Constantine, << KAHN stuhn teen or KAHN stuhn tyn, >> II (A.D. 316-340) was the eldest son of the Roman emperor Constantine I, also called Constantine the Great, and his second wife, Fausta. Constantine II ruled the Roman Empire jointly with his brothers Constantius II and Constans from A.D. 337 to 340.
Constantine II was born in 316 in the Roman city of Arelate (present-day Arles, France). His birth name was Flavius Claudius Constantinus. Constantine I made his sons Caesars (co-rulers) while they were still youths. He also bestowed this rank on two of his nephews—Dalmatius and Hannibalianus. Constantine I died in 337. His three surviving sons ordered the executions of Dalmatius, Hannibalianus, and many other relatives who might make claims to rule the empire. After securing control in this brutal way, the three brothers recognized one another as equals. Each had charge of a different part of the empire. Constantine II was in charge of Britain, Gaul (now mainly France), and Spain.
Constantine II soon quarreled with Constans, the youngest of the three brothers. In 340, Constantine II invaded Italy, which bordered Gaul and was part of the area controlled by Constans. Constans’s forces defeated and killed Constantine II near Aquileia in northeastern Italy. Constans then took control of his brother’s share of the empire.
See also Constantine the Great .
