On the Death of the Empress Fausta
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level 5 by design analogy, not clinical CEBM: historical textual analysis and scholarly commentary.
OpenAlex W2137387696 · doi:10.1093/gr/45.1.70
What was done
Historical and textual analysis of late Latin literary sources, specifically examining an allusion in the Historia Augusta to evaluate the manner and circumstances of the death of Roman Empress Fausta in 326.
What was found
The abstract reports no empirical or quantitative data. It outlines the historical context of Fausta's family ties and the 326 executions of Crispus and Fausta under Constantine I, and proposes a new explanation for whether Fausta was executed, died accidentally, or committed suicide using evidence from the Historia Augusta.
Why it matters
This study offers an alternative interpretation of a major fourth-century Roman imperial succession crisis by introducing an overlooked textual reference.
Limits
The analysis relies on ancient literary sources that are subject to retrospective bias and rhetorical distortion. The abstract outlines the proposed argument but does not provide specific evidentiary findings.
Cited by
- supports Constantine executed his son Crispus and subsequently his wife Fausta soon after defeating Licinius.