Constantinian dynasty explained

The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus (died 306) to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great, who became the sole ruler of the empire in 324. The dynasty is also called Neo-Flavian because every Constantinian emperor bore the name Flavius, similarly to the rulers of the first Flavian dynasty in the 1st century.

Stemmata

In italics the augusti and the augustae.

• Constantius I
  1. From relationship between Constantius I and Helena
     • Constantine I
       1. From marriage between Constantine I and Minervina
          • Crispus
       2. From marriage between Constantine I and Fausta
          • Constantina, wife of Hannibalianus and Constantius Gallus
          • Constantine II
          • Constantius II
            1. No offspring from marriage between Constantius II and his first wife, daughter of Julius Constantius
            2. No offspring from marriage between Constantius II and Eusebia
            3. From marriage between Constantius II and Faustina
               • Constantia, wife of Gratian
          • Constans I
          • Helena, wife of Julian
  2. From marriage between Constantius Chlorus and Theodora
     • Flavius Dalmatius
       1. From marriage between Flavius Dalmatius and unknown wife
          • Flavius Dalmatius
          • Hannibalianus, husband of Constantina
     • Julius Constantius
       1. From marriage between Julius Constantius and Galla
          • son, died in the purges of 337^[1]
          • daughter, first wife of Constantius II
          • Constantius Gallus
            1. No offspring from marriage between Gallus and Constantina
       2. From marriage between Julius Constantius and Basilina
          • Julian
            1. No offspring from marriage between Julian and Helena, daughter of Constantine I
     • Hannibalianus (must have died before the imperial purges that occurred in 337 because he is not listed among its victims);
     • Anastasia

• 1. • Flavia Julia Constantia, wife of Licinius
       1. • Licinius II
     • Eutropia
       1. • Nepotianus

Family tree

Emperors are shown with a rounded-corner border with their dates as Augusti, names with a thicker border appear in both sections

1: Constantine's parents and half-siblings2: Constantine's children

Relationship to other tetrarchs

Other rulers of the tetrarchy were related to the Constantinian dynasty:

• Maximian

adoptive father and stepfather-in-law of Constantius Chlorus, father-in-law of Constantine, stepgrandfather-in-law of Licinius

• Maxentius

adoptive brother and half-brother-in-law of Constantius Chlorus, brother-in-law of Constantine

• Licinius

son-in-law of Constantius Chlorus, half-brother-in-law of Constantine

References

• R. Scott Moore, "The Stemmata of the Neo-Flavian Emperors", DIR (1998)
• R. Scott Moore, "The Stemmata of the Emperors of the Tetrarchy", DIR (1998)

Notes and References

1. [Julian the Apostate|Julian]