When Maximian was rejected by his son, he joined Constantine in Gaul, only to betray Constantine and to be murdered or forced to commit suicide (310). The Christian ministers had special privileges. In 285, Emperor Diocletian had established the Tetrarchy, which gave four men rule over a quadrant each of the Roman Empire, with two senior emperors and two non-hereditary juniors. Select basic ads. Gill, N.S. While not literally every bishop in the world … Throughout his life, Constantine ascribed his success to his conversion to Christianity and the support of the Christian God. His father would rise to become the Emperor Constantius I and Constantine's mother would be canonized as St. Helena, who was thought to have found a portion of Jesus' cross. Constantine’s adherence to Christianity was closely associated with his rise to power. Wearing a sign of a cross, Constantine won, and the following year he made Christianity legal throughout the Empire with the Edict of Milan. Constantine was born probably in the later 280s ce. By 336, Constantine the Great had reclaimed most of the province of Dacia, lost to Rome in 271. Unable to complete his dream of being baptized in the Jordan River, as was Jesus, he was baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia on his deathbed. Many of the Roman Emperors that came before him were openly hostile to the Gospel, killing and persecuting Christians. The Fall of Rome: How, When, and Why Did It Happen? He then confirmed an alliance that he had already entered into with Licinius (Galerius having died in 311): Constantine became Western emperor and Licinius shared the East with his rival Maximinus. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Constantine was the Roman Emperor from 306-337 AD. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He fought the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in the name of the Christian God, having received instructions in a dream to paint the Christian monogram () on his troops’ shields. Professor of Middle and Later Roman History, University of Oxford; Official Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford. Flavius Valerius Constantinus was born in Naissus, in the province of Moesia Superior, present-day Serbia. Maxentius raised an army of 170,000 foot soldiers and 18,000 horsemen. A statue set up at the same time showed Constantine himself holding aloft a cross and the legend “By this saving sign I have delivered your city from the tyrant and restored liberty to the Senate and people of Rome.” After his victory over Licinius in 324, Constantine wrote that he had come from the farthest shores of Britain as God’s chosen instrument for the suppression of impiety, and in a letter to the Persian king Shāpūr II he proclaimed that, aided by the divine power of God, he had come to bring peace and prosperity to all lands. Constantine was a vice-Caesar to Emperor Diocletian in the East. After Maxentius' defeat, Constantine and his brother-in-law, Licinius, split the empire between them. Medieval writers praised him as the ideal ruler, against whom all kings were measured. Select personalised ads. When Rome fell, Constantinople became the de facto seat of the empire. (2020, August 26). https://www.sunsigns.org/famousbirthdays/d/profile/constantine-the-great He would direct largely successful campaigns for the rest of his reign, and he died in 337 while preparing for a campaign against the Persians. His convocation of the First Council at Nicea produced the Nicene Creed, an article of faith among Christians worldwide. Constantine also commissioned monumental works less confessional in character, such as the Arch of Constantine in Rome, although some speculate that it too has Christian resonances. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was built on his orders and became the holiest site in Christendom. Constantine’s experience as a member of the imperial court—a Latin-speaking institution—in the Eastern provinces left a lasting imprint on him. Constantine’s full name was Flavius Valerius Constantinus. "Who Was Constantine the Great?" By adopting Christianity as the religion of the vast Roman Empire, he elevated a once illegal cult to the law of the land. Updates? Constantine the Great: Facts on-hand. Junior Emperor and emperor called the "Thirteenth Apostle" in the East. This video covers the life and reign of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. Grant, Michael. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/constantine-the-great-112492. The Roman Emperor Constantine (c 280 - 337 A.D.) was one of the most influential personages in ancient history. Few men have had such a dramatic and lasting effect upon the destiny of an entire continent. A somewhat different version, offered by Eusebius, tells of a vision seen by Constantine during the campaign against Maxentius, in which the Christian sign appeared in the sky with the legend “In this sign, conquer.” Despite the emperor’s own authority for the account, given late in life to Eusebius, it is in general more problematic than the other, but a religious experience on the march from Gaul is suggested also by a pagan orator, who in a speech of 310 referred to a vision of Apollo received by Constantine at a shrine in Gaul. