Constantine << KON stuhn `teen` or KON stuhn `tyn` >> the Great (A.D. 275?-337) made a lasting impact as the first Roman emperor to become a Christian. He is also known as Constantine I.
Constantine was born Flavius Valerius Constantinus at Naissus (now Nis, Serbia) about 275. In 293, the emperor Diocletian established a system of shared rule among two senior and two junior emperors. Constantine’s father, Constantius, became senior emperor in the western part of the Roman Empire in 305. After Constantius died in 306, his army proclaimed Constantine his successor. The other emperors mostly did not recognize this promotion. Constantine’s position became even more uncertain after other rivals for power emerged. In 312, Constantine unexpectedly defeated his main rival, Maxentius, in a battle at the Milvian Bridge on the Tiber River in Rome. Constantine later told how a vision before the battle had promised him victory if he fought under the sign of the cross. In another story, he received instructions in a dream to mark his soldiers’ shields with the first two letters of Christ’s name in Greek. From this time onward, Constantine abandoned his devotion to the Roman sun god and favored Christians, who were being persecuted in some parts of the empire.
In 313, Constantine arranged a partnership to rule the Roman Empire with Licinius, senior emperor in Rome’s eastern territories. After meeting in Milan, the two proclaimed freedom of worship and equal rights for all religious groups. They also returned to Christians property that had been seized. In time, the co-rulers’ partnership became increasingly unstable. Constantine eventually invaded in the east and forced Licinius out of power in 324. Constantine then ruled as sole senior emperor until his death. He appointed his three sons—Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans—as junior emperors. He also made them his successors, along with two nephews. Constantine expanded the old city of Byzantium (now Istanbul, Turkey) and renamed it Constantinople after himself. To him, it was a second Rome. With its strategic location, the city became Constantine’s capital in the east. He even established a senate there.
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From 324, Constantine promoted Christianity aggressively. He destroyed certain temples, and built Christian churches, especially in Rome and Jerusalem. He made Christian bishops privileged figures of authority. Constantine refused to tolerate differences of doctrine (beliefs or principles) among Christians, which led him to interfere disruptively in church affairs. He feared that he would lose the support of the Christian God if he failed to secure unity among Christians. He tried unsuccessfully to persecute some Christians in Africa who refused to conform. He also organized the first ecumenical (worldwide) church council in 325. The council, held at Nicaea (now Iznik, Turkey), formulated the Nicene Creed, a statement of essential Christian beliefs still used today. But it did not achieve Christian unity.
Constantine reinforced Diocletian’s system of rule. He enlarged and strengthened the Roman army, and the role of officials in the empire. Constantine raised taxes. However, he also stabilized the economy by introducing a gold coin—the solidus—as the official monetary unit. Constantine successfully defended the Roman Empire against invasion by Germanic peoples called Goths from the north. At the time of his death on May 22, 337, he was preparing a military campaign against Persia, which threatened the empire in the east.
