320 SUCCESSORS OF CONSTANTINE.
exemplary harmony. The two sons of his brother Julius Con-
stantius were yet too young to have any share in the govern-
ment; Dalmatius had two sons, Hannibalianus and Dalmatius1
who were raised to the rank of Caesars; his third brother Han-
nibaɪianus had died without issue. Constantine carried these
regulations into effect before his death, and honest as were his
intentions in thus dividing the empire among his three sons
and those of Dalmatius, the results of that measure were most
unfortunate ; but such is human foresight ! He died in a.d.
337, not in his beloved city of Constantinople, which he had
finished in Λ.ι>. 327, but at his country residence, in a healthy
and pleasant district near Nicomedia.
LECTUBE CXNXI.
People seem to think it unaccountable that Constantine also
appointed Dalmatius and Hannibalianus : he certainly did not
do so because they had any claims to a share in the govern-
ment, but in order that, if disputes should arise among his
sons, they might be able to turn the balance in favour of one,
so that at any rate his family might maintain itself on the
throne. His wish, however, to promote concord was not
realised. The causes of the insurrection which soon broke
out are not clear, nor do we know how it happened that the
regulations of his will were not observed. The accounts which
we have of these affairs may be partially true but they have
an apocryphal character. It is equally obscure how far Con-
stantius was guilty: both pagans and orthodox Christians
united in their hatred of him, and for this reason he perhaps
appears to us worse than he really was; in short, a military
insurrection broke out at Constantinople, the will of Con-
stantine was declared a forgery, the brothers of Constantine
and the two princes Dalmatius and Hannibalianus were mur-
dered, and with them the pracfect of the praetorians, Abiavius,
besides many other friends of Constantine. A division of
the empire was now made of the kind which we have already
seen in the times of Auielian and Diocletian: Constantine the
CONSTANTIUS — MAGNENTIUS.
321
eldest brother, who was then twenty-one years old, obtained
the West, Gaul, Spain, and Britain; Constans, twenty years
old, received the praefecture of Italy with Illyricuin ; and
Constantiusj who was only seventeen years old, the praefecture
of the East. Constantius soon became involved in a war with
Sapor, king of Persia, which lasted from A.D. 337 to 361, and
was unsuccessful from beginning to end. After a short time,
Constantine and Constans likewise became involved in a war,
Constantine requiring Constans to give up Africa in order to
preserve the equilibrium of their power, because Constans
possessed Illyricuni and Dalmatia. Constantine (called Junior
on coins) who seems to have had Raetia and Noricum, also
invaded the empire of Constans from the frontiers of Noricum,
but immediately suffered a decisive defeat and lost his life;
Constans now took possession of the West, for which Constan-
tius may have received a trifling compensation in Illyricum.
Constans enjoyed his triumph for a few years, at the close of
which vengeance was taken upon him for it. He was an
unworthy prince; and of the three brothers, Constantius seems
to have been the least objectionable, although he too was not
good for much; he was completely under the influence of his
cul)icularii and eunuchs; for in accordance with the Persian
custom, eunuchs occupied the first places at his court. Constans
was an immoral and tyrannical man, and his conduct had
excited great exasperation in Gaul where he resided. There
was in that country a general, named Magnentius, of barbarian
origin, who was so rude and ignorant, that he could probably
neither read nor write. Such a person could not possibly have
become a general during the second century; and this fact
proves the complete state of barbarism into which every thing
had sunk at that time. This Magnentius revolted at Autun:
Constans took to flight, endeavouring to reach the sea, in
order to embark for Africa; but he was overtaken and cut
down by the horsemen of Magnentius at Illiberis (also called
Helena) in Rousillon. Vetranio, another general in Hlyiicum,
rose against Magnentius, endeavoured to form an alliance with
Constantius, who received him kindly, and induced him to
come to an interview, at which he was obliged to lay his
diadem at the feet of Constantius, so that the latter was pro-
claimed emperor by the soldiers. On this occasion Constantius
shewed no cruelty. He then marched against Magnentius
VOL. III. Y