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/constantine-the-great-112492. The latter were replaced by Galerius Valerius Maximinus in the East and Flavius Valerius Severus in the West, Constantine being passed over. Licinius was routed and Constantine became sole Emperor of Rome. Constantine the Great: The Man and … But, overall, a good treatment. Constantine wasn't the only claimant. Other websites. At Rome, the great church of St. Peter was begun in the later 320s and lavishly endowed by Constantine with plate and property. Constantine raised an army from Britain that included Germans and Celts, which the Byzantine historian Zosimus said included 90,000 foot soldiers and 8,000 cavalry. In 293 ce his father was raised to the rank of Caesar, or deputy emperor (as Constantius I Chlorus), and was sent to serve under Augustus (emperor) Maximian in the West. Constantine funded church-building projects throughout his reign as a way to encourage Christianity’s growth. Constantine I, byname Constantine the Great, Latin in full Flavius Valerius Constantinus, (born February 27, after 280 ce ?, Naissus, Moesia [now Niš, Serbia]—died May 22, 337, Ancyrona, near Nicomedia, Bithynia [now İzmit, Turkey]), first Roman emperor to profess Christianity. Educated to less than the highest literary standards of the day, he was always more at home in Latin than in Greek: later in life he had the habit of delivering edifying sermons, which he would compose in Latin and pronounce in Greek from professional translations. Constantine also presented himself as clean shaven, the first emperor to do so in several centuries. Licinius defeated Maximinus and became the sole Eastern emperor but lost territory in the Balkans to Constantine in 316. Churches were erected at, among other places, Rome, Trier, Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey), Jerusalem, and Cirta (Constantine, Algeria) as either the direct or indirect result of Constantine’s patronage. He had ruled for 31 years, longer than any emperor since Augustus. Some of his most spectacular commissions were installed in Constantinople, such as the Megale Ekklesia (“Great Church”), which was completed under his son and constructed on the site where the Hagia Sophia would later stand. At the Council of Nicea, Constantine the Great settled Christian doctrine for the ages. New York Dodd, Mead & Company, 1930. Constantine the Great (Constantine I, ruled A.D. 312-37) combined Christianity, Roman law and Greek culture and Christianized the Roman Empire. Thus, with Constantine, the Roman Empire incorporated religion into the state and strengthened itself. 274-337) was a Roman emperor. Constantine the Great (27 Feb c. 272/273 – 22 May 337) Constantine was Roman Emperor (A.D. 306-337). After a further period of tension, Constantine attacked Licinius in 324, routing him at Adrianople and Chrysopolis (respectively, modern Edirne and Üsküdar, Turkey) and becoming sole emperor of East and West. With John Savage, Randy Vasquez, Andrew James Allen, Colby Chester. Directed by O.W. A typical product of the military governing class of the later 3rd century, he was the son of Flavius Valerius Constantius, an army officer, and his wife (or concubine) Helena. He was born in the … List of Partners (vendors). What is remarkable is Constantine’s subsequent development of his new religious allegiance to a strong personal commitment. Christianity he encountered in court circles as well as in the cities of the East; and from 303, during the great persecution of the Christians that began at the court of Diocletian at Nicomedia and was enforced with particular intensity in the eastern parts of the empire, Christianity was a major issue of public policy. At least openly, Constantine ascribed much of his political success to the grace of a Christian God, even claiming to have won a battle because of a divinely sourced vision he had received beforehand. N.S. He made one of his largest contributions to the faith by summoning the Councils of Arles (314) and Nicaea (325), which guided church doctrine for centuries afterward. Create a personalised ads profile. Constantine ruled the West, Licinius the East. Create a personalised content profile. He is frequently called "the Great" because of his successes as a general, administrator, and legislator and because of his support of the Christian Church and efforts to maintain Christian unity. Flavius Valerius Constantinus, who would become Roman emperor Constantine I, was born on February 27, circa 280 (sources range from 272 … 2nd ed. The two remained rivals over a decade of uneasy truces before their animosity culminated in the Battle of Chrysopolis, in 324. His birth name was Flavius Valerius Constantinus. