NAME Helena of Constantinople (c. 250–c. 330 AD), also known as Saint Helena or Flavia Julia Helena Augusta.
WHAT FAMOUS FOR Mother of Emperor Constantine the Great; credited by tradition with discovering the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified; remembered as a Christian saint and an early patron of Christian pilgrimage.
FAMILY BACKGROUND Helena came from humble, lower-class origins. She was born in Drepanum (also spelled Drepanon), a town in Bithynia, Asia Minor, which her son Constantine later renamed Helenopolis in her honor. According to various historical sources, Helena's family worked in the hospitality trade.
Bishop Ambrose of Milan, writing in the late fourth century, was the first to call her a stabularia, a Latin term variously translated as "stable-maid," "inn-keeper," or someone who worked at an inn, possibly owned by her father. Some hostile ancient historians suggested more scandalous interpretations of her occupation, but these accounts reflect anti-Christian bias.
Her family was definitively not part of the Roman aristocracy, and nothing is known about her parents or siblings. This humble background made her later elevation to Augusta unprecedented in Roman imperial history.
CHILDHOOD Almost nothing is known about Helena's childhood. Given her lower-class origins in Drepanum, she would have grown up in modest circumstances, likely assisting with her family's inn-keeping business. The absence of historical records about her early years reflects her obscure social status before meeting Constantius Chlorus.
Later medieval legends, particularly those promoted by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Henry of Huntingdon, claimed Helena was a British princess and daughter of "Old King Cole" of Colchester, but this is entirely legendary and has no historical basis. These stories arose from attempts to give British ancestry to Constantine the Great.
EDUCATION Helena likely received little formal education in her youth. However, her ability to navigate complex diplomatic and religious matters in her later years suggests practical intelligence and wisdom acquired through life experience rather than formal schooling.
CAREER RECORD Helena's public career began only after her son Constantine became emperor in 306 AD. Prior to this, she lived in obscurity following her separation from her husband Constantius.
306-318: After Constantine's accession, Helena was brought back to public life and the imperial court, ending decades of obscurity.
318: Constantine proclaimed Helena Nobilissima Femina ("Most Noble Woman"), and coins bearing her portrait and titles began to be minted in Thessalonica.
324: Following Constantine's victory over Licinius, Helena was elevated to the prestigious title of Augusta, making her co-equal with Constantine's wife Fausta in imperial rank. This promotion was unprecedented for a woman who had never been an emperor's wife and came from non-aristocratic origins.
324-326: Helena likely resided in Rome as Constantine's imperial delegate, representing imperial authority in the western capital. She supervised building activities and maintained connections with senators, administrators, and possibly the Bishop of Rome.
326-328: Helena undertook her famous pilgrimage to the Holy Land, acting as Constantine's representative in the Eastern provinces. During this journey, she identified sacred Christian sites, oversaw church construction, released prisoners, recalled exiles, and distributed imperial largesse.
328-330: Helena returned from the East and died around 328-330 AD.
APPEARANCE Physical descriptions of Helena are limited, but her appearance can be reconstructed from coin portraits and sculptural representations. A notable seated marble statue in the Musei Capitolini, Rome, shows Helena in a relaxed pose and is considered one of the most reliable representations. Coin portraits typically show her wearing a diademed head, draped clothing, and sometimes jewelry including necklaces and earrings. Some portraits show her with features considered typical of Constantinian family art, including what appears to be a mono brow, possibly an element of female beauty or authority in that period.
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| Statue of Helena in the Musei Capitolini, Rome by Jebulon |
FASHION Helena's coin portraits, minted from 318 onwards, show her wearing various elaborate imperial hairstyles. Initially depicted with her hair in a loose bun on her neck, she later adopted more complex styles including the "spherical hairdo" and the Scheitelzopffrisur (parted braid hairstyle) after becoming Augusta in 324. These hairstyles involved intricate arrangements of braids, ripples, and hairbands that required considerable effort to maintain.
As Augusta, Helena would have worn the purple veil (veil purpureo) characteristic of imperial women, as depicted in the Constantinian ceiling frescoes from Trier. Her coin portraits show her in draped clothing typical of Roman empresses, with elaborate jewelry including diadems, necklaces, and earrings.
