Short Biography about the life of Crispus
Short Biography profile and facts about one of the most famous Romans of all, in the life of Crispus, Emperor of Rome and provinces of the Roman Empire.

• Name commonly known as: Crispus
• Latin Roman Name: Flavius Claudius Crispus
• Reigned as Roman Emperor / Caesar: 317-326 AD.
• Dynasty / Historical Period: The Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364) also called Neo-Flavian because every Constantinian emperor bore the name Flavius
• Family connections / Genealogy
  • Name of Father: Constantine the Great
  • Name of Mother: Minervina
  • Married: Helena
  • Children: A son - name unknown
  • Brothers:

    • Constantine II

    • Constantius II

    • Constans

• Place and Date of Death: 326 AD

• For the names of the next Roman emperors in the East and the West of the Empire refer to the Timeline of Roman Emperors

Interesting facts about the life of Crispus
Obtain a fast overview of the times of the Roman Emperor Crispus from the following facts and information about his life. Why was Crispus famous? Accomplishments, achievements and important events. Crispus was the son of the Emperor Constantine the Great and his first wife Minervina. By 317, there were two joint emperors in control of the Roman Empire. The father of Crispus, Constantine, reigned as an Western Roman Emperor and his brother-in-law Licinius as the Eastern Roman Emperor. On 1 March 317, the two co-reigning Emperors jointly proclaimed three new Caesars.

• Crispus, the son of Minerva and Constantine

• His young half-brother - Constantine II, the son of Fausta and Constantine

• His first cousin Licinius, the son of Licinius by his wife Flavia Julia Constantia, the sister of the Emperor Constantine

Crispus was the main heir to the throne at the time as his half brothers were far too young and inexperienced. Crispus nominally served as Caesar in the eastern empire from 317 to 324 A.D. Crispus helped his father against the hostilities of the junior emperor Licinius. Crispus was young, energetic and extremely popular with the troops due to his strategic abilities and the victories to which he had led the Roman legions. His personality and popularity led to his early death. His stepmother, Fausta, began a conspiracy against Crispus who was an obstacle to her ambition for her own children by the Emperor Constantine. Constantine was persuaded to believe the false accusations of treason against Crispus by Fausta. Crispus was executed by his father's orders, together with Caesar Licinius, the son of Constantine's favorite sister in 326AD. Helena, the aged mother of Constantine, undertook to avenge her grandson Crispus. She managed to avenge Crispus when Fausta was finally proved to be unfaithful to her husband, and put to death, with many of her friends and followers. The terrible scenes within the palace recalled to the Roman people the memory of Nero and Caligula. The three sons of Fausta, Constantine, Constantius and Constans, were now the heirs of the throne of Constantine the Great.

Crispus - The Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364)
The Constantinian dynasty (285 - 364) is named after its most famous Emperor, Constantine I. The dynasty is also called Neo-Flavian because every Constantinian emperor bore the name Flavius, similarly to the rulers of the first Flavian dynasty in the 1st century. The Constantinian dynasty ruled from the rise of Diocletian in 285 to the death of Julian the Apostate in 364.