Editing Constantine II (emperor) (section)

=== Augustus ===

The three brothers were not named as ''[[Augustus (title)|Augusti]]'' until 9 September 337,{{sfn|Jones|Martindale|Morris|p=223}} when they gathered together in [[Pannonia]] and divided the Roman territories among themselves.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=4}} Constantine received [[Roman Gaul|Gaul]], [[Roman Britain|Britannia]] and [[Hispania]].{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=4}}<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=|date=2021|title=Constantine II – Roman Emperor|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Constantine-II-Roman-emperor|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> Unlike his younger brothers, he gained little from Dalmatius's removal.{{sfn|Lewis|2020|p=59}}

[[File:Impero_Romano_da_maggio_a_settembre_337.png|thumb|Division of the Empire among the Caesars appointed by Constantine I: from west to east, the territories of Constantine II, Constans, Dalmatius and Constantius II{{sfn|Crawford|2016|p=30}}]]

[[File:Gold solidus of Constantine II.jpg |left|thumb|''Solidus'' of Constantine II as ''augustus'']]

Constantine was evidently left unsatisfied with the results of their meeting,{{sfn|DiMaio|1988|p=240}}{{sfn|Baker-Brian|2022|p=136}} seemingly believing that his age granted him some sort of seniority in the imperial college{{sfn|Crawford|2016|p=35}} and, by extension, control over the dominion of his youngest brother [[Constans]], who was still a teenager in 337.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}}{{sfn|Crawford|2016|p=64}} Even after campaigning successfully against the Alamanni in 338, Constantine continued to maintain his position.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}}{{sfn|Crawford|2016|p=63}}{{sfn|Drinkwater|2007|p=199}} The [[Theodosian Code]] recorded his legislative intervention in Constans's territory through issuing an edict to the proconsul of Africa in 339.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}}{{sfn|Crawford|2016|pp=63-64}}

In April 340,{{sfn|Lewis|2020|pp=74-75, 82-84}} Constantine launched an invasion into Italy to claim territory from Constans.<ref name=dimaio/>{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}} Constans, at that time in [[Naissus]],{{sfn|DiMaio|1988|p=240}} sent a number of troops to confront him, and Constantine was killed in an ambush near [[Aquileia]].{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}}{{sfn|DiMaio|1988|p=241}}{{efn|In a confused account, [[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]] does not say Constantine II invaded his youngest brother's territory. He instead reported that Constans sent troops to Constantine on the pretext of assisting Constantius II in the Persian war, but in reality to assassinate him by surprise.{{sfn|Baker-Brian|2022|p=144}} Constans's troops would've been marching away from the Persians if they were heading to Constantine’s territory.{{sfn|Baker-Brian|2022|p=145}}{{sfn|Lewis|2020|p=78}} Some modern historians, trying to make sense of Zosimus's confusion, have suggested that instead it was Constantine who claimed to be assisting Constantius II.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}}{{sfn|Crawford|2016|p=64}}{{sfn|Baker-Brian|2022|p=145}}}} Constans then took control of his brother's realm, whose inhabitants seem to have been largely unaffected by their change in ruler.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|pp=5-6}} 

After his death, Constantine was subjected to ''[[damnatio memoriae]]''.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}} Constans issued legislation repealing Constantine's acts shortly after his death, where the deceased emperor was branded as "the public enemy and our own enemy."{{sfn|Lewis|2020|p=74}} Years later, when [[Libanius]] delivered a panegyric for both Constans and Constantius, Constantine was completely omitted from the narrative, as if he had never existed.{{sfn|Hunt|1998|p=5}}