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. Gill, N.S. Constantine himself had two wives: Minerva (or Minervina), who bore Constantine his firstborn child, Crispus; and Fausta, the daughter of the previous Western emperor who bore him three sons. Some have argued that Constantine’s conversion to Christianity was politically motivated. They crossed together to Britain and fought a campaign in the north before Constantius’s death at Eboracum (modern York) in 306. Measure content performance. Discover 'Constantine the Great' in York, England: This sculpture marks the spot where one of the greatest Roman rulers was proclaimed emperor. At the Council of Nicea, Constantine the Great settled Christian doctrine for the ages. Constantine the Great (AD 280—337) was one of Rome’s most powerful and successful emperors and the first to self-identify as a Christian. The story goes that Constantine had a vision of the words in hoc signo vinces ("in this sign you will conquer") upon a cross, and he swore that, should he triumph against great odds, he would pledge himself to Christianity. He also extended many benefits to pagan priests who became Christian ministers. Constantine the Great was a Roman Emperor of Illyrian ancestry who ruled from 306 to 337 AD. Corrections? Who Was Constantine the Great? The Roman Emperor Constantine (c 280 - 337 A.D.) was one of the most influential personages in ancient history. Use precise geolocation data. Eusebius in a modern i… Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, reputation and impact of Constantine I, known as Constantine the Great (c280s -337AD). To celebrate his victory, Constantine created Constantinople on the site of Byzantium, which had been Licinius' stronghold. Omissions? Media related to Constantine the Great at Wikimedia Commons; Firth, John B. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The council was convened in 325 CE by the emperor Constantine the Great, generally regarded as the first Christian Roman emperor, in the ancient city of Nicaea, which is known today as İznik, Turkey. He founded the city of Constantinople in 324 AD. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (AD 306–337), Christianity began to transition to the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. It is even possible that members of Constantine’s family were Christians. He appointed a group of converted Christians to high positions in many parts of his empire. It Started in Serbia. Constantine left the empire to his three surviving sons upon his death in 337. His father, Constantinus, was a Caesar under Emperor Maximinian who had won a number of battles and had earned the loyalty of a large part of the Roman military in the West. Constantine's most powerful rivals for his father's position were Maximian and his son, Maxentius, who had assumed power in Italy, controlling Africa, Sardinia, and Corsica as well. His acceptance of Christianity and his … Constantius requested his son’s presence from Galerius, and Constantine made his way through the territories of the hostile Severus to join his father at Gesoriacum (modern Boulogne, France). The story of Roman Emperor Constantine The Great, who united the Roman Empire in 324 A.D. during the great civil war, and granted religious freedom to all. Constantine can rightfully claim the title of Great, for he turned the history of the world into a new course and made Christianity, which until then had suffered bloody persecution, the religion of the State. Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, and Byzantine Catholics venerate him as a saint. ThoughtCo. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. For example, they received monetary support from the Empire and didn't pay taxes. Develop and improve products. Constantine reigned during the 4th century CE and is known for attempting to Christianize the Roman Empire. The son of Constantius I Chlorus, junior emperor and St. Helena, Constantine was raised on the court of co-Emperor Diocletian. Another is that, in discussing Constantine and the Church, it seems clear that Burckhardt doesn't want Constantine to be a Christian, and this may cloud some of the presentation and interpretation. Historians remain uncertain about Constantine's reasons for favoring Christianity, and theologians and historians have often argued about which form of early Christianity he subscribed to. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Yet to suggest that Constantine’s conversion was “politically motivated” means little in an age in which every Greek or Roman expected that political success followed from religious piety. Constantinople is an ancient city in modern-day Turkey that’s now known as Istanbul. This was a deliberate attempt to portray him as different from others. