14. The Plot That Got a Father to Kill His Son
While Constantine’s eldest son Crispus was still in his teens, his father appointed him commander in Gaul. The son justified his father’s faith in his abilities and delivered, winning victories in 318, 320, and 323 AD, that secured the province and the Germanic frontier. In a civil war against a challenger, Licinius, Crispus commanded Constantine’s navy and led it to a decisive victory over a far larger fleet. He also played a key role in a subsequent battle that secured his father’s triumph over Licinius.
Then in 326, Crispus’ life came to a sudden end when his step mother, eager to remove an obstacle to her own sons’ succession to the throne, falsely accused Crispus of having tried to rape her. An enraged Constantine had Crispus tried and convicted before a local court, then ordered him executed by hanging.