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Connor Johnson
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named Flavius Valerius Constantinus
was born in the military city of Naissus in 27
February around 272 AD
Constantius was an officer in the Roman army
was Roman emperor from 306 until his death
in 337.
Best known for being the first Christian Roman
emperor and moving the capital to Byzantium,
calling it Constantinople.
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He was the son of Helena, an inn keeper's
daughter, and Constantius Chlorus. It is
unclear if the two were married, so Constantine
may have been an illegitimate child.
When in Constantius Chlorus in AD 293 was
elevated to the rank of Caesar, Constantine
became a member of the court of Diocletian.
Constantine proved himself as an officer when
serving under ‘Diocletian's Caesar Galerius’
against the Persians.
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When Constantius Chlorus in AD 306 died of
illness at Ebucarum, the troops hailed
Constantine as the new Augustus.
At the Conference of Carnuntum in AD 308,
where all the Caesars and Augusti met,
demanded that Constantine give up his title of
Augustus and return to being a Caesar. He
refused.
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Not long after the conference, Constantine was
successfully campaigning against Germans when
he was told that Maximian, his father in law, who
was still residing at his court, had turned against
him.
Maximian was now was seeking to take away
Constantine's throne.
Denying Maximian any time to organize his
defense, Constantine marched his legions into
Gaul. All Maximian could do was flee to Massilia.
Constantine did not relent and laid siege to the
city. Maximian either committed suicide or was
executed (AD 310)
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With Galerius dead in AD 311 the main
authority amongst the emperors had been
removed, leaving them to struggle for
dominance.
In AD 312 Constantine invaded Italy.
Maxentius is believed to have had up to four
times as many troops, but they were
inexperienced and undisciplined.
After winning battles at Augusta Taurinorum
(Turin) and Verona, Constantine marched on
Rome.
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Constantine later claimed to have had a vision
on the way to Rome, during the night before
battle.
In this dream he supposedly saw the 'Chi-Ro',
the symbol of Christ, shining above the sun.
which he was told to conquer by.
Seeing this as a divine sign, Constantine had
his soldiers paint the symbol on their shields.
Following this Constantine went on to defeat
the numerically stronger army of Maxentius at
the Battle at the Milvian Bridge (Oct AD 312).
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Constantine saw this victory as directly related
to the vision he had had the night
before. Henceforth Constantine saw himself as
an 'emperor of the Christian people’
But Constantine, who only had himself
baptized on his deathbed, is generally
understood as the first Christian emperor of the
Roman world.
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With his victory over Maxentius at the Milvian
Bridge, Constantine became the dominant
figure in the empire.
The senate warmly welcomed him to Rome
and the two remaining emperors, Licinius and
Maximinus II Daia could do little else but agree
to his demand that he henceforth should be the
senior Augustus.
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in AD 313 Licinius defeated Maximinus II Daia.
This left only two emperors.
At first both tried to live peacefully aside each
other, Constantine in the west, Licinius in the east.
Then Constantine appointed his brother-in-law
Bassianus as Caesar for Italy.
If Bassianus was indeed Constantine's puppet it
would have ment a serious gain of power by
Constantine.
To prevent his opponent from yet further
increasing his power, Licinius persuaded
Bassianus to revolt against Constantine in AD 314
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in AD 316 Constantine attacked with his forces.
In July or August at Cibalae in Pannonia he
defeated Licinius larger army, forcing his
opponent to retreat.
While this conflict ended in a treaty, it shows
an opening to other conflicts between the east
and west empires
in AD 323 a reason was soon found to start a
new civil war. Constantine, while campaigning
against Gothic invaders, strayed into Licinius'
Thracian territory.
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On 3 July AD 324 he severely defeated Licinius'
forces at Hadrianopolis and shortly after his
fleet won victories at sea.
Then battle of Chrysopolis where he utterly
defeated Licinius (18 September AD 324).
Licinius was imprisoned and later executed.
Constantine was sole emperor of the entire
Roman world.
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after his victory in AD 324 he outlawed pagan
sacrifices, now feeling far more at liberty to
enforce his new religious policy.
Gladiatorial contests were outlawed and harsh
new laws were issued prohibiting sexual
immorality.
Jews in particular were forbidden from owning
Christian slaves.
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Edicts were passed by which the sons were forced
to take up the professions of their fathers.
Under Constantine, any girl who ran away with
her lover was burned alive. Rapists were burned at
the stake. But also their women victims were
punished, if they had been raped away from home.
according to Constantine, should have no business
outside the safety of their own homes.
These reforms show Constantine's strict brutality
and adherence to his religious laws.
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Constantine is also famous for the city which
came to bear his name, Constantinople.
He came to the conclusion that Rome had
ceased to be a practical capital for the empire
from which the emperor could exact effective
control over its frontiers.
Then he decided on the ancient Greek city of
Byzantium. on 8 November AD 324
Constantine created his new capital there
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the new senate founded in Constantinople was
of a lower rank, but he intended it to be the
center of the Roman world.
Measures to encourage its growth were
introduced, most importantly the diversion of
the Egyptian grain supplies, which had
traditionally gone to Rome, to Constantinople.
granting every citizen a guaranteed ration of
grain.
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In AD 333 Constantine's fourth son Constans
was raised to the rank of Caesar, alongside his
brothers, to jointly inherit the empire.
Evidently they also were intended to be
granted their shares of power at Constantine's
death.
How, after his own experience, Constantine
saw it possible that all five of these heirs
should rule peaceably alongside each other, is
hard to understand.
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Constantine's reign was that of a hard, utterly
determined and ruthless man.
this shows when in AD 326, on suspicion of
adultery or treason, he had his own eldest son
Crispus executed.
Constantine died on 22 May AD 337 at the
imperial villa at Ankyrona.
On his death bed he had himself baptized
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The Roman senate still decided on his
deification. A strange decision as it elevated
him, the first Christian emperor, to the status of
an old pagan deity.
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"In hoc signo vinces" -In this sign shalt thou
conquer
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Tierney, Michael. “Constantine the Great and His
City.” An Irish Quarterly Review 23.89 (Mar.
1934): 59-70. JSTOR. Vasser Woolley Lib., The
Lovett School Atlanta Georgia. 10 April 2010
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/30095108>.
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages:
A Global History. Thirteenth ed. Boston: Thomson
Higher Education, 2009
Lendering, Jona. “Constantine the Great.” LIVIUS:
Articles on Ancient History. 1995. Ancient Warfare
Magazine. 10 April 2010 <
http://www.livius.org/cncs/constantine/constantine.html>.