Helena was born around 250 in Drepanon, Turkey, as daughter of a tavern owner. She later joined the family business until she married a minor Roman officer with whom she had a son by the name of Constantine. Her husband Constantius Chlorus later divorced her to marry the stepdaughter of Emperor Maximian. He was adopted by the Emperor and made Caesar as one of the tetrarchs of the realm.
After Constantius’ untimely death, Constantine took over from his father. He was proclaimed Augustus by his troops in 306 in York. Returning to his residence in Trier, Germany, he invited his mother to Trier and proclaimed her Augusta. From dishwasher to Empress, the American dream had come true.
Sometime in her life, Helena had converted to Christianity. From the point of becoming Empress she embarked on a major building program. Unlike any member of the imperial family before her, she planned and built churches. The most famous ones we still see on television regularly are the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. But she planned, built, donated, or instigated churches all over the realm.
Saint Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea, a contemporary of the Empress, told in his writings that she travelled from Trier to Palestine at the age of 76. She died in Nicomedia, Turkey, probably in 329 as no coins with her image are known with a later date. If you now think that her real life was colourful enough, then you’ll enjoy the legend.
Legend had her doing excavating work under the temple of Aphrodite erected by Emperor Hadrian over Golgotha and the Sepulchre. She was credited with finding the Sepulchre and the wood of the true cross. By the time she was leaving Palestine by ship, she had mysteriously acquired the nails as well, and the mummified bodies of the three Magi.
For unknown reasons she then went for a hike on Cyprus before landing in Italy. From Italy her cavalcade went northwards by land, all the while dropping bits and pieces of the true cross at various churches. By the time she arrived in Basel, she had also gathered up 11,000 virgins. Gallivanting on northwards while shedding nails, she reached Cologne without the virgins which had somehow dissipated, but still in possession of the three Magi which she dropped off there.
Church history puts the remains of the Magi into the family hoard of the Imperial family until donated to the Bishop Eustorgius and placed in the cathedral at Milan. Emperor Barbarossa had them conveyed to the cathedral in Cologne where they remain to this day. Saint Helena is, again according to church history, buried in Rome in the church of Santa Maria In Ara Coeli.
Great article.
She was a most interesting lady. What an interesting history of one of the popular saints.
Interesting lady indeed & well written. I loved your phrase “American dream come true”. LOL
Great article! Blogged it on the Historical Mysteries!
Nicely done…great post…
Very active wasn’t she. I wonder if her parents had ever imagined it?
She seems like a good person. More people should be like her
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