mong
rulers, where the main object is to conserve the family prestige.

How Helena consoled herself in her humiliation, or in what way she
occupied herself during the interval between her divorce and the
accession of Constantine, we do not know. As is the wont with women in
such circumstances who are no longer young, she turned her thoughts to
religion. It was most probably at this time that Helena became a
Christian openly, though she may have been friendly to the Church while
she was still the wife of Constantius.

In the year 306 Constantius died. He left three sons and three
daughters, who had been born to him by his second wife Theodora; but the
son of Helena, a mature man and an experienced soldier, was immediately
promoted by the army from the Caesarship to the Empire of the West. It is
much to his credit that in that age when family ties were no safeguard
against inhuman treatment by close but stronger relatives, who sought to
secure themselves in the possession of a throne, Constantine nobly cared
for the children of the woman for whose sake his own mother had been
repudiated. Unfortunately for his reputation, he was not always so
humane.

The three half-sisters of the emperor were Constantia, Anastasia, and
Eutropia. This is perhaps as good a place as any in which to glance at
the history of these women, who did not greatly affect the course of
events. Constantia married the Emperor Licinius. She was greatly beloved
by Constantine, and at times seemed to wield some influence over his
decisions, not sufficient, however, to save the life of her husband or
that of her young son. It was during the magnificent festivities
occasioned by her marriage at Milan that the two emperors made the first
proclamation of religious liberty that was ever heard in an imperial
edict by the subjects of Rome. "Religious liberty," they said, "should
not be denied, but it should be granted to every man to perform his
duties toward God according to his own judgment." Licinius, however, did
not live up to this decision, nor was he loyal to his brother-in-law in
other matters. Civil war followed, in which Constantine was victorious,
and through his victory he became sole emperor. Constantia pleaded for
the life of her husband, and gained from her brother the promise that he
should suffer no severer punishment than banishment; but,
notwithstanding this brotherly pledge of mercy, a motive was soon
discovered which seemed to justify the