Italy. Life Caesar Little is known of Constans, the eldest son of Constantine, prior to his father being declared emperor. Constantine's oldest son was a monk at the time his father rebelled, but he was summoned to the new imperial court. Constantine appointed him to the position of caesara senior, formal position that also recognised him as heir apparent. He was swiftly married so a dynasty could be founded. By May 408 Constantine had captured Arles and made it his capital, taking over the existing imperial administration and officials, and appointing Apollinaris as chief minister (with the title of ). Heros was installed as a pliant archbishop of Arles in spite of local opposition. Constantine commenced minting large quantities of good quality coins at Arles and made a show of being an equal of both the Western and Eastern Emperors. Early in 408 Constans was sent with Gerontius and an army into Hispania. Hispania was a stronghold of the House of Theodosius, but on Constantine's initial landing on the continent, Honorius's partisans had been either unwilling or militarily unable to oppose his assumption of control. When Sarus seemed on the verge of ending Constantine's revolt, two members of Honorius's familyDidymus and Verinianusrebelled and overthrew Constantine's regime in Hispania. When Sarus withdrew to Italy the knowledge of the large new army assembling at Ticinum with the intention of shortly engaging Constantine encouraged them to persist and even to attempt to seal the Pyrenean passes. Constantine feared that Honorius's cousins would organise an attack from that direction while troops under Sarus and Stilicho attacked him from Italy in a pincer manoeuvre. He struck first, at Hispania. Constans and Gerontius's army forced a pass and was reinforced. Constans established himself at Saragossa and rebuilt the civilian administration. Gerontius took the army and decisively defeated Honorius's supporters at a battle in Lusitania where Didymus and Verinianus were captured. With Hispania back under Constantine's control Constans left his new wife at Saragossa and returned to Arles to report to his father. Didymus and Verinianus accompanied him and were executed there as civilian rebels. On 1 May 408 the emperor of the Eastern Empire, Arcadius, died, leaving a seven-year-old heir, Theodosius II. A disagreement arose between Stilicho and Honorius, who each wished to travel to Constantinoplethe capital of the Eastern Empireto represent the Western Empire's interests. Stilicho got his way: he was to leave for the