From: "lauf-s" <lauf-s-AT-quondam.com>
Subject: exactly 1675 years ago
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 18:01:14 -0400


It was yesterday 1675 years ago that Constantine the Great arrived in Rome
to end his Vicennalia, his 20th anniversary as a Roman ruler. The next two
weeks were not all joy and happiness, however, and indeed there was already
a dark cloud over the celebration. Just two months prior, Constantine was
for some reason forced to command the execution of his eldest son Crispus.
That a father had to authorize and witness the death of his son is
frightening enough, but just imagine what Rome was thinking given that, at
this very same time 1675 years ago, Helena, Constantine's mother was also
making her way to Rome for the celebrations, and she was bringing with her
the newly discovered True Cross, testimony of the death of another son.

Constantine's second wife, Fausta, was not the mother of Crispus, yet it is
written that Constantine also ordered her death right around this time. It's
said she died in an overheated bath, a compulsory suicide even. Could it be
that Fausta died exactly on July 25, the very date of Constantine's
anniverasry? That might explain why she also suffered damnatio memoriae,
like Crispus.

Eusebius, in his LIFE OF CONSTANTINE, which was published the year after
Constantine's dead in 337, writes of Helena's death and burial, and even
states that Constantine was with her at the time. Helena was indeed buried
in Rome in what many believe was the mausoleum and sarcophagus originally
intended for Constantine. Were the mausoleum and sarcophagus already
complete in 326, and awaiting their presentation to Constantine during the
Vicennalia? On August 3 Constantine left Rome and was never to return to
Rome, alive or dead. After dying with a very broken heart, could it be that
Helena was buried August 1 or 2? Could it be that with the finding of the
True Cross again came three deaths?

[Stephen Lauf]



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