Const an tine

(kön's tan-tin,) the name of a line of Roman and Western emperors, as follows: C. I., called THE GREAT, the first of the Christian emperors of Rome, B. 272 A. D., was the son of Constant i us Chlorus, and held a command in Britain until the death of his father, 306, when he was proclaimed his succe or. In 312, he defeated his rival Maxentius in a battle fought in Gaul, and soon afterward embraced Christianity, after having, as he believed, seen a cro in the sky which proved an omen of that victory. After this, C. became supreme emperor, and adopted Christianity as the religion of the state. In 325, he a embled the 1st general council of Nicæa, by which Arianism was condemned, and, 3 years later, transferred the seat of his empire to Byzantium, the name of which he changed to that of " Constantinople " or City of Const an tine. D. 337 A. D.- C. II., eldest son of the preceding, s. his father as sovereign ofGaul, Spain, Britain, and a part of Africa. Killed in battle with his brother Constans, 340.- C. III., called Novus, emperor of the East, B. 612 A. D., s. his father, Heraclius, 641, and reigned conjointly with his brother. D. same year.- C. IV., called POGONATUS, s. Constans II. as emperor of the East, 668 A. D. In 672, theMoslems unsucce fully besieged Constantinople, and, in 680, C. a embled a council in that city for the condemnation of the Monothelites. - C. V. 8. his father Leo III. (ISAURUS) in 743. In 754, he a embled a council for the furtherance of iconoclasm. D. 775.-C. VI. (FLAVIUS) s. his father Leo IV. in 780, under the regency of his mother, Irene, who contrived to depose and, it is supposed, murder him, 775. In his short reign image worship was restored.-C. VII., called PORPHYROGENITUS, s. his father Leo VI. in 905. C. was a just and able ruler and the author of a valuable Treatise upon Government. D. 959.- C. VIII. D. abt. 946, after a reign of a few months.- C. ІX., B. 961, became sole emperor after the death of his brother Basil, 1025. D. 1028.- C. X., called MONO MACH US on account of his heroism, became emperor of the East by his marriage with Zoe, daughter of the preceding. In his reign began the great schism between the Greek and Roman churches. D. 1054.-C. XI., called DucAS, s. Isaac Comnenus, 1059; D. 1067.C.XII. reigned only nominally, 1071.- C. XIII., called PALEOLOGUS, the last of the Byzantine emperors, son of Manuel II., B. 1394, s. his brother John VII. in 1448. During his reign the Turks stormed and took Const an Const an tine, tino ple, on which FLAVIUS occasion JULIUS, C. perished. a Roman soldier, was raised to the purple in 409, conquered Gaul and Spain, and fixed his court at Arles, where he was besieged and taken prisoner by Constant i us, general to the emperor Honor i us. Put to death, A. D. 411. Const an tine I., king of Scotland, reigned 458-479. -C. II., from 858 to 871.-C. III., from 903 to 943.C. IV., after usurping the throne, was killed by a brother of the rightful king, Kenneth, 1002. Const an tine, a pope, elected 707; D. 715. [s. 221]