Jan Willem Drijvers is a historian of late antiquity, and this E. J. Brill book is his standard scholarly study of Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, and of how the legend of her finding the True Cross developed over time. Its strength is that it is a peer informed academic monograph from a specialist ancient history press, tracing the inventio crucis legend's growth across successive sources rather than treating the traditional account as straightforward history. Its limit is that it focuses on Helena and the cross legend specifically, so a claim about Constantine's own reign or conversion needs a source with that broader historical scope.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Published by E. J. Brill as Jan Willem Drijvers's standard scholarly study of Helena and the True Cross legend, peer reviewed university-level scholarship from a specialist ancient history press. NotesStandard scholarly study of Helena and of the development of the inventio crucis legend.
Citation
AuthorJan Willem Drijvers
PublisherE. J. Brill
Publication Year1992
Source Typeacademic monograph
Connections
Associated With
Helena, Cities This source names Helena directly: "Brill book is his standard scholarly study of Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, and of how the legend of her finding the True Cross developed over time."
Source Helena Augusta: The Mother of Constantine the Great and the Legend of Her Finding of the True CrossJan Willem Drijvers
Claims Backed By This Source (30 claims)
This source backs 30 claims across the atlas. As facts: 20 well-attested, 5 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 2 holds. Plus 3 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Articles, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.
- Historical Figures, 8 claims: 3 well-attested, 3 scholarly debate, 2 general references.
- Sources, 8 claims: 7 well-attested, 1 holds.
- Religious Events, 6 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 scholarly debate, 1 holds, 1 general references.
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