Some New Observations on the Executions of Crispus, Licinius the Younger, and Fausta (326 CE)
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level assigned by design analogy (historical textual and narrative analysis, not clinical CEBM).
What was done
Method and design involved analyzing 4th- and 5th-century historical sources (including Aurelius Victor, Eutropius, Paeanius, and Jerome) regarding the 326 CE executions of Crispus, Licinius the Younger, and Fausta to evaluate the effects of damnatio memoriae on early historiographical narratives.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative metrics. The analysis finds that credible ancient authors did not know the exact reasons for the punishments, though reasons differed for each individual. A circumstantial link is established between the death of Licinius and that of Martinian following an uprising in Thessaloniki the prior year.
Why it matters
This work clarifies how Roman imperial damnatio memoriae shaped historical reporting and provides context on political motivations during Constantine's reign.
Limits
The study is limited to subjective qualitative analysis of fragmentary, potentially biased surviving literary sources, with no primary administrative or archaeological records evaluated.
Cited by
- supports Constantine executed his son Crispus and subsequently his wife Fausta soon after defeating Licinius.