Helena
The mother of the emperor Constantine, honoured by him with the title Augusta. In old age she travelled to Palestine and founded churches at Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives. From the end of the fourth century she is said to have found the cross of Christ.
Helena was of humble birth. She was the first wife of Constantius, who put her away to marry the daughter of the emperor Maximian, and she was the mother of Constantine (Origo Constantini 1.1–2.2). Eusebius says that her son brought her to the Christian faith, gave her the title Augusta, put her portrait on the gold coinage and let her draw on the imperial treasury (Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.46–47). Late in life she toured the eastern provinces, gave freely to the poor and to churches, and founded two churches in Palestine, at the cave of the nativity in Bethlehem and on the Mount of Olives (Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.42–45). She died at about eighty with her son beside her (Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.46–47).
In his account of her journey Eusebius does not connect her with the tomb of Christ or with the cross. That story is told by Ambrose in 395, who also repeats a report that she had been an innkeeper (Ambrose, On the Death of Theodosius 42–47), and soon afterwards by Rufinus (Rufinus, Church History 10.7–8 (book 1, chapters 7–8 in Migne)). See the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Is Dedicated.
In the timeline
- AD 335, firm dateThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre Is Dedicated
Constantine has a temple cleared from the site in Jerusalem where a rock tomb is uncovered, and builds a great basilica beside it. Bishops from across the East dedicate it in 335. Later writers add that his mother Helena found the cross there.
Primary sources
The Origin of the Emperor Constantine
- Origo Constantini 1.1–2.2penelope.uchicago.edu