Leaving Byzantium to wither

However right here Constantine confirmed the identical daring, the identical willingness to danger all in a swift strike for victory that had characterised his army genius from the start. Leaving Byzantium to wither on the vine, so to talk, with solely sufficient troops within the sappers’ trenches and on the mounds to man the good siege machines, he despatched Crispus and his fleet in opposition to the remaining armada commanded by Amandus. And as soon as once more, although outnumbered in each vessels and males, the genius of the younger commander introduced victory.

Selecting a day when a following wind stuffed his sails and drove his vessels on, Crispus smashed by means of the Bosporus, crushing Licinius’ galleys proper and left and sending a lot of them to flounder on the Cyanean rocks simply offshore. In the meantime, the ready troops of Constantine’s military, embarking in every part that might float, negotiated the slim waterway.

Storming ashore earlier than Chrysopolis

Licinius and his forces have been ready close to Chrysopolis, on the southern shore of the Bosporus throughout from Byzantium, assured that the heights there would give them the benefit they so desperately wanted. However with a smashing naval victory and a profitable water crossing behind it, Constantine’s military couldn’t be denied. Storming ashore earlier than Chrysopolis, the primary physique held Licinius’ forces at bay whereas flanking events drove inland on both facet, closing the jaws of the good lure that was Constantine’s favourite tactic of struggle.

Licinius’ swiftly raised levies, minimize to items by Constantine’s flanking columns, started to retreat in dysfunction. Twentyfive thousand males died on the heights round Chrysopolis, however as soon as once more Licinius escaped, this time to Nicomedia. Assured that Constantine would depart him at the very least a part of the Empire which, by his personal greed and misgovemment, he had allowed to shrink to virtually nothing in lower than ten years, he despatched his spouse, Constantia, to beg mercy for her husband from her brother.

However the victor had no intention of giving the vanquished something greater than his life, and that solely in reply to Constantia’s prayer. The unfortunate Martinianus, who had been secondincommand, was executed summarily, whereas Licinius was allowed to doff the purple eternally, after swearing by no means once more to aim any seizure of energy. Having acknowledged Constantine as Dominus and relinquished all additional declare to rule, the previous Augustus of the East and his household have been banished to Thessalonica.