Eusebius is the name of several significant historical people: Pope Eusebius - Pope in AD 309 - 310. ... Nicomedia (modern İzmit, also known as Iznik) was founded by Nicomedes I of Bithynia at the head of the Gulf of Astacus (which opens on the Propontis) in 264 BC. The city has ever since been one of the chief towns in this part of Asia Minor. ... This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... Events Constantine II attacks his brother Constans near Aquileia, aiming for sole control of the western half of the Roman Empire, but is defeated. ... In ancient geography, Cappadocia or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya (from Persian: Katpatuka meaning the land of beautiful horses, Greek: Καππαδοκία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was the name of the extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). ...

Caesar

Location of Antioch in present-day Turkey

In 350, Magnentius had rebelled and killed the emperor Constans, claiming the purple. Constantius II prepared to move against the usurper, but needed a representative in the East, so he called Gallus at Sirmium, raised him to the rank of caesar (15 March 351), gave him the name Constantius, and strengthened the bonds with his cousin by allowing Gallus to marry his sister Constantina. Gallus and Constantina, who probably shared her brother's aim of controlling the young caesar, set up residence in Antioch. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x453, 165 KB) Summary A new and improved map with the location of Antioch. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x453, 165 KB) Summary A new and improved map with the location of Antioch. ... Magnentius (303–August 11, 353) was a Roman usurper (January 18, 350 – August 11, 353). ... Flavius Julius Constans (320 - 350), was a Roman Emperor who ruled from 337 to 350. ... Flavius Iulius Constantius, known in English as Constantius II, (7 August 317 - 3 November 361) was a Roman Emperor (337 - 361) of the Constantinian dynasty. ... Ruins of Sirmium Julian solidus, ca. ... Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 15 - Constantius II elevates his cousin Gallus to Caesar, or assistant emperor, and is put in charge of the Western Roman Empire. ... Constantina Augusta was the eldest daughter of Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Antakya. ...

During his rule, Gallus had to deal with a Jewish rebellion in Palestine. The rebellion, possibly started before Gallus' elevation to caesar, was crushed by Gallus' general, Ursicinus, who ordered all the rebels slain. Ursicinus was the master of cavalry (magister equitum) in the Eastern Roman Empire 349-359. ...

Gallus was saved from an assassination plot by a woman, who revealed that some members of her household were planning the murder. Some sources, among whom are Joannes Zonaras, claim that this plot had been organized by Magnentius in order to distract Constantius from Magnentius himself. Joannes (John) Zonaras, Byzantine chronicler and theologian, flourished at Constantinople in the 12th century. ...

Some sources (Philostorgius) claim Gallus' generals won a campaign against the Sassanids. Others, basing their views on an almost-peaceful situation between Sassanids and Romans, dismiss this claim. In 354, Gallus sent the Comes Orientis, Nebridius, against the Isaurians, who have beein raiding the city of Seleucia on the Tigris. Philostorgius (364?-?) was a scholar who subscribed to Arianism, a heresy that questioned the Trinitarian account of the relationship between God the Father and Christ. ... After Islamic Conquest  Modern SSR = Soviet Socialist Republic Afghanistan  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Iran  Iraq  Tajikistan  Uzbekistan  This box:      The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty (Persian: []) is the name used for the fourth Iranian dynasty, and the second Persian Empire (226–651). ... Events Gallus deposed, executed at Antioch. ... Comes (genitive: comitis) is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus (compare comitatenses), especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. ... Isauria, in ancient geography, is a rugged isolated district in the interior of South Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering much of what is now Antalya province of Turkey, or the core of the Taurus Mountains. ... The name Seleucia may denote any one of several cities in the Seleucid Empire. ...

As a consequence of the need to gather food for the troops of a Persian campaign or because of drought, the grain supply in Antioch decreased. In order to counter the higher price of grain, Gallus forced the passage of some laws regardless of the opinion of the Senate, thus alienating the support of the senatorial class of Antioch. Ammianus Marcellinus, a philo-senatorial writer, tells how the anger of the people of Antioch for the famine was diverted by Gallus towards the consularis Syriae Theophilus, who was killed by the mob. Ammianus Marcellinus (325/330-after 391) was a Roman historian who wrote during Late Antiquity. ... Consularis is a Latin word, derived from Consul. ...

