Constantine the Great - Emperor Constantine I

Constantine is considered the most important of the later Roman emperors because:

• Constantine was the 1st Roman emperor to support Christianity and to become Christian. From the time of Constantine Christianity became the Roman religion with a temporary setback when his nephew Julian tried to reinstate paganism.
• He proclaimed the Edict of Milan in 313 granting religious freedom to all.
• He was victorious against Emperor Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge, which was significant for its Christian symbolism.
• Constantine created a new central, Christian city for the Roman Empire at Byzantium (Constantinople [later, Istanbul]).

Flavius Valerius Constantinus, who became the Emperor Constantine the Great, was born on Feb. 27, c. 280, in Naissus, in the province of Moesia Superior (Serbia). His mother was named Helena and his father was an officer named Constantius. Constantius would become the Emperor Constantius I (Constantius Chlorus) and Constantine's mother would become famous as the canonized St. Helena. Helena is thought to have found a portion of the cross of Jesus.

Flavia Julia Constantia was Constantine's half sister.

Constantine married twice. By the 1st he had a son Crispus. By the 2nd, Constantine II, Constans, and Constantius II.

The story goes that Constantine had a vision of the words "in hoc signo vinces" upon a Christian cross and that this vision prompted Constantine to pledge to convert if he actually did win the battle at the Milvian Bridge. Since Constantine was the victor, the vision led to his conversion to Christianity. Constantine probably experienced his great "in hoc signo vinces" vision in 312.

Constantine was not yet a baptized Christian when he settled matters of Christian dogma and the Arian Controversy at the First Nicene Council (First Council of Nicaea), which ended on August (or July) 25, 325. As a result of his initial decision against the Arians, Constantine exiled his friend Eusebius for holding an heretical position. Constantine later revised his opinion and recalled Eusebius.

It was from 325 that Constantine enjoyed sole reign in the Roman empire, having defeated and executed his co-emperor Licinius, who had reneged on the Edict of Milan.

Constantine died in 22 May, 337 at Nicomedia, shortly after his baptism by the Arian bishop, his friend Eusebius of Nicomedia.

Most people consider Constantine a Christian from the Milvian Bridge in 312, but he wasn't baptized until a quarter century later. Today, Constantine wouldn't count as a Christian without the baptism, but it's not so clear in the first few centuries of Christianity, when Christian dogma had yet to be fixed. Was the deathbed conversion of Constantine the act of a moral pragmatist?

"Constantine was enough of a Christian to wait until his deathbed to be baptized. He knew that a ruler had to do things that were against Christian teachings, so he waited until he no longer had to do such things. That may be the thing that I most respect him for."
Kirk Johnson

or a duplicitous hypocrite?

"If I believe in the Christian god, but know that I will have to do things which are against the teachings of that faith, I can be excused for doing so by postponing baptism? Yes, I'll join Alcoholics Anonymous after this crate of beer. If that isn't duplicity and subscription to double standards, then nothing is."
ROBINPFEIFER

See: "Religion and Politics at the Council at Nicaea," by Robert M. Grant. The Journal of Religion, Vol. 55, No. 1 (Jan., 1975), pp. 1-12

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Constantine is on the list of Most Important People to Know in Ancient History.