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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Flavius Julius Constantius</title><script src="https://dtyry4ejybx0.cloudfront.net/js/cmp/cleanmediacmp.js?ver=0104" async="true"></script><script defer data-domain="newadvent.org" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/16027c.htm"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="Roman emperor (317-361)"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="RSS" href="http://feeds.newadvent.org/bestoftheweb?format=xml"><link rel="icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="../images/icon1.ico" type="image/x-icon"><meta name="robots" content="noodp"><link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="../utility/screen6.css" media="screen"></head> <body class="cathen" id="16027c.htm">  <br/> <div id="capitalcity"><table summary="Logo" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="100%"><tr valign="bottom"><td align="left"><a href="../"><img height=36 width=153 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></td><td align="right"> <form id="searchbox_000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0" action="../utility/search.htm">  <input type="hidden" name="safe" value="active"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="000299817191393086628:ifmbhlr-8x0"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:9"/>  <label for="searchQuery" id="searchQueryLabel">Search:</label> <input id="searchQuery" name="q" type="text" size="25" aria-labelledby="searchQueryLabel"/>  <label for="submitButton" id="submitButtonLabel" class="visually-hidden">Submit Search</label> <input id="submitButton" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" aria-labelledby="submitButtonLabel"/> </form> <table summary="Spacer" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td height="2"></td></tr></table> <table summary="Tabs" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../"> Home </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_white_on_color" href="../cathen/index.html"> Encyclopedia </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../summa/index.html"> Summa </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../fathers/index.html"> Fathers </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../bible/gen001.htm"> Bible </a></td> <td class="tab"><a class="tab_color_on_beige" href="../library/index.html"> Library </a></td> </tr></table> </td> </tr></table><table summary="Alphabetical index" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"> <a href="../cathen/a.htm"> A </a><a href="../cathen/b.htm"> B </a><a href="../cathen/c.htm"> C </a><a href="../cathen/d.htm"> D </a><a href="../cathen/e.htm"> E </a><a href="../cathen/f.htm"> F </a><a href="../cathen/g.htm"> G </a><a href="../cathen/h.htm"> H </a><a href="../cathen/i.htm"> I </a><a href="../cathen/j.htm"> J </a><a href="../cathen/k.htm"> K </a><a href="../cathen/l.htm"> L </a><a href="../cathen/m.htm"> M </a><a href="../cathen/n.htm"> N </a><a href="../cathen/o.htm"> O </a><a href="../cathen/p.htm"> P </a><a href="../cathen/q.htm"> Q </a><a href="../cathen/r.htm"> R </a><a href="../cathen/s.htm"> S </a><a href="../cathen/t.htm"> T </a><a href="../cathen/u.htm"> U </a><a href="../cathen/v.htm"> V </a><a href="../cathen/w.htm"> W </a><a href="../cathen/x.htm"> X </a><a href="../cathen/y.htm"> Y </a><a href="../cathen/z.htm"> Z </a> </td></tr></table></div> <div id="mobilecity" style="text-align: center; "><a href="../"><img height=24 width=102 border="0" alt="New Advent" src="../images/logo.gif"></a></div>  <div id="mi5"><span class="breadcrumbs"><a href="../">Home</a> > <a href="../cathen">Catholic Encyclopedia</a> > <a href="../cathen/c.htm">C</a> > Flavius Julius Constantius</span></div> <div id="springfield2"> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-top' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <h1>Flavius Julius Constantius</h1> <p><em><a href="https://gumroad.com/l/na2"><strong>Please help support the mission of New Advent</strong> and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99...</a></em></p> <p>Roman emperor (337-361), born in <a href="../cathen/07663a.htm">Illyria</a>, 7 Aug., 317; died at the Springs of Mopsus (Mopsokrene near <a href="../cathen/14461b.htm">Tarsus</a>), 3 Nov., 361. He was the son of <a href="../cathen/04295c.htm">Constantine the Great</a> and his first wife Fausta. On 8 Nov., 324, he was made Cæsar. After the death of the father (337) he received the Provinces of <a href="../cathen/05329b.htm">Egypt</a>, Oriens, <a href="../cathen/01777b.htm">Asia</a>, and <a href="../cathen/12234c.htm">Pontus</a>, and became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire after the death of his brothers Constantine II (340) and Constans I (350) and of Magnentius (353). He was not successful in his <a href="../cathen/15546c.htm">wars</a>, in which the Persians were his chief foe. As regards his religious policy he commanded in 353 the closing of the <a href="../cathen/11388a.htm">heathen</a> <a href="../cathen/14495a.htm">temples</a> and the abolishment of sacrifices under penalty of death, but these edicts were not rigidly executed. Even less logical were his actions in leaving the higher schools and the instruction of the higher classes of society in the hands of the <a href="../cathen/11388a.htm">pagan</a> philosophers, and in continuing to fill the positions in the <a href="../cathen/12409a.htm">priesthood</a> in the ancient manner. Won over to <a href="../cathen/01707c.htm">Arianism</a> by the Eusebians, he acted as its protector, persecuted the <a href="../cathen/11330a.htm">orthodox</a> <a href="../cathen/03449a.htm">Catholic</a> <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a>, and used violence against the synods. He showed especial hatred towards <a href="../cathen/02035a.htm">St. Athanasius</a>. For a time, however, he assumed a friendly manner towards the <a href="../cathen/04171a.htm">saint</a>, because after the <a href="../cathen/07441a.htm">murder</a> of his brother Constans by the usurper Magnentius he had to exercise caution in order to maintain his position, and he was glad to make use of the influence of Athanasius over the common people. But, after the overthrow of Magnentius the emperor at once altered his conduct, and listened willingly to the accusation of the Eusebians against Athanasius. <a href="../cathen/09217a.htm">Pope Liberius</a> called the Synod of Arles (353) to adjust the matter, but Constantius terrified the <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a>, so that Athanasius was declared guilty and deposed.