Ammianus reports also that Gallus and Constantina started several trials for magic against wealthy people, ending in the execution of innocents and in the confiscation of their wealth. The same source claims that Gallus walked anonymously in Antioch by night, asking passersby for their opinion on their caesar, while Julian records the great amount of time spent by Gallus at the Hippodrome, probably to obtain popular support.

Doubting his cousin's loyalty, Constantius reduced the troops under Gallus, and sent the Praetorian Prefect Domitianus to Antioch to urge Gallus to go to Italy. Different sources tell different stories, but all agree that Gallus arrested Domitianus and the quaestor Montius who had come to his aid, and that the two officers were killed. Praetorian prefect (Latin Praefectus praetorio) was the constant title of a high office in the Roman state that changed fundamentally in nature. ...

The arrest of Montius led to the discovery of what seems to be a plot to elevate an usurper against Gallus. The conspirators had the support of two tribuni fabricarum (officers of the weapons factories) who had promised the weapons for an uprising (Ammianus Marcellinus, 14.7.18), and probably of the troops in Mesopotamia, as well as of the rector of the province of Phoenice. All of those involved in the plot were sentenced to death.

Fall and death

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Constantius was informed of the trials in Antioch during a campaign against the Alamanni. Having signed a peace with the Germanic tribe, Constantius decided to settle the matter with his cousin. First he summoned Ursicinus to the West, whom he suspected to have been inciting Gallus in order to create the occasion for a revolt and the usurpation of his own son. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Area settled by the Alamanni, and sites of Roman-Alamannic battles, 3rd to 6th century The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of west Germanic tribes located around the upper Main, a river that is one of the largest tributaries of the Rhine, on land that is today...

Next, Constantius summoned Gallus and Constantina to Milan. Constantina left first, in order to gain some of his brother's trust, but died at Caeni Gallicani in Bithynia. Gallus, whose bonds to Constantius had been cut with the deaths of the respective wives, stayed in Antioch. Constantius tried to lure Gallus, sending the tribunus scutariorum Scudilo to tell Gallus that Constantius wanted to raise him to Augustus. Gallus desiring to finally obtain the rank of Augustus, took Constantius's bait and left Antioch to meet him. Gallus in an exhibition of his presumed soon to be Augustus powers, staged a chariot race in Constantinople's Hippodrome and crowned the victor, an honor reserved only for those that are Augustus. This insolence of Gallus enraged Constantius, further adding to his dislike for the upstart Caesar. In an attempt to futher isolate Gallus from any form of military protection, Constantius had the garrisons removed from the towns in Gallus's path. Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine (today Black Sea). ... Augustus (plural augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The feminine form is Augusta. ... Augustus (plural augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The feminine form is Augusta. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Antakya. ... The Hippodrome today, with the Walled Obelisk in the foreground Obelisk of Thutmosis III The base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III showing Theodosius the Great as he offers a laurel wreath to the victor from the Kathisma (emperors box) at the Hippodrome The Delphi Tripod known as the...

When Gallus arrived to Poetovio in Noricum, Barbatio, an officer who had been supporting Gallus' dismissal within Constantius' court, surrounded the palace of the caesar and arrested him, stripping Gallus of the imperial robes, but assuring him no harm would have come to him. Gallus was led to Pola, Istria (now Pula, Croatia). Here he was interrogated by some of the highest officials of Constantius' court, among which the eunuch praepositus cubiculi Eusebius. Gallus tried to put the blame of all of his actions on Constantia, and Constantius sentenced him to death; The emperor later changed idea, and ordered the caesar to be spared, but Eusebius ordered that the news was not to reach the executioners. Ptuj Area: 66. ... Noricum in ancient geography was a celtic kingdom in Austria and later a province of the Roman Empire. ... Barbatio (? - 359) was a Roman general of the infantry under the command of Constantius II. Previously he was a commander of the household troops under Gallus Caesar, but he arrested Gallus under the instruction of Constantius, thereby ensuring his promotion on the death of Claudius Silvanus. ... Pula (Latin Colonia Pietas Iulia Pola; Italian Pola (the city has an official Croatian-Italian bilingualism [1]); Istriot Pula, German Polei) is the largest city in Istria, situated at the southern tip of the peninsula, with a population of 62,080 (2006). ...

Then, Gallus, a Caesar of the Roman Empire for four years was executed at 29 years of age.

References

• Banchich, Thomas M., "Gallus Caesar (15 March 351 - 354 A.D.)", DIR (1997)

External links

• Media related to Gallus Caesar from the Wikimedia Commons.