Editing Helena, mother of Constantine I (section)

== Pilgrimage and relic discoveries ==
{{See also|Early centers of Christianity#Jerusalem}}
[[File:Rare solidus of Helena, RIC VII 60.jpg|thumb|Coin of Helena as Augusta, minted in [[Sirmium]] in AD 324.]]
[[File:Agia Eleni Sille.jpg|thumb|The church of the Archangel Michael founded by St. Helen in [[Sille, Konya]] in Asia Minor in 327]]
[[File:St Helena finding the true cross.jpg|thumb|Helena finding the [[True Cross]], Italian manuscript, {{c.}} 825]]
[[File:Nuremberg_chronicles_f_130v_1..jpg|thumb|St Helena in the ''[[Nuremberg Chronicle]]'', 1493]]

In AD 326–328 Helena undertook a trip to Palestine.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Byzantium |last=Norwich |first=John Julius |year=1996 |isbn=0394537785 |edition=First American |location=New York |pages=68–69 |oclc=18164817}}</ref> According to [[Eusebius of Caesarea]], who records the details of her [[Christian pilgrimage|pilgrimage]] to Palestine and other eastern provinces, and [[Socrates of Constantinople|Socrates Scholasticus]], she was responsible for the construction or beautification of the [[Church of the Nativity]] in [[Bethlehem]], and the [[Church of the Pater Noster|Church of Eleona]] on the [[Mount of Olives]]; sites of Christ's birth and ascension, respectively.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Socrates |first=Scholasticus |url=http://archive.org/details/ecclesiasticalh00valogoog |title=The ecclesiastical history of Socrates, surnamed Scholasticus, or the Advocate : comprising a history of the church, in seven books, from the accession of Constantine, A.D. 305, to the 38th year of Theodosius II., including a period of 140 years |date=1853 |publisher=London : H. Bohn |others=Harvard University |isbn=978-0-524-00652-8}}</ref> Local founding legend attributes to Helena's orders the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the [[Burning Bush]] of Sinai. The chapel at [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]]—often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen—is dated to the year 330. However, a number of modern scholars believe this trip also had a political purpose, in addition to pilgrimage.<ref name=Drijvers1997/> Scholars believe that Eusebius' account led to later legends connecting her with the True Cross.<ref name=Drijvers1997/>

{{anchor|True Cross}}

=== The True Cross and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre ===
[[File:Helena of Constantinople (Cima da Conegliano).jpg|thumb|''Helena of Constantinople'' by [[Cima da Conegliano]], 1495 ([[National Gallery of Art]], Washington, D.C.)]]
[[File:Lucas Cranach the Elder - Saint Helena with the Cross - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|''Saint Helena with the Cross'', [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]], 1525 ([[Cincinnati Art Museum]])]]

She is most famous for the discovery of the [[True Cross]], which she was not responsible.<ref name=Drijvers1997/> Emperor [[Hadrian]] had built during the 130s a [[Temple of Venus (Aelia Capitolina)|temple to Venus]] over the supposed site of [[Jesus]]' tomb near [[Calvary]], and renamed the city [[Aelia Capitolina]]. Accounts differ concerning whether the temple was dedicated to [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] or Jupiter.<ref>Stephenson 2010:252.</ref> According to Eusebius, Constantine destroyed the temple of Venus and discovered the burial site of Jesus in the spot.<ref>Eusebius, ''Life of Constantine'' 3.26–28</ref> Later legends had Helena destroying the temple.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iv.iii.iv.viii.html Philip Schaff, "Chapter 4, Mythical Constantine" in ''Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine''. From ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'']</ref>