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He was a popular emperor, famous for the numerous administrative, financial, social, and military reforms he implemented to strengthen the empire. He not only initiated the evolution of the empire into a Christian state but also provided the impulse for a distinctively Christian culture that prepared the way for the growth of Byzantine and Western medieval culture. Constantine's mother, Helena, was a barmaid and his father a military officer named Constantius. He ended the endemic civil wars of the later third century and founded the great city of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) at the Roman city of Byzantium. Measure ad performance. Constantine was well educated and served at the court of Diocletian in Nicomediaas a kind of hostage after the appointment of his father Constantius, a general, as one of the two Caesars (at that time a junior emperor), in the Tetrarchy in 293. In 305 Constantine assisted his father, the newly appointed Western emperor, with a campaign in Britain. Baynes, Norman Hepburn. His crowning achievement was his dedication of Constantinople as his new imperial capital in 330. Today we mostly associate Constantine with the Christianisation of his empire, yet even if he had remained steadfastly pagan, Constantine would still deserve his title. Upon his father's death on July 25, 306 A.D., Constantine's troops proclaimed him Caesar. Select personalised content. The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicea. Constantine’s interest in church building was expressed also at Constantinople, particularly in churches of the Holy Wisdom (the original Hagia Sophia) and of the Apostles. https://www.thoughtco.com/constantine-the-great-112492 (accessed May 12, 2021). This is the account given by the Christian apologist Lactantius. Constantinople: Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Timelines and Chronologies of Roman Emperors, Roman Empire: Battle of the Milvian Bridge, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. For centuries, Catholic popes traced their power to a decree called the Donation of Constantine (later proved a forgery). By the time Constantius became governor of Dalmatia, he required a wife of pedigree and found one in Theodora, a daughter of Emperor Maximian. The civil war itself fostered religious competition, each side enlisting its divine support, and it would be thought in no way unusual that Constantine should have sought divine help for his claim for power and divine justification for his acquisition of it. Constantius had been one of the senior emperors. Their army proclaimed Constantine emperor after his father’s death the next year. Gill, N.S. New York: Haskell House, 1972. In 305, the Augustus, Maximian, abdi… Constantine I, byname Constantine the Great, Latin in full Flavius Valerius Constantinus, (born February 27, after 280 ce?, Naissus, Moesia [now Niš, Serbia]—died May 22, 337, Ancyrona, near Nicomedia, Bithynia [now İzmit, Turkey]), first Roman emperor to profess Christianity. Constantine didn’t likely convert for political reasons as most high school history teachers will tell … He played a major role in spreading Christianity by legalizing its practice and fiscally supporting the church’s activities. Constantine —also known as Emperor Constantine I or Constantine the Great—decreed tolerance for Christians in the Edict of Milan, convened an ecumenical council to discuss Christian dogma and heresy, and constructed Christian edifices in his new capital city (Byzantium/ Constantinople, now Istanbul) Was Constantine a Christian? Emperor Constantine (ca A.D. 280– 337) reigned over a major transition in the Roman Empire—and much more. Constantine defeated his main rival for the Western emperorship in 312 and defeated the Eastern emperor in 324 after years of strained relations, thus making Constantine sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Constantine the Great and the Christian Church. He planned a great campaign against the Sassanid rulers of Persia but fell ill in 337. Constantine’s victory over Licinius marked the rise … In 305 the two emperors, Diocletian and Maximian, abdicated, to be succeeded by their respective deputy emperors, Galerius and Constantius. "Who Was Constantine the Great?" Store and/or access information on a device. On October 28, 312, Constantine marched on Rome and met Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. When Constantinus died suddenly in 306, the loyalty of the Army would pass to his son Constantine. A ruthless despot who strove to be a world-conqueror like Alexander the Great, Constantine (280?-337) murdered his second wife and his son, assassinated friends and … Only one Roman emperor is called ‘the Great’, and that emperor is Constantine. (Constantine actually resisted baptism until he was on his deathbed.) He made the persecution of Christians illegal by signing the Edict of Milan in 313 and helped spread the religion by bankrolling church-building projects, commissioning new copies of the Bible, and summoning councils of theologians to hammer out the religion’s doctrinal kinks. Constantine was seen as a youth by his future panegyrist, Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, passing with Diocletian through Palestine on the way to a war in Egypt. Some historians argue that he was never a Christian, but rather an opportunist; others maintain that he was a Christian before the death of his father. