Res Gestae

In commemoration of his splendid victory Constantine called Byzantium Constantinople after his own name; and as if it were his native city, he adorned it with great magnificence and wished to make it equal to Rome. Then he sought out new citizens for it from every quarter,[*](Hieronymus says that he nearly depopulated the other cities of the empire.) and lavished such wealth on the city, that thereon he all but exhausted the imperial fortunes. There he also established a senate[*](According to Zos. iii. 2, Julian established a senate at Constantinople; see Amm. xxii. 9, 2, and cf. Paneg. Lat. xi. 24 (Gratiarum actio Juliana), cum Senatui non solum veterem reddideris dignitatem, sed plurimum etiam novi honoris adieceris. ) of the second rank, the members of which had the title of clari.[*](The Roman senators were clarissimi. )

Then he began war against the Goths, rendering aid also to the Sarmatians, who had appealed to him for help.[*](In 334.) The result was that almost a hundred thousand of the Goths were destroyed by hunger and cold through Constantinus Caesar.[*](The son of Constantine the Great, afterwards Constantinus II; see § 19, above.) Then he also received hostages, among whom was Ariaricus, the king’s son.