This book is an exploration of political memory and disgrace in the
reigns of Constantine and his sons. It uses the conditions of the early
to mid-fourth century to argue that the deconstruction of political
legitimacy should be viewed, first and foremost, as a collective
phenomenon, the result of the actions of a diverse range of people
responding to political change. It also challenges many positivist and
teleological narratives of the 'Age of Constantine'. Shifting the focus
from the emperor and his sons onto their rivals and opponents, the
Constantinian dynasty is placed back into the messy and ambiguous
political environment from which it emerged.