</p> <div class="CMtag_300x250" style="display: flex; height: 300px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; "></div> <p>At another synod held at <a href="../cathen/10298a.htm">Milan</a> in 355 the emperor was present behind a curtain and finally rushed into the assembly with drawn sword. Consequently this synod also passed such decrees as he desired. Whoever was not compliant was exiled or thrown into prison. <a href="../cathen/09217a.htm">Pope Liberius</a>, however, had not confirmed these decrees, and as he resolutely refused to give his approval he was banished to Ber a in Thrace; several Italian <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a>, as well as <a href="../cathen/07475a.htm">Hosius of Córdova</a> and <a href="../cathen/07349b.htm">Hilary of Poitiers</a>, were also exiled. Athanasius fled into the wilderness. From this time Constantius deposed <a href="../cathen/02581b.htm">bishops</a> according to his whims, and appointed in their stead others who were his tools. He was a mouthpiece for the most contradictory dogmas and formulæ for example, he favoured both the Anomæans and the <a href="../cathen/13693b.htm">Semi-Arians</a>. It is <a href="../cathen/15073a.htm">true</a> that at the Synod of Constantinople (360) he avoided showing himself an open partisan of the strict <a href="../cathen/01707c.htm">Arians</a>, but soon after, when <a href="../cathen/10161b.htm">Meletius of Antioch</a> was deposed, he openly accepted their confession of faith. He seemed to have clearly in mind only one aim: the destruction of <a href="../cathen/05075b.htm">Catholic doctrine</a>.</p> <p><a href="../cathen/07349b.htm">Hilary of Poitiers</a> is not unjust when he describes Constantius ("Contra Constantium imperatorem", P.L., X, 578 sqq.) as excessively presumptuous, ruthless towards <a href="../cathen/06608a.htm">God</a> and the <a href="../cathen/03744a.htm">Church</a>, and, although apparently a <a href="../cathen/03712a.htm">Christian</a>, yet an enemy of <a href="../cathen/08374c.htm">Jesus Christ</a>; one who drew up confessions of faith yet who lived contrary to the faith, like an "impious person who does not know what is sacred, who drives the good from the <a href="../cathen/05001a.htm">dioceses</a> in order to give these to the wicked, who by intrigues encourages discord, who hates yet wishes to avoid suspicion, who lies but wishes no one to see it, who is outwardly friendly but within lacks all kindness of heart, who in reality does only what he wishes yet wishes to conceal from everyone what it is that he wishes". Constantius died of an illness while engaged in a campaign against his nephew Julian; shortly before his death he had been <a href="../cathen/02258b.htm">baptized</a> by the <a href="../cathen/01707c.htm">Arian</a> Bishop Euzoios.</p> <div class='catholicadnet-728x90' id='cathen-728x90-bottom' style='display: flex; height: 100px; align-items: center; justify-content: center; '></div> <div class="cenotes"><h2>Sources</h2><p class="cenotes">DE BROGLIE, <em>L'Église et l'empire romain aux siècles III et IV;</em> HERGENRÖTHER, <em>Handbuch der allgemeinen Kirchengeschichte, I</em> (Freiburg, 1911), 360 sq.; DURUY, <em>Histoire des Romains,</em> VII (Paris, 1885), 214-327.</p></div> <div class="pub"><h2>About this page</h2><p id="apa"><strong>APA citation.</strong> <span id="apaauthor">Löffler, K.</span> <span id="apayear">(1914).</span> <span id="apaarticle">Flavius Julius Constantius.</span> In <span id="apawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="apapublisher">New York: The Encyclopedia Press.</span> <span id="apaurl">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/16027c.htm</span></p><p id="mla"><strong>MLA citation.</strong> <span id="mlaauthor">Löffler, Klemens.</span> <span id="mlaarticle">"Flavius Julius Constantius."</span> <span id="mlawork">The Catholic Encyclopedia.</span> <span id="mlavolume">Vol. 16 (Index).</span> <span id="mlapublisher">New York: The Encyclopedia Press,</span> <span id="mlayear">1914.</span> <span id="mlaurl"><http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/16027c.htm>.</span></p><p id="transcription"><strong>Transcription.</strong> <span id="transcriber">This article was transcribed for New Advent by Douglas J. Potter.</span> <span id="dedication">Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.</span></p><p id="approbation"><strong>Ecclesiastical approbation.</strong> <span id="nihil"><em>Nihil Obstat.</em> March 1, 1914. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.</span> <span id="imprimatur"><em>Imprimatur.</em> +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.</span></p><p id="contactus"><strong>Contact information.</strong> The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster <em>at</em> newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.</p></div> </div> <div id="ogdenville"><table summary="Bottom bar" width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td class="bar_white_on_color"><center><strong>Copyright © 2023 by <a href="../utility/contactus.htm">New Advent LLC</a>. 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