However, contemporary sources particularly note her preference for modest attire when mingling with common worshippers. Eusebius and other writers praised her for dressing simply during church services and charitable work, contrasting her humility with her exalted rank. This deliberate choice of modest clothing when engaging in religious devotion became part of her legend as an exemplary Christian empress.
CHARACTER Contemporary writers describe her as spectacularly pious, energetic, and curious despite her advanced age.
Eusebius of Caesarea, who witnessed Helena during her Eastern travels, described her as full of energy and displaying remarkable curiosity. Her personality combined practical wisdom with deep religious devotion. She demonstrated extraordinary generosity, lavishing gifts on the poor, releasing prisoners, and distributing imperial largesse throughout her travels.
Sources describe her as possessing "unprecedented wisdom" combined with "the agility of a young person" even at age 80. She demonstrated determination and courage in undertaking the arduous pilgrimage to Jerusalem in her advanced years. (1)
SPEAKING VOICE Scholars have suggested Helena likely spoke Greek, given her origins in the Greek-speaking region of Bithynia. Her ability to communicate effectively during her Eastern travels and her success as Constantine's diplomatic representative suggest she was an effective communicator.
SENSE OF HUMOUR Her piety suggests a quiet, gentle humor rather than wit or satire; she was revered as serious and maternal.
RELATIONSHIPS Helena met the future emperor Constantius around 272 AD when he was a Roman military officer. Historians debate the precise legal nature of their relationship—some sources call her his wife, others his concubine. The ambiguity likely stems from Roman law (Lex Julia et Papia Poppaea) that prohibited Roman nobles from marrying women of lower origins, suggesting they may have had a common-law marriage rather than a formal legal union.
Their relationship produced one son, Constantine, born around 272-274 AD. In 293 AD, when Constantius became Caesar in the Western Empire, he was compelled by political necessity to divorce (or repudiate) Helena and marry Theodora, the stepdaughter of Emperor Maximian. This political divorce, required to cement Constantius's elevation within the Tetrarchy, was a devastating blow to Helena, who never remarried.
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| Portrait usually identified with that of Constantius, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek |
Helena's relationship with her only son Constantine was extraordinarily close and remained so throughout her life. Constantine demonstrated deep affection and loyalty to his mother, never abandoning her after Constantius's divorce. When Constantine became emperor in 306, one of his first acts was to summon Helena back to public life and the imperial court.
Helena's relationship with Constantine's second wife Fausta is less documented but clearly complex. Both women received the title of Augusta simultaneously in 324, creating an unusual dual-Augusta situation. After Fausta's execution in 326 (shortly after the execution of Constantine's son Crispus), some ancient sources suggested Helena played a role in denouncing Fausta, though the historicity of this claim remains questionable. The mysterious executions occurred just before Helena's pilgrimage to the Holy Land, leading some scholars to suggest her journey may have been connected to these family tragedies.
Helena was reportedly devoted to her eldest grandson Crispus Caesar, Constantine's son by his first wife Minervina. His execution in 326 grieved her deeply, and some sources suggest this tragedy influenced her decision to undertake the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
THE TRUE CROSS AND THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE In 326 Helena undertook a trip to the Holy Places in Palestine. There, on September 14 — a date that seems to have stuck, which is impressive considering the lack of diaries and digital reminders — she made what must be one of the most famous discoveries in Christian history: the True Cross. Bits of it, anyway. Fragments of wood believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus had been crucified.
Helena, being a sensible woman with a mother’s practicality, brought the relics home to Rome — not all of them, mind, because one mustn’t be greedy with holy objects. She placed them in her palace chapel, and if you ever find yourself in the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (which is actually in Rome, not Jerusalem — long story), you can still see them there today. The place is now lovingly tended by Cistercian monks, who’ve been keeping an eye on things for several centuries.
As if that weren’t enough, Helena had a good look at the Mount of Olives too. It was thought to be the spot where Jesus ascended into heaven, and she felt it deserved a proper memorial. She built one, of course, but it didn’t last — the Persians destroyed it in 614, which must have been very discouraging for everyone. Still, people rebuilt it in the 8th century, only for it to be destroyed again. You start to see why the saints were so patient.
