Constantine, his son, [16]began his [17]reign in the year of Christ 306, being 32 or 33 years of age, [18]born of [19]Helen of Bithynia, whom, most [20]authors say, was not, but some, that she was, the [21]lawful [22]wife of Constantius, though of [23]mean [24]birth.
At Rome, [25]Maxentius, the son of [26]Herculius, was [27]proclaimed emperor, by the [28]prætorian [29]bands: he, at first, to [30]gain the [31]people, [32]seemed to [33]favour the [34]Christians; but [35]presently after [36]wallowed in all [37]manner of [38]wickedness and [39]cruelty. Galerius Maximianus [40]sent Severus against him, who, being [41]forsaken by his men, [42]fled to Ravenna; Galerius, upon this, [43]marching for Rome, with his [44]army, was [45]likewise forsaken by his men, and went into [46]Illyricum, where he [47]made Licinius Cæsar. Upon which Herculius [48]being now in hopes of [49]recovering the empire which he had [50]quitted against his [51]will, [52]returned from Lucania to Rome, and [53]advised [54]Dioclesian, [55]living at Carnus in Pannonia, by his [56]letters to him, to [57]do the like, which he [58]refused. He [59]trepanned Severus by [60]perjury, and [61]slew him. Then [62]laying a plot for his son, he was [63]forced to [64]fly from Rome to Constantine in Gaul, to whom he [65]gave his daughter Faustina in [66]marriage. But some time after, having [67]entered into a [68]wicked [69]design against his [70]son-in-law, Constantine, (which was [71]discovered by his daughter), he [72]fled to [73]Marseilles, and there [74]suffered the [75]punishment of his [76]treachery. About this time, Galerius Maximianus [77]died and was by his son-in-law Maxentius [78]enrolled amongst the [79]gods.
In the year 312, [80]Constantine [81]marched against [82]Maxentius, and was [83]encouraged to it by the [84]prodigy of a [85]cross he [86]saw in the [87]heavens. Having [88]passed the [89]Alps, and [90]defeated his generals near Verona, he [91]routed Maxentius himself not far from Rome, who [92]flying over a [93]bridge he had [94]laid upon the [95]Tyber, it [96]broke under him, and he was [97]drowned.
[98]Affairs being [99]settled in the city, Constantine in his [100]way to Germany, at Milan [101]married his sister [102]Constantia to Licinius, who had now been [103]made emperor. The same year Galericus Maximinus, a cruel [104]enemy of the [105]Christians, [106]undertaking a war against both the emperors, was [107]beaten by Licinius in [108]Illyricum, and [109]fled into Asia, where he [110]died a [111]horrible death at Tarsus in Cilicia. Nor did the [112]agreement betwixt the two [113]princes [114]last long; their first [115]rencounter was at Cibalis, a town in Pannonia; after which they had another [116]battle in the [117]plains of Mardia; in both which the [118]Licinians were [119]entirely defeated. At last a [120]peace was [121]made, and the empire again [122]divided.
In the year 324, Licinius [123]taking up arms against Constantine, [124]upon a pretence that he [125]went beyond his [126]bounds, and had [127]broken into his [128]dominions, received a great [129]overthrow near Hadrianople. [130]From thence flying into [131]Byzantium, he was again [132]defeated by [133]sea; and being [134]routed in another [135]battle near [136]Chalcedon, he was [137]taken prisoner by Constantine, from whom he [138]procured his life by the [139]interposition of his sister, and was [140]banished to [141]Thessalonica, where, [142]endeavouring to make a new [143]insurrection, he was [144]put to death.
After this, [145]Crispus Cæsar, his son, by a former [146]wife Minervina, a [147]youth of an [148]extraordinary [149]genius, was put to death upon [150]suspicion of [151]attempting to [152]seduce his [153]step-mother; and the year [154]following, Fausta, being [155]found [156]guilty of [157]falsely [158]accusing him, was [159]suffocated in a hot [160]bath, by [161]order of her [162]husband Constantine.
In this emperor’s time, Byzantium was [163]rebuilt, and [164]enriched with the [165]spoils of almost the whole [166]world; so that it [167]equalled Rome, and [168]took its [169]name from its [170]restorer, being [171]called [172]Constantinople.
After this, having [173]subdued the [174]Sarmatians, and [175]disposed of them in several [176]places of the Roman [177]empire; Constantine died in the [178]suburbs of Nicomedia, where most [179]authors say he was [180]baptised a little before his [181]death.