Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 03.djvu/156

CONSTANTINE 120 CONSTANTINE XL level of the rock. It manufactures sad- dlery and leather {]roods, and experts corn to Tunis. It was taken by the French, Oct. 13, 1837, after two meni- orable sieg:es. CONSTAITTINE, OAIUS FLAVIUS VALERIUS AUI^ELIUS CLAUDIUS, a Roman eraperor, tsurnamed the Great; son of the Eniperor Canstantine Chlorus; bovn 274 A. D. After the death of his father he was chosen emperor by the soldiery, in tiie year 306, and took posses- sion of the countries which had been subject to his father, namely, Gaul, Spain, and Britain. He defeated the Franks who had obtained a footing in Gaul and drove them across the Rhine; and then directed his arms against Max- entius, who had joined Maximian against him. In the campaign in Italy he saw, it is said, the vision of a flaming cross in the heavens, bearing the in- scription, "In hue signo vinces." Under the standard of the cross, therefore, he vanquished the army of Maxentius un- der the walls of Rome, and entered the city in triumph. In 313, together with his son-in-law, the Eastern emperor^ Licinius, he published the memorable edict of toleration in favor of the Chris- tians, and subsequently declared Chris- tianity the religion of the state. Licinius twice took up arms against him, h' i was on each occasion defeated, and finally put to death. Thus in 325 Constantino became the sole head of the Roman Em- pire. His internal administration was marked by a wise spirit of reform, and by many humane concessions with re- gard to slaves, etc. In 329 he laid the foundation of a new capital of the em- pire, at Byzantium, which was called after him Constantinople, and soon rivaled Rome herself. In 332 he fought successfully against the Goths, relieving the empire of a tribute previously paid the barbarians. In 337 he was taken ill near Nicomedia, was baptized, and died after a reign of 31 years, leaving his empire between his three sons, Constan- tine, Constantius, and Constans. CONSTANTINE II., called the younger, eldest son of the above, re- ceived, as his share of the empire, on the death Sf his father, Gaul, Spain, and Britain. Being desirous, however, of pos- sessing himself of the territory of his brother Constans, he was killed in Italy, in 340. CONSTANTINE III. (NOVUS), bom in 612 A. D.; died in 641. CONSTANTINE IV.. Emperor of the East, surnamed Pogonatus, c/ the Bearded, was son of Constans II., whom he succeeded in 668. His two brothers, Tiberius and Heraclius, shared the title of Augustus, but had little or no share in the government, and toward the close of his reign, Constantine IV., under the influent'^ of suspicion, had them put to death. Constantinople was unsuccessful- ly attacked by the Mussulmans in 672- 678. During these wars the famous "Greek fire" was invented. Constantine died in 685. CONSTANTINE V., Emperor of the East, succeeded his father, Leo the Isaurian, in 743. He sided with the Iconoclasts, who hurled down the images of the saints, and persecuted the follow- ers of the Roman Catholic Church. He died in an expedition against the Bul- garians in 775. CONSTANTINE VI., Emperor of the East, was the son of Leo IV., whom he succeeded in 780. Being only 10 years old when his father died, his mother Irene was his guardian and regent of the empire. After arriving at the mature age he wished to assume the government himself; but Irene had him imprisoned. He escaped in 790, exiled his mother, re- called her, and, finally, ruined by his licentious living, and despised by his sub- jects, a conspiracy was formed against him, Irene leading; and being impris- oned, his eyes were put out by her orders. The blind prince died in 797. CONSTANTINE VII., was named em- peror in 868, during the lifetime of his father, Basilius I., but died in 878. CONSTANTINE VIII., surnamed Porphyrogenitus, Emperor of the East, succeeded Leo the Wise in 905. He was destitute of energy, and devoted himself chiefly to study. He admitted colleagues to the throne, so that at last five em- perors were reigning together. Constan- tine VIII. left a treatise on state affairs, a geography of the empire, and the "Life of the Emperor Basilius, the Macedoni- an." He died in 959. CONSTANTINE IX., son of Romanus I., reigned with his father and two brothers, from 919 to 945, during the time that Porphyrogenitus was deposed. CONSTANTINE X., son of Romanus* II., succeeded John Zemisees, D.nd was Eroclaimed emperor of the East, with his rother, Basilius II., who held the prin- cipal authority till 1025, when he died. Constantine X. was, after that, sole em- peror. He died in 1028. CONSTANTINE XI., surnamed the Gladiator, obtained the empire in 1042, having married the Empress Zoe, widow of Romanus III. This prince is known