These days, the site is under Muslim care. What remains is a little octagonal oratory, simple but full of presence. Once a year, between Wednesday night and Ascension Thursday, Catholics are allowed in to celebrate the Eucharist — just for one night, mind you. The Franciscans negotiated this centuries ago with the Ottomans, which shows that faith, diplomacy, and sheer persistence can sometimes produce remarkable results.
It’s hard not to imagine Helena smiling quietly at all this. Her monuments may come and go, her relics guarded by others, but her sense of purpose — that simple, motherly determination to find something holy and bring it home — still seems to echo softly through every chapel she built.
Contemporary sources emphasize her extraordinary generosity. Eusebius wrote: "Especially abundant were the gifts she bestowed on the naked and unprotected poor". During her Eastern travels, she distributed money lavishly to the poor, released prisoners from confinement, recalled those sentenced to exile or forced labor, and supported oppressed communities.
Helena used imperial funds to commission major construction projects. She oversaw the building of churches at sacred sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Mount of Olives. She also funded churches in cities she passed through during her travels, possibly including sites in Rome and Trier. Below is The church of the Archangel Michael founded by St. Helen in Sille, Konya in Asia Minor in 327
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| By FrancescoMazzucotelli |
Her fame grew significantly during and after her lifetime. As the mother of the first Christian emperor and the discoverer of the True Cross, Helena became a legendary figure in Christian history. Her story spread throughout the Christian world, and she was venerated as a saint in both Eastern and Western churches.
The distribution of relics from the True Cross, which Helena reportedly divided and sent to various locations throughout the empire, further spread her fame and influence. Churches dedicated to her honor were established across the Christian world, with 135 churches in England alone bearing her name by the medieval period.
FOOD AND DRINK She was said to have lived simply in later life, choosing modest meals and fasting regularly in line with Christian discipline.
MUSIC AND ARTS As an imperial patron, she commissioned some of the most significant architectural and artistic projects of early Christianity. The churches she founded—including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Nativity, and the Church of the Ascension—became masterpieces of early Christian architecture.
Helena's patronage extended to decorative arts through the creation of elaborate reliquaries and church furnishings. The churches built under her direction were adorned by Constantine after her death, reflecting the artistic standards of the Constantinian dynasty.
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| Church of the Holy Sepulchre by Gerd Eichmann |
LITERATURE Helena's background suggests she likely had limited formal literary education. However, her conversion to Christianity and deep piety suggest she would have been familiar with Christian scriptures and teachings.
She appears in early Christian writings, hagiographies, and legends. Later poets and historians have celebrated her as a model of Christian motherhood and sainthood.
NATURE Helena’s travels show her appreciation for sacred landscapes—Mount Sinai, the Mount of Olives, and the Holy Sepulchre were central to her devotion.
PETS One legend suggests she was responsible for introducing cats to Cyprus, but this claim lacks historical verification.
HOBBIES AND SPORTS Given her possible early life near stables, Helena may have been familiar with horses and equestrian activities.
Pilgrimage and church-building dominated her later life; she is not associated with leisure activities.
SCIENCE AND MATHS Her interest lay in relics and sacred geography rather than in scientific study.
PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Helena converted to Christianity relatively late in life, probably around 312 AD after Constantine's victory over Maxentius, making her approximately 65 years old at conversion. Eusebius explicitly stated that Helena became a Christian under Constantine's influence: "She became under his influence such a devout servant of God, that one might believe her to have been from her very childhood a disciple of the Redeemer of mankind". (2)
Following her conversion, Helena demonstrated exceptional Christian piety and devotion. She regularly attended divine services, mingling with ordinary worshippers despite her imperial rank.
Helena's pilgrimage to identify biblical sites reflected her theological conviction about the importance of physical places in commemorating Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Her work helped establish the concept of holy places and sacred geography that would define medieval Christianity. The churches she founded served as tangible connections between heaven and earth, embodying the theological principle that certain locations held special spiritual significance.
Her discovery and distribution of the True Cross demonstrated her belief in the power of physical relics to inspire faith and devotion. This theological stance, though later controversial during the Reformation, became fundamental to Christian practice for over a millennium.
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| Helena of Constantinople by Cima da Conegliano |
POLITICS Initially marginalized by her divorce from Constantius for political reasons, she later became one of the most powerful women in the Roman Empire.
