337 AD – Constantine’s Sons Divide the Empire: Blood, Paganism, and the Birth of Political Christianity

 Here's **detailed information** about **Constantine's Sons Divide the Empire (337 AD)**:

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### **337 AD - The Bloody Succession**

**May 22, 337 - Constantine Dies:**
- **Deathbed baptism** by Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia
- **Empire in transition** - no clear succession plan
- **Three sons survive** but multiple potential rivals exist
- **Religious system unstable** - depends entirely on imperial support

### **Summer 337 - The Family Massacre**

**The Purge of Rivals:**
- **Julius Constantius** (Constantine's half-brother) - **MURDERED**
- **Dalmatius** (Constantine's nephew) - **MURDERED**
- **Hannibalianus** (another nephew) - **MURDERED**
- **At least 6 other male relatives** - **ALL KILLED**
- **Only survivors:** The three sons + two young cousins (Gallus & Julian)

**🚨 The Method:**
- **Praetorian Guard** carries out systematic elimination
- **"Investigation" into Constantine's death** used as pretext
- **Claims of "poisoning plot"** justify mass murder
- **Three sons** conveniently absent during massacre

**🎯 The Reality:** **"Christian" princes orchestrate family genocide** to secure power. This was their **first act** as inheritors of Constantine's "Christian" empire.

### **September 337 - The Triple Division**

**The Empire Split Three Ways:**

**🟦 CONSTANTIUS II (East) - "The Systematic"**
- **Territory:** Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Palestine, Thrace
- **Capital:** Constantinople (the "Christian" capital)
- **Population:** ~15-20 million
- **Strategic value:** Controls eastern trade routes, grain from Egypt
- **Military:** Eastern legions, closer to Persian frontier

**🟨 CONSTANS (West) - "The Enforcer"**
- **Territory:** Italy, Africa, Pannonia, Macedonia, Achaea
- **Capital:** Milan (rotating with other cities)
- **Population:** ~12-15 million
- **Strategic value:** Controls Rome, North African grain, Mediterranean
- **Military:** Italian legions, African limitanei

**🟩 CONSTANTINE II (Gaul/Britain) - "The Ambitious"**
- **Territory:** Gaul, Britain, Spain, Morocco
- **Capital:** Trier
- **Population:** ~10-12 million
- **Strategic value:** Rhine frontier, British resources, Atlantic trade
- **Military:** Rhine legions, British garrison

### **337-340 AD - Immediate Religious Policies**

**All Three Sons Inherit the Hybrid System:**

**Constantius II's Eastern Approach:**
- **Continues Arian favoritism** (influenced by Eusebius of Nicomedia)
- **Maintains solar symbolism** in imperial ceremonies
- **Keeps pagan festivals** with Christian overlays
- **Appoints Arian bishops** throughout eastern territories
- **Eastern Christianity** = Greek philosophy + imperial authority + solar worship

**Constans's Western Approach:**
- **Initially Nicene leaning** but flexible based on politics
- **Maintains Roman traditional elements** alongside Christianity
- **Keeps Roman Senate's pagan symbols** while adding Christian ones
- **Western Christianity** = Latin culture + imperial authority + goddess worship (Mary)

**Constantine II's Gallic Approach:**
- **Most "traditional" of the three** - maintains more pagan elements
- **Germanic tribal influences** in religious practice
- **Celtic-Roman syncretism** continues under Christian names
- **Gallic Christianity** = tribal customs + imperial authority + nature worship

### **338-340 AD - Rising Tensions**

**The Athanasius Crisis:**
- **Constantius II** supports Arian bishops against Athanasius (Alexandria)
- **Constans** initially neutral but leans toward supporting Athanasius
- **Religious disagreement** becomes political rivalry
- **Each brother** uses "correct Christianity" to justify opposition to others

**Constantine II's Ambitions:**
- **Claims guardianship** over younger brother Constans
- **Demands tribute** from Italian territories
- **Builds up Gallic armies** for potential conflict
- **Uses "protecting Christianity"** as justification for expansion

### **340 AD - The First Christian Civil War**

**Battle of Aquileia (April 340):**
- **Constantine II invades Italy** claiming to "protect" Constans
- **Constans's forces** meet invasion at Aquileia
- **Constantine II killed in battle** - dies in river during retreat
- **"Christian" armies slaughter each other** in name of protecting faith

