Constantine’s Marriage, By Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1577 – 1640)

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thehistorianshut
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This painting, by the artist Peter Paul Rubens (c. 1577 – 1640), depicts one of the weddings of the Roman Emperor, Constantine (r. 306-337). Constantine was married twice, his first bride being Minervina. Their marriage likely occurred during, or prior to, the year 300, around the time they had a son named Crispus. This Crispus would go on to become a talented military commander who was described by Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260-339) as a “most humane prince” and “a ruler most dear to God and like his father in every way…” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 10.9.4-6). Unfortunately, Crispus had precious little time to spend with his mother. Minervina died during, or prior to, the year 307, and Constantine quickly forged a new political marriage in the immediate aftermath of the death. At that time, Constantine was a new leader in the Roman political tetrarchy landscape, as he had just succeeded his father, Emperor Constantius I, in the year 305. There were many co-rulers and rivals vying for power in the divided Roman Empire, including Galerius (r. 305-311), Maxentius (r. 306-312), Licinius (r. 308-324) and Maximinus (r. 310-313). Maxentius is of particular note for the purpose of the painting being featured here. He managed to seize control of Italy and Africa with the help of his retired emperor father, Maximian (r. 286-305). Subsequently, circling back to Constantine, Maximian proposed an alliance of their clans by offering his daughter, Fausta, in marriage to the fellow Roman ruler. Constantine and Fausta married in 307 and later had three sons (Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans I) and two daughters. Peter Paul Rubens’s painting, according to the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, is meant to specifically depict the marriage of Constantine and Fausta. It also likely references the later marriage of Constantine’s half-sister, Constantia, to the fellow Roman leader, Licinius, that occurred in 313.

Unfortunately, none of the marriage alliances held, and Fausta did not live happily ever after. To Fausta’s great stress, her father, Maximian, was forced to end his own life in 310 after he attempted to raise a revolt against Constantine. This was followed by the defeat and death of Fausta’s brother, Maxentius, in Constantine’s famous Battle of Milvian Bridge (312). The alliance to Licinius did not last, either. Constantine inconclusively went to war against him between 316-317, and, after a period of peace, Constantine and his son, Crispus, decisively defeated Licinius in 324. Following Licinius’ surrender, he was sentenced to monitored exile, but was then quickly executed in 325 on charges of rebellion. As for Fausta, she, Crispus, and Constantine had a peculiar falling out that continues to baffle historians, to this day. In 326, the eldest son and former golden boy of the empire, Crispus, was mysteriously executed by his father, Constantine. No official reason for the execution was recorded, but allegations or involvement from Fausta seemingly played a role in the incident. What happened next added more mystery to the enigmatic event—Fausta, too, died suddenly and mysteriously in 326 after the execution of Crispus. Again, it is a vague event, but the consensus of the scholarly community is that Constantine had Fausta murdered or executed in the aftermath of Crispus’ trial and execution. Constantine never remarried after the execution of Fausta, resulting in the emperor’s mother, Helena, becoming the most important woman in Constantine’s life (and in the Roman Empire) for the remainder of his reign. Such is the complicated history of the family and relationships behind Peter Paul Rubens’ deceptively named “Constantine’s Marriage”.

Written by C. Keith Hansley

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