Constantine the Great

A sign from God…maybe. A political strategy…more than likely. Close to seventeen hundred years later, we find ourselves reliving history through religious wars and campaign tactics in an attempt to gain power. Around the time of A.D. 300, Ancient Rome was a Pagan polytheistic society. However, a new age of thought was dawning over the Roman Empire. Among all of the esteemed emperors of Rome was Constantine the Great, who gave birth to Christianity in his empire.

The son of a barmaid hardly makes for a future emperor and this is one of the reasons why Constantius Chlorus and Helena (the biological parents of Constantine) were never married. Instead Flavius Valerius Constantine, who was born in Naissus on February 27th, between A.D. 272 and 282, was brought up by his father “the soon-to-be Caesar of Rome” (Morgan 12) and his stepmother. Constantius Chlorus married Theodora, daughter of Maximain, in order to secure a connection between himself and his immediate superior. After this, his relationship with Helena was presumably broken off in what was clearly a political rather than a romantic arrangement (Morgan 13). For the duration of his life Constantine was known to be cool, calculating, and wise in his strategical moves, yet loyal, passionate, and understanding when it came to his religious beliefs. Since the exact year of his birth is unknown, Constantine could have lived anywhere from fifty-five to sixty-five years old, dying on May 22, A.D. 337. During his life time religion, government, and politics were about to change.

In Ancient Rome civilians lived under a Pagan monarchy with many wars going on to acquire land. There were two augusti, one of the West and one of the East, each with their caesars. Living in Nicomedia away from his father for most of his young life, Constantine became a “successful military tribune” (Morgan 16). Diocletian and Maximain (the senior augustus and his caesar) recognized Constantine as a promising young man and a fine junior officer. “Young Constantine received a formidable education, became a fluent speaker of Greek, and was adept in philosophy” (Dodds 37). Soon after this, Constantine joined his father in an expedition to Gaul, where Constantius fell ill and died, leaving Constantine as his successor and emperor of Eastern Rome (Freeman 58). Upon becoming Augustus of the East Constantine married Fausta, another daughter of Maximain, and had four sons and two daughters. Crispus was his eldest who was born of Constantine's first wife Minervina, Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans along with Constantia and Helena born of Fausta. In A.D. 326, Constantine had Crispus and Fausta executed for having an affair. In the majority of his time Constantine was off on expeditions in the West to expand his empire (Nardo 65). Although the Bible was the literature of the time, Constantine was of Pagan beliefs, until the battle against Maxentius.

A cross shown above the sun with the words in hoc signo vinces scrawled across it, meaning, “In this sign you shall conquer” (Moulton 161). Just a silly dream or a sign from the Christian God? “As a result of the dream he had at Saxa Rubra, on the night before the battle against Mexentius, Constantine ordered his soldiers to paint crosses on their shields before going into battle” (Moulton 161). Although Constantine's army was well trained, they were out numbered by Maxentius' troops. It was improbable that they would win, but Constantine and his soldiers easily defeated their rival. “He attributed this victory to the Christian God, and from that time forward, he felt the need to maintain the Christian God's support for himself and the empire” (MacMullen 118).

Christianity meant something very different to Constantine than it means to Christian worshippers today. Jesus Christ was not the focus of his faith and he probably spent only small amounts of time reading the gospels. We have seen how Constantine felt that his victory over Maxentius at Milvian Bridge in A.D. 312 was the consequence of his Christian faith. Constantine saw his god as a provider of victory and success and not as a god who understood mercy or suffering (Morgan 47).

After seeing Constantine's triumph over Maxentius, the people immediately voted him the Augustus of Western Rome. “A year later, Constantine and the new eastern emperor, Licinius, issued a series of decrees, commonly called the Edict of Milan, by which they extended religious toleration in the empire to all religions, including Christianity” (Moulton 162). Constantine was the first Roman emperor to encourage his citizens to convert to Christianity. Although he personally rejected paganism, he still worked hard to maintain religious harmony (to solidify his power) and distribute money to build new Christian churches (MacMullen 121). In order to prove his devotion to the Christian God, Constantine boldly founded the Church of St. Peter in Rome and established a new Christian city on the site of the ancient Byzantium. “The city was dedicated as "Constantinople" in A.D. 300, and it became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in A.D. 453” (Moulton 162). Now that Constantine was both an administrator and military leader, he made all of the changes necessary to maintain and strengthen the empire.

The army was enlarged and made more mobile on the field, containing new comrades directly accountable to Constantine. The frontier armies were strengthened and reorganized. Non-Romans were allowed to advance through the army ranks. Government bureaucracy was made larger and senator civilian posts were given to enable the people some of their lost political influence. “Constantine was an able, practical, but often ruthless leader” (Moulton 162). Some of his reforms were not very popular. New taxes on all trade and commerce were criticized and the establishment of the solidus, a new gold coin, led to the depreciation of other currencies. Although Constantine never faltered when it came to his faith, he was not baptized until shortly before his death. “He moved from the capital to a neighboring thermal spa to take the waters, and thence to his mother's city of Helenopolis, where he prayed in the great church that she built in honor of Lucian the Apostle” (MacMullen 183). After his death in A.D. 337, Constantine's body was transferred to Constantinople and buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Without Constantine's determination, Christianity might not have been so widely spread throughout the Roman Empire. Constantine's efforts to convert the people to Christianity practically wiped out Paganism in his time. Rome was rampant with politics and Constantine's agenda was uniting the empire using Christianity as a manipulative tool. Obviously, he was extremely successful. Vast amounts of Rome's population are Christians and have been ever since Constantine's reign over the empire in A.D. 300. There are many symbols representing Christianity in Rome such as The Vatican, The Sistine Chapel, and the many basilicas that stand today. The Nicene Creed, a prayer imposed by Constantine, is another example of the reminiscent third-century Roman Empire and is used in Catholic masses every Sunday. Sunday, a day that Constantine claimed a day of rest and worship, which is another tradition that is alive and well. Constantine is responsible for the direction that religion, government, and politics took during his time and many years to