Constans I (323-350) was Roman emperor from 340 to 350, succeeding his brother Constantine II and preceding Constantius II. He was the first Orthodox Christian Byzantine emperor, moving away from his brother and father's religion of Catholicism.
Biography[]
Constans was born in 323 AD, the son of Constantine the Great and Fausta. On 25 December 333, Constantine the Great elevated Constans to the title of caesar, making him junior emperor. In 337, Constans defeated an invasion of Sarmatians after becoming one of three Augusti (emperors) with his brothers Constantine II and Constantius II. In 338, he was given Illyricum and Thrace as his territories, later gaining Macedonia as well. His older brother Constantine asked him to hand over his lands, jealous of his brother, leading to conflict. Constantine invaded Italia, but Constans' Illyrian skirmishers killed Constantine near Aquileia in 340, letting Constans become the sole emperor of the Roman Empire. However, he developed a reputation for cruelty and misrule, so his general Magnentius proclaimed himself emperor in 350. At Helena on the Pyrenees (Elne, France), Constans was cornered by Magnentius' men and killed while seeking sanctuary in a temple.