- Not much is known about her background. It was likely she was born in the Greek city of Drepanum. The fact that her son, Constantine the Great, re-named this city "Helenopolis" after her death supports this theory.
- According to legend, she came from a very humble beginning. Bishop Ambrose of Milan, writing in the late 4th century, call her a stabularia, a term translated as "stable-maid" or possibly "inn-keeper". She was, of course, a good and virtuous stable maid.
- How a stable maid managed to become the consort of the emperor is also the stuff of legend. It's said when they first met, she was wearing a bracelet identical to his, which Constantius Chlorus interpreted as a sign that she was his soul mate sent from God. The fact that he eventually divorced her so he could marry a higher status woman makes you question that one.
- Another legend suggests she was a British princess, the daughter of Old King Cole (the merry old soul) and was brought up to inherit the throne of Britain, but was married off to Roman Emperor Constantius Chlorus to prevent a war with Rome. There is no historical evidence for this.
- Why is she important? Firstly for her influence on her son Constantine the Great, and secondly because, in her later years, he gave her access to his treasury so she could go on a pilgrimage to recover holy relics. One of the things she found was the True Cross. She is said to have been about 80 years old when she returned home.
- In Jerusalem, Helena found a temple to Venus or Jupiter on the site of Christ's tomb. Helena had it torn down. Excavations on the site found three crosses. Helena performed an experiment to find out which was the True Cross, ie the one Jesus was crucified on. She asked for a dying woman to be brought to her. The woman touched each of the crosses in turn. Two of them had no effect on her health but when she touched the third one, she miraculously recovered, so this one was declared to be the true one.
- She's also said to have tracked down Christ's tunic, the ropes used to tie him to the cross, and the nails used in the crucifixion. Wanting to tap into the power of such holy relics on her son's behalf, she is said to have placed one of the nails in his helmet and another in his horse's bridle.
- She spent some time in Cyprus during her epic trip, as well. In Cyprus, she visited a monastery which was over run with snakes, so she had hundreds of Cats imported from Egypt and Palestine to deal with the problem - which is why there are so many cats in Cyprus today.
- St Helena is the patron saint of archaeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, empresses, the island of Saint Helena (which was named after her), new discoveries, and the UK towns of Abingdon and Colchester.
- She died around 330, with her son at her side. She was buried in the Mausoleum of Helena, outside Rome on the Via Labicana.
My latest books
Closing the Circle
A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.
Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader.
Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.
The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.
Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.
Available from:
Amazon (Paperback)
A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.
Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader.
Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.
The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.
Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.
Available from:
Amazon (Paperback)
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