As Augusta from 324 onwards, Helena wielded considerable political influence, though always derived from and exercised through her son Constantine. She never "co-reigned" with Constantine in the sense of making independent governmental decisions, but she acted as his official representative, particularly in the Eastern provinces.
During her Eastern travels (326-328), Helena exercised quasi-imperial authority. She announced amnesties, released prisoners, recalled exiles, and supported various communities—actions that were technically the emperor's prerogative but which Constantine delegated to her. This unprecedented authority for an empress reflected Constantine's trust in both her loyalty and her diplomatic abilities.
Helena's political role served multiple purposes for Constantine. Sending his elderly mother rather than military officials to the newly conquered Eastern provinces struck a conciliatory note and helped heal divisions from the recent civil war with Licinius. As a symbol of imperial benevolence and security (communicated through her coin portraits), Helena embodied Constantine's Christian rule in a way that military representatives could not.
Her gender proved politically advantageous. At a time when the presence and absence of imperial women communicated important political messages, Helena's visibility helped project unity within Constantine's household, especially after Fausta's mysterious disappearance. She may have traveled with Constantia (Licinius's widow), adding further dynastic legitimacy to her mission.
Helena's political influence extended to church matters. Her support for church foundations in Palestine influenced Constantine's religious policy and helped establish Christianity's physical presence in the Holy Land.
SCANDAL Helena's life intersected with two major scandals, though her exact role remains uncertain in both cases.
In 293 AD, Constantius Chlorus divorced Helena to marry Theodora, Maximian's stepdaughter, as a condition of his promotion to Caesar. This politically motivated abandonment after approximately 20 years of marriage was humiliating for Helena and her son Constantine. The ambiguous legal status of their relationship—debated even by ancient sources—added to the scandal, with some writers suggesting Helena had been merely a concubine rather than a legal wife.
In 326, Constantine ordered the execution of his eldest son Crispus, followed shortly by the death of his wife Fausta (Constantine's stepmother was roughly the same age as her stepson). The circumstances surrounding these deaths remain one of history's great mysteries. Ancient sources proposed various explanations: that Fausta falsely accused Crispus of rape, that they were engaged in an affair, that both plotted treason, or that Crispus followed heretical teachings.
Several ancient writers claimed Helena played a role in these events. The most common version suggests that after Constantine executed Crispus based on Fausta's accusations, the grief-stricken Helena revealed that Fausta had lied, leading Constantine to execute his wife in turn. However, the reliability of these accounts is questionable, as Constantine imposed a damnatio memoriae (damned memory) on both victims and suppressed all details about their deaths.
The timing is significant: Helena's pilgrimage to Jerusalem began shortly after these executions, leading some modern historians to speculate that her journey was connected to the family tragedy—either as exile, escape, or penitential quest. However, most scholars now reject these interpretations, noting that Helena traveled in full imperial dignity with extensive resources, not in disgrace.
MILITARY RECORD Her partner, Constantius, and her son, Constantine, were high-ranking military commanders, meaning she was closely associated with the Roman military world throughout her life
Legend says she protected Constantine by placing one crucifixion nail in his helmet and another in his horse’s saddle to safeguard him in battle.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Helena was sufficiently healthy and fit to undertake an arduous journey to the Holy Land and back (a trip of thousands of miles) when she was in her late-70s
HOMES During her relationship with Constantius, Helena would have resided at his military postings. She was in Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia) when Constantine was born around 272 AD.
After her divorce from Constantius around 293 AD, Helena lived in obscurity, possibly in Nicomedia in the Eastern court of Diocletian, where her son Constantine grew up.
Medieval legends associate Helena strongly with Trier, and some scholars suggest she may have resided there after Constantine became emperor in 306. Trier was an imperial residence from the late third to mid-fourth century, and Constantine maintained a court there.
From around 315-326, Helena likely resided at the Sessorian Palace in the southeastern part of Rome. Evidence of her presence includes epigraphical inscriptions and building activities, including the Thermae Helenae (Helena's Baths). The palace contained what later became the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, built to house the True Cross relics she brought from Jerusalem.
During her pilgrimage (326-328), Helena resided in various locations throughout Palestine as she supervised church construction and identified sacred sites.
TRAVEL During her relationship with Constantius, Helena would have traveled to his various military postings throughout the Roman Empire, including to Naissus where Constantine was born.
