ГЕНЕАЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ КОНСТРУКЦИИ ИМПЕРАТОРА КОНСТАНТИНА ВЕЛИКОГО И ИХ ВОСПРИЯТИЕ ЧЛЕНАМИ ЕГО СЕМЬИ

Abstract

The House of Constantine the Great is one of the most significant imperial dynasties in the history of the Roman Empire. The history of this dynasty begins with the reign of Emperor Constantius Chlorus (reigned 293–305 AD), but his son Constantine in 310 AD announced that the ancestor of the family was Emperor Claudius Gothicus (reigned 268–270). Most modern researchers consider this genealogical construction a fiction. The study of the reasons that prompted Constantine to choose this "ancestor", as well as the means by which the emperor reinforced this genealogical scheme, comes to the fore. The article deals with the reports of official sources (panegyrics, inscriptions and coins) about the relationship of the house of Constantine with Claudius Gothicus, as well as variants of the genealogical scheme proposed by ancient authors. Their diversity is due to the vagueness of official data: Claudius was presented in them as avus of Constantine, i.e. either his grandfather or ancestor in the general sense of the word. The article also pays attention to the perception of family tree by members of the Constantine’s family (his brothers, sons and nephew Julian). Sources at your disposal allow us to assert that the members of the dynasty agreed with the version of kinship voiced by Constantine, but, like him, did not comment on the very degree of that kinship. In addition, Julian even tried to present himself as a more worthy descendant of Claudius Gothicus than his uncle.