Individual Page

Person Info

• Name: Flavia Julia Helena
• Sex: F
• Birth: Abt 255 in Drepanum, Bithynia, Now Northern Turkey ^b
• Death: 327 ^d
• Burial: Rome ^u


Parents:

Family:
Marriage:

• Constantius I Chlorus Emperor Of Rome on Before 280 .^m1
  
• Constantius I Chlorus Emperor Of Rome Birth: Abt 250 Death: 25 Jul 306 in York

Children:

1. Constantine The Great Emperor Of Rome Birth: Abt 272 in Naissus, Yugoslavia Death: 337

Bibliography

Sources for birth and parent Information

date:

abt 247 [Ref: Settipani RomSen p332]

abt 255 [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58],

place:

[Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58],

name:

Helen of the Cross [Ref: Wurts MCBarons p162]

Saint Helen [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p64]

Sources with Inaccurate birth and parent Information

father:

Coel King of Colchester & Strada the Fair [Ref: Wurts MCBarons p162]

Sources for death Information

date:

[Ref: Settipani RomSen p332]

abt 327 [Ref: CMH p47]

Sources with Inaccurate death Information

date:

328 [Ref: Wurts MCBarons p162]

Sources for burial Information

place:

[Ref: Ashe KQBritain p64]

Sources with Information about marriage to Constantius I Chlorus Emperor Of Rome

date:

first marriage of Constantius [Ref: CMH p47, Mommaerts chart-Ansbertus-Adjunct, Wagner PedigreeProgress #23]

son Constantine born abt 280 [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58],

divorced:

293 [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58],

child:

[Ref: Ashe KQBritain p59, CMH p47, Mommaerts chart-Ansbertus-Adjunct, Settipani RomSen p332, Wagner PedigreeProgress #23, Wagner PedigreeProgress #24]

Research Notes:
In story by Geoffrey of Monmonth: King Asclepiodotus reigned in peace for some years, then was overthrown by Coel, Duke of Colchester, who assumed the crown. Constantius comes to Britain and agrees to a treaty confirming Coel as a tributary soverign. Helena is Coel's beautiful daughter, whom he has groomed for government. He dies soon after signing the treaty and Constantius marries her, becoming King of Britain. Old King Cole is said to have been buried in the monastic graveyard at Glastonbury. [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58]

Wherever Geoffrey found him, he respresents somebody's attempt to explain the name 'Colchester.' It means in reality 'the Roman station on the Colne.' 'Clun' in Shropshire is a variant of the same river-name, which was originally 'Colun.' That is as far as etymology goes. Certainly the name is British, not Anglo-Saxon. But to admit Old King Cole we would have to suppose that the river was called after a person, or else that a person was called after the river, and there is no reason to suppse either. Coel, therefore, is phantasmal, and it is not likely that the Helena whom Constantius married was his daughter. [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58]

It is not even likely that she was the daughter of some British noble living at Colchester, because their wedlock began and ended before Constantius was in Britain. The truth seems to be that she was born about 255 at Drepanum in Bithynia, now northern Turkey. There she is said to have been a barmaid. If so, it was no handicap. All the emperors in the last part of the fourth century were, like Diocletian, soldiers of peasant origin who rose from the ranks. Constantius married her when he was simply a young army officer, with useful connections but no soldial or political standing. Their son Constantine was born at Naissus (Nis, in Yugoslavia) about 280. [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p58]

while in her 70's, she made one of the most famous pilgrimages to the Holy Land, to watch over the building of a church on Mount Calvary. She suggested that a search be made for the cross of Christ; had a dream which guided the search, and discovered three crosses and the panel of wood mentioned in Matthew 27:37. [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p63]

Saint Helen - August 18 [Ref: Ashe KQBritain p64]



Pedigree of Flavia Julia Helena
Flavia Julia Helena



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