At nearly 80 years old, Helena undertook an extensive pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This journey, considered by some scholars to be the first true Christian pilgrimage, took her from Rome or Constantinople through the Eastern provinces to Syria Palaestina and Jerusalem.
During this pilgrimage, Helena visited numerous sites: she identified and excavated locations in Jerusalem including Calvary and Christ's tomb; traveled to Bethlehem where she commissioned the Church of the Nativity; visited the Mount of Olives where she built the Church of the Ascension; and possibly other sacred locations throughout Palestine.
Her journey served multiple purposes beyond religious devotion. As Constantine's official representative, she dispensed imperial largesse, released prisoners, recalled exiles, and projected imperial authority throughout the newly unified Eastern empire. The journey took approximately two years, and she returned to the West laden with relics, most famously pieces of the True Cross.
DEATH Helena died around 328-330 AD at approximately 80 years old. The exact date and location remain uncertain. Some sources place her death around 328, others 329 or 330.
The place of her death is disputed. Some traditions claim she died in Nicomedia, others in Rome, and still others suggest Palestine. However, Eusebius Pamphili wrote that she "ended her days in the presence, before the eyes and in the embrace of her great son," indicating Constantine was with her when she died.
Helena was initially buried in an imperial mausoleum along the Via Labicana (now Via Casilina) outside Rome, known as Tor Pignattara. This circular domed structure, measuring over 20 meters in diameter and originally about 25 meters high, was built between 326 and 330 as part of a larger complex including the Basilica of Saints Marcellinus and Peter. The building's distinctive construction included empty amphorae (pignatte) inserted into the concrete dome to lighten its weight, giving the district its name.
Helena was placed in a monumental red porphyry sarcophagus elaborately carved with military scenes, victories, and barbarian prisoners. The sarcophagus, measuring 2.42 meters tall, 2.68 meters long, and 1.84 meters wide, featured cupids and victories holding garlands on its lid, with two lions on either side of the ridge. The martial imagery has led scholars to suggest it was originally intended for a male imperial family member, possibly Constantine himself or Constantius Chlorus, but was repurposed for Helena's burial.
In the 12th century, Helena's remains were moved to the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. In 1777, Pope Pius VI brought the sarcophagus to the Vatican, where it was restored and mounted on four carved lions. It now resides in the Sala a Croce Greca of the Pio-Clementine Vatican Museum.
Helena's death marked the end of an extraordinary life journey from humble innkeeper's daughter to Augusta of the Roman Empire and venerated saint of Christianity.
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| Helena's skull relic in the crypt of Trier Cathedral By © Túrelio |
APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Throughout history, Helena has been depicted in various artistic and literary forms:
Visual Arts: Paolo Veronese's painting The Dream of Saint Helena (c. 1570) shows her sleeping as cherubs bring her the True Cross in a vision. Numerous churches contain statues and paintings showing Helena holding the Cross, her most common iconographic attribute.
Coinage: Helena appears on numerous bronze coins minted from 318-329 AD, showing various portrait styles and typically featuring the reverse inscription "Securitas Reipublicae" (Security of the Republic).
Medieval Literature: Helena features prominently in medieval hagiographies and chronicles, including works by Eusebius of Caesarea, Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen, Rufinus, and Ambrose of Milan. Jocelin of Furness composed a full Life of St Helena in the late 12th or early 13th century.
British Legend: Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (12th century) and Henry of Huntingdon's Historia Anglorum created the legendary narrative of Helena as daughter of King Coel of Colchester, giving British ancestry to Constantine. This legend influenced English literature for centuries, including nursery rhymes about "Old King Cole".
Modern Literature: Evelyn Waugh's novel Helena (1950) revived interest in the British princess legend. Dorothy L. Sayers also wrote about the Colchester legend in her work on Constantine.
ACHIEVEMENTS Discovered (by tradition) the True Cross in Jerusalem on September 14, 326.
Commissioned major early Christian churches, including those in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and on Mount Sinai.
Elevated to sainthood; her feast day is celebrated on August 18 (Western Church) and May 21 (Eastern Church).
Patron saint of archaeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, empresses, and the island of Saint Helena.
The island of St Helena, discovered by Portuguese navigator João de Nova on May 21, 1502, was named in her honor.
Sources: (1) Igor Diksa's Page (2) New Advent
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