MAIASP. 2024. No. 16

M.A. Vedeshkin (Moscow, Russia)

Constantius Chlorus and the Great Persecution

DOI: 10.53737/2713-2021.2024.76.46.026

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Pages: 579—593

The article deals with the problem of caesar Constantius Chlorus’ participation in the Great Persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Analyzing the information about caesar’s alleged sympathies to Christianity, the author concludes that all of them are derived from the propaganda of his son Constantine I or conscious falsifications of representatives of church historiography, who tried to put the father of the first Christian emperor in the best light. Constantius was neither influenced by his “pious wife” Helena, nor did he give his daughter a “Christian” name, he was not an adherent of the cult of Apollo—Sol and even more so a monotheist. Moreover, in conducting the persecution caesar followed the instructions of his senior colleagues and carefully executed the first decree of August Diocletian. At the same time, in several regions under his rule the persecution became bloodier than it was stipulated.

Key words: Late Antiquity, Later Roman Empire, Tetrarchy, Constantius Chlorus, the Great Persecution, Constantine I.

Received May 31, 2024

Accepted for publication June 15, 2024

About the author:

Vedeshkin Mikhail Alexandrovich (Moscow, Russia). (History), Institute of World History, Russian Academy of Sciences; Institute for Social Sciences.

E-mail: balatar@mail.ru