Constantine

Constantine, I believe, was the greatest Emperor the Romans ever had. In fact, he is often called by the historian community as the greatest ruler of the Late Antiquity. His powerful personality and strength of character was held in high regard throughout the ancient world. As a military leader he was unsurpassed in his time with his victory at Milvian Bridge being his crowning achievement. No one could touch him.

Constantine was born Flavius Valerius Constantius on February 27 271 A.D. He was born in Naissus in the province of Moesia Superior. His father was a military officer named Constantius while his mother a woman of humble background named Helena. It is not known for sure whether his mother and father were married or not but it is believed that they lived in concubinage.

Having previously attained the rank of tribune and provincial governor, Constantius was raised to the rank of Caesar after the retirement of Diocletian in 305 A.D. He served, however for only a year, because he died mysteriously in 306 A.D. on the battlefield during the campaign against Britain. Constantine was at his side when he died even though he had lived away from his father for years. The soldiers then immediately declared him Augustus and he was looked upon as the leader of most of the empire. Having settled affairs in Britain swiftly, he returned to the Continent, where the city of Augusta Treverorum served as his principal residence for the next six years.

Even though Constantine already had a son out of wedlock he married for the first time to Maximian’s daughter Fausta in 307. At the same time the Senate and the Praetorian Guard in Rome had allied themselves with Maxintius, the son of Maximian and so proclaimed him emperor. Finally in 312, hostilities broke out between the two rivals and it moved into open warfare. They clashed in several small ways until at last the matter was settled with the battle at Milvian Bridge. After his victory, Constantine ordered Maxintius killed and made himself emperor of all Rome. It was before that battle that his fabled encounter with Christ occurred. There are, however, several different versions to the story.

One source thought to come from the tutor of one of Constantine’s sons said that Christ appeared to Constantine in a dream during which he was told to place the sign of the cross on all of his soldiers and in doing so he would be assured victory. This version of the story is more widely believed because the source was so close to his family. The historian Eusebius wrote an account that while it is far more interesting it is less convincingly truthful that the first account. It says that while Constantine and his army were marching toward Rome they saw a sign appear in the sky in broad daylight. The sign consisted of a cross with the words “by this sign you will be victor.” During the next night, so Eusebius' account continues, Christ appeared to Constantine and instructed him to place the heavenly sign on the battle standards of his army. They say that Constantine was greatly distressed for days but finally put up the sign on his shields. The new battle standard became known as the labarum.

Whatever the vision he received, Constantine did attribute his victories to what he called the God of the Christians. From that day on, Constantine committed himself to Christianity. However, throughout his life, his faith seemed quite superficial. As quoted from historian Hans A. Pohlsander, “It has often been supposed that Constantine's profession of Christianity was a matter of political expediency more than of religious conviction.” Even though he had already stopped the persecution of Christianity before Milvian he did not adopt it as the official religion until 313 when he met with Licinius in Milan. Together they formulated a common religious policy and several months later Licinius issued a document that is commonly but erroneously known as the Edict of Milan. This quote covers the extents of the religion into politics, Unlike Constantine, Licinius did not commit himself personally to Christianity;