The Nicene Age · AD 313–400 · External witness
Constantine II
AD 316 – 340 (killed at Aquileia) · Emperor of the West · Eldest surviving son of Constantine · Trier → Aquileia
External witness
Who Constantine II was
Constantine's eldest surviving son, ruler of Gaul, Spain, and Britain from Trier — the brother in whose territory Athanasius passed his first exile, and who sent the bishop home to Alexandria with a letter of honour on their father's death. Claiming a guardian's precedence over young Constans, he invaded Italy in 340 and was killed in an ambush at Aquileia: the first fratricide of the Christian dynasty.
Also listed in non-christian witnesses and roman emperors.
Common questions
When did Constantine II live?
Constantine II is dated AD 316 – 340 (killed at Aquileia) in the archive, which places Constantine II in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400).
Which early sources mention Constantine II?
Constantine II is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Jerome of Stridon and Socrates Scholasticus. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Constantine II from?
The archive associates Constantine II with Trier, Aquileia. The sources record more than one location, so the places are listed in the order the record moves through them.
Who were Constantine II’s contemporaries?
The archive links Constantine II to 4 other figures, including Constantine the Great, Emperor Constans, Athanasius of Alexandria and Maximin of Trier. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Chronicle of Jerome (his end at Aquileia)
c. AD 380Socrates, Ecclesiastical History II.5
c. AD 439Constantine the younger, invading that part of the empire which belonged to his brother Constans, engaged the soldiers sent to meet him and was slain by them.Socrates Scholasticus · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 272 · Aurelian awards the Antioch church, AD 272
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
- AD 306 · The Council of Elvira, AD 306
- AD 311 · Galerius’ edict of Serdica, AD 311
- AD 313 · The Edict of Milan, AD 313
- AD 314 · The Council of Arles, AD 314
- AD 320 · Silvanus tried before Zenophilus, AD 320
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
Place
Places served
The 2 places the sources put Constantine II, in the order the record moves through them. This is what the sources attest, not a reconstructed route.