Battle of Chrysopolis

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Chrysopolis


caption=Constantine - head from a colossal sculpture, Rome
partof=the Wars of Constantine I
date=18 September,324 [Ossius of Cordova: A Contribution to the History of the Constantinian Period - Page 186 by Victor Cyril De Clercq]
place=Chrysopolis, near Chalcedon
result=Constantinian victory
combatant1=Constantine I
combatant2=Licinius
commander1=Constantine
commander2=Licinius
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=

The Battle of Chrysopolis was fought on 18 September 324 in Chrysopolis (Üsküdar), near Chalcedon (Kadıköy), between the two Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius. The battle was the final encounter between the two emperors. After his navy's defeat in the Battle of Hellespont, Licinius withdrew his army from the city of Byzantium across the Bosporus to Chrysopolis in Bithynia. Constantine followed him, and won the subsequent battle, which left Constantine the only emperor, ending the period of the Tetrarchy.

Background

In the Battle of the Hellespont, Licinius' admiral, Abantus, had been outfought by Constantine's son the caesar Crispus, despite the latter's distinctly smaller fleet. [Faith and Practice in the Early Church: Foundations for Contemporary Theology - Page 201 by Carl A. Volz ] [History of the Later Roman Empire, Ad 284-622 Lpc: AD 285-476 - Page 66 by Stephen [VNV] Mitchell] Following this naval victory, Constantine crossed over to Asia Minor. He used a flotilla of light transports in order to avoid the enemy army, which, under the command of Licinius' newly appointed co-emperor Martinian, was guarding the coast at Lampsacus. [Grant (1985), p. 236] After the destruction of his naval forces Licinius evacuated his garrison from Byzantium which joined his main army in Chrysopolis on the Asiatic shore of the Bosporus. From there he summoned Martinian's forces and a band of Visigothic auxiliaries, under their leader Aliquaca (or Alica), to reinforce his army in Chrysopolis which had been depleted by its earlier defeat at the Battle of Adrianople. [Grant (1993), p. 47]

Battle

Constantine encamped his army outside Chrysopolis and, following a retreat to his tent to seek divine guidance, decided to take the initiative. The religious aspect of the conflict was reflected in Licinius drawing up his battle lines with images of the pagan gods of Rome prominently displayed. Licinius had developed a superstitious dread of Constantine's Christian Labarum standard and forbade his troops from actively attacking it. Constantine seemingly eschewed any subtlety of manoeuvre, he launched a single massive frontal assault on Licinius' troops and broke them. [Odahl, p.180] He won a decisive victory in what was a very large scale battle. Licinius was reported to have lost 25,000 to 30,000 dead, with thousands more breaking and running in flight. [Grant (1993), pp. 46-47]

Result

In defeating his last foe, Licinius, Constantine became the sole emperor of the Roman empire; the first since the elevation of Maximian to the status of augustus by Diocletian in April 286. Licinius fled to Nicomedia, but was persuaded to throw himself on Constantine's mercy. Constantia, Constantine's sister and Licinius' wife acted as intermediary. Initially, yielding to the pleas of his sister, Constantine spared the life of his brother-in-law, but some months later he ordered his execution, thereby breaking his solemn oath. A year later, Constantine's nephew the younger Licinius also fell victim to the emperor's anger or suspicions. [Grant (1993), p.47-48] He came to the east establishing peace for pagan and Christian alike and chose the city of Byzantium—subsequently renamed for him—as his new capital. [Vasiliki Limberis, "Divine Heiress: the Virgin Mary and the creation of Christian Constantinople", Page 9.]

Soon after his victory in AD 324, he outlawed pagan sacrifices, now feeling far more at liberty to enforce his new religious policy. The treasures of pagan temples were confiscated and used to pay for the construction of new Christian churches. Gladiatorial contests were outlawed and new laws were issued prohibiting sexual immorality. Jews, in particular, were forbidden from owning Christian slaves.

The battle also opened the prisons throughout the east, and set free all who were suffering for their Christian faith. [G. P. Baker, "Constantine the Great and the Christian Revolution" (1930), Page 226.]

Footnotes

References

*Grant, Michael (1985), The Roman Emperors: A biographical Guide to the Rulers of Imperial Rome 31 BC-AD 476, London. ISBN 0-297-78555-9
*Grant, Michael (1993), The Emperor Constantine, London. ISBN 0-75380-5286
*Odahl, C.M., (2004) "Constantine and the Christian Empire," Routledge 2004. ISBN 0415174856

See also

*Constantine I
*Battle of the Hellespont
*Battle of Adrianople