According to tradition, Helena ordered the temple torn down and, according to the legend that arose at the end of the 4th century, chose a site to begin excavating, which led to the recovery of three different crosses. The legend is recounted in [[Ambrose]], ''On the Death of Theodosius'' (died 395) and at length in [[Tyrannius Rufinus|Rufinus]]' chapters appended to his translation into Latin of Eusebius's [[Church History (Eusebius)|''Ecclesiastical History'']], the main body of which does not mention the event.{{efn|Noted in Stephenson 2010:253f, who observes "None of this is true", noting Rufinus' source in a lost work of [[Gelasius of Caesarea]].}} Then, Rufinus relates, the empress refused to be swayed by anything short of solid proof and performed a test. Possibly through Bishop [[Macarius of Jerusalem]], she had a woman who was near death brought from the city. When the woman touched the first and second crosses, her condition did not change, but when she touched the third and final cross she suddenly recovered,{{efn|There are actually several different accounts: [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04517a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'': Archæology of the Cross and Crucifix]: "Following an inspiration from on high, [[Macarius of Jerusalem|Macarius]] caused the three crosses to be carried, one after the other, to the bedside of a worthy woman who was at the point of death. The touch of the other two was of no avail; but on touching that upon which Christ had died the woman got suddenly well again. From a letter of St. Paulinus to Severus inserted in the Breviary of Paris it would appear that St. Helena herself had sought by means of a miracle to discover which was the True Cross and that she caused a man already dead and buried to be carried to the spot, whereupon, by contact with the third cross, he came to life.<br/>From the 1955 Roman Catholic Marian Missal: St. Helen, the first Christian Empress, went to Jerusalem to try to find the True Cross. She found it in AD 320 on 14 September. In the eighth century, the feast of the Finding was transferred to 3 May and on 14 September was celebrated the "Exaltation of the Cross," the commemoration of a victory over the Persians by [[Heraclius]], as a result of which the relic was returned to Jerusalem.<br/>From yet another tradition, related by [[St. Ambrose]] following Rufinus, it would seem that the [[Titulus Crucis|titulus]], or inscription, had remained fastened to the Cross."; see also [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf202.ii.iv.xvii.html Socrates' ''Church History'' at CCEL.org: Book I, Chapter XVII: ''The Emperor’s Mother Helena having come to Jerusalem, searches for and finds the Cross of Christ, and builds a Church.'']}} and Helena declared the cross with which the woman had been touched to be the True Cross.

On the site of discovery, Constantine ordered the building of the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]]. Churches were also built on other sites detected by Helena.

The "Letter From Constantine to Macarius of Jerusalem", as presented in Eusebius' ''Life of Constantine'', states:
{{blockquote|Such is our Saviour's grace, that no power of language seems adequate to describe the wondrous circumstance to which I am about to refer. For, that the monument of his [Christ's] most holy Passion, so long ago buried beneath the ground, should have remained unknown for so long a series of years, until its reappearance to his servants now set free through the removal of him who was the common enemy of all, is a fact which truly surpasses all admiration. I have no greater care than how I may best adorn with a splendid structure that sacred spot, which, under Divine direction, I have disencumbered as it were of the heavy weight of foul idol worship [the Roman temple]; a spot which has been accounted holy from the beginning in God's judgment, but which now appears holier still, since it has brought to light a clear assurance of our Saviour's passion.<ref>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iv.vi.iii.xxx.html Eusebius, ''Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine''. From Philip Schaff, ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'']</ref>}}

[[Sozomen]] and [[Theodoret]] claim that Helena also found the [[Holy Nail|nails of the crucifixion]]. To use their miraculous power to aid her son, Helena allegedly had one placed in Constantine's helmet, and another in the bridle of his horse. According to one tradition, Helena acquired the [[Holy Tunic]] on her trip to Jerusalem and sent it to [[Trier]].

=== Cyprus ===
Several relics purportedly discovered by Helena are now in [[Cyprus]], where she spent some time. Among them are items believed to be part of Jesus Christ's tunic, pieces of the holy cross, and pieces of the rope with which Jesus was tied on the Cross. The rope, considered to be the only relic of its kind, has been held at the [[Stavrovouni Monastery]], which was also said to have been founded by Helena. According to tradition, Helena is responsible for the large population of cats in [[Cyprus]]. Local tradition holds that she imported hundreds of cats from Egypt or Palestine in the fourth century to rid a monastery of snakes. The monastery is today known as "St. Nicholas of the Cats" (Greek {{lang|el|Άγιος Νικόλαος των Γατών}}) and is located near [[Limassol]].<ref name="stnicholas of the cats RoughGuide">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetocypr01dubi |title=The Rough Guide To Cyprus |last=Dubin |first=Marc |publisher=Rough Guide |year=2009 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/roughguidetocypr01dubi/page/135 135–136] |isbn=9781858289939 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

=== Rome ===

Helena left Jerusalem and the eastern provinces<!-- Eusebius, VC,3, chapter XLIV --> in 327 to return to Rome, her place of residence. Later legends depict her as bringing with her large parts of the True Cross and other relics, which were then stored in her palace's private chapel, now the [[Basilica]] of [[Santa Croce in Gerusalemme]], where they can be still seen today. This has been maintained by [[Cistercian]] monks in the [[monastery]] which has been attached to the church for centuries.