**🚨 The Significance:**
- **First major battle** between armies both carrying Christian symbols
- **Both sides claim** divine mandate for killing fellow Christians
- **Winner inherits** the loser's territories and Christian authority
- **Religion becomes** justification for imperial ambition

### **340-350 AD - The Two Brothers System**

**Constans Absorbs Western Territories:**
- **Controls:** Gaul, Britain, Spain, Italy, Africa, Pannonia, Macedonia
- **Population:** ~25-30 million (largest territory)
- **Resources:** Atlantic trade, Mediterranean grain, Rhine frontier, British metals
- **Military:** Combined western armies, largest military force

**Constantius II Maintains East:**
- **Controls:** Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Thrace
- **Constant warfare** with Persia drains resources
- **Relies on** religious authority to maintain control
- **Develops** most sophisticated imperial-Christian bureaucracy

### **340-350 AD - Competing Christianities**

**The Brothers Develop Different Systems:**

**Constans's "Practical Christianity":**
- **Tolerates diversity** as long as loyalty to emperor maintained
- **Allows both** Arian and Nicene bishops in different regions
- **Maintains** traditional Roman administrative methods
- **Absorbs** local pagan practices more openly
- **Focus:** Political stability over theological purity

**Constantius II's "Systematic Christianity":**
- **Enforces doctrinal uniformity** through imperial councils
- **Removes** non-conforming bishops systematically
- **Creates** detailed Christian imperial ceremonies
- **Develops** theological justifications for imperial authority
- **Focus:** Religious control as political tool

### **350 AD - Constans's Downfall**

**The Magnentius Rebellion:**
- **Constans becomes unpopular** due to heavy taxation and military failures
- **Magnentius** (pagan general) revolts in Gaul
- **Claims to restore** "traditional Roman values"
- **Constans killed** while fleeing (January 350)
- **"Christian" empire** loses half its territory to pagan usurper

**🎯 What This Revealed:**
- **Imperial Christianity** was still vulnerable to traditional Roman military revolt
- **Religious authority** couldn't overcome political incompetence
- **Pagan elements** in army still strong enough to challenge Christian rule
- **Constantine's system** only worked with competent imperial management

### **🚨 The Pattern Established (337-350 AD):**

**What the Division Proved:**

**1. Imperial Christianity = Political Tool:**
- **Each brother** used Christianity to justify power
- **Religious authority** derived from imperial position
- **Doctrinal disputes** were really political conflicts
- **Christian symbols** covered traditional Roman ambitions

**2. Violence Was Core Method:**
- **Started with family massacre** (337)
- **Continued with brother vs. brother war** (340)
- **Used against Christian dissidents** (ongoing)
- **Standard operating procedure** for "Christian" emperors

**3. Paganism Never Eliminated:**
- **All three brothers** maintained pagan elements in their rule
- **Solar worship** continued in imperial ceremonies
- **Traditional Roman methods** remained standard
- **Local pagan practices** absorbed rather than eliminated

**4. No Hebrew/Biblical Authority:**
- **None appealed** to Hebrew Scripture for justification
- **None restored** YHWH's name or Torah observance
- **None returned** to Saturday Sabbath or biblical festivals
- **All maintained** Greek philosophy and Roman imperial structure

### **🎯 The Bottom Line:**

**By 350 AD, the division of Constantine's sons had proven that:**

- **"Christianity"** was just another **Roman imperial ideology**
- **Religious authority** flowed from **political power**, not divine revelation
- **Violence and force** were the **standard methods** of Christian emperors
- **Paganism was absorbed**, not eliminated, into the imperial system
- **Hebrew faith** was completely **extinct** in the Roman Empire

**The sons had successfully institutionalized** their father's hybrid Roman-pagan-imperial religion while **eliminating any remaining traces** of the original Hebrew Way.

**The beast was growing stronger.**

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This detailed breakdown shows how Constantine's sons immediately established that imperial Christianity was just Roman politics with religious decoration, characterized by violence, paganism, and complete rejection of Hebrew biblical authority.

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