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. And by establishing a capital at Byzantium, which became Constantinople and then Istanbul, he set into motion events that would break the empire, split the Christian church, and influence European history for a millennium. He was born at Naissus, today's city of Niš in Upper Moesia (modern Serbia and Montenegro), to Constantius I Chlorus and an innkeeper's daughter, Helen. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The triumphal arch erected in his honour at Rome after the defeat of Maxentius ascribed the victory to the “inspiration of the Divinity” as well as to Constantine’s own genius. He was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity and played a crucial role in the spread of the religion. He wasn’t baptized until right before his death in 337. Constantine made his mother, Helena (Constantius’s wife or concubine), empress when his army proclaimed him emperor in 306 CE. He is known for his economic, political, and military achievements, as well as his religious reforms. With co-Emperor Licinius, he issued the Edict of … In 289 Constantius had separated from Helena in order to marry a stepdaughter of Maximian, and Constantine was brought up in the Eastern Empire at the court of the senior emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia (modern İzmit, Turkey). There is no consensus among scholars as to whether he adopted his mother Helena's Christianity in his youth, or, as claimed by Eusebius of Caesarea, encouraged her to con… Constantine I. Constantine I (ca. Constantine the Great and the Christian Revolution. He also established a second Senate. In 326, Constantine put Crispus and Fausta to death—an episode that has attracted much speculation but few definitive answers. The city of Constantinople was the largest and richest city of the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages. It became the capital of the Ottoman Empire in 1453. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Today it is the city of Istanbul, the most populous city in the country of Turkey. In 323 Constantine triumphed over Licinius and became the sole ruler of the Roman world. In the group of his closest advisors there were bishopssuch as Hosius, Lactantius, and Eusebius of Caesarea. But his work for the faith of Jesus was enduring. Immediately acclaimed emperor by the army, Constantine then threw himself into a complex series of civil wars in which Maxentius, the son of Maximian, rebelled at Rome; with his father’s help, Maxentius suppressed Severus, who had been proclaimed Western emperor by Galerius and who was then replaced by Licinius. Don't read it for a biography of Constantine -- you'll be disappointed. Much controversy exists over the relationship between Constantine and Christianity. Constantine, who in 307 had married Maximian’s daughter Fausta as his second wife, invaded Italy in 312 and after a lightning campaign defeated his brother-in-law Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge near Rome. Tuthill. A multisided civil war ensued between Constantine and the several other factions vying for the throne. He enlarged the city, adding fortifications, a vast hippodrome for chariot racing, and a number of temples. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Constantine’s father, Constantius I, was appointed to the position of augustus (emperor) by the time Constantine reached young adulthood. By adopting Christianity as the religion of the vast Roman Empire, he elevated a once illegal cult to the law of the land. Constantine and Helena were shuffled off to the eastern emperor, Diocletian, in Nicomedia. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Constantine-I-Roman-emperor, Livius - Biography of Constantine the Great, Ancient History Encyclopedia - Biography of Constantine I, Heritage History - Biography of Constantine, Constantine the Great - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Constantine the Great - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Constantine was also responsible for a series of important secular reforms that ranged from reorganizing the Roman Empire’s currency system to restructuring Rome’s armed forces. Jesus was enduring transition in the spread of the imperial court—a Latin-speaking institution—in the Eastern but!, when, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica a dramatic and lasting effect upon destiny! Reigned during the 4th century CE and is known for attempting to Christianize the Roman Empire—and more. History expertise 306 A.D., Constantine created Constantinople on the site of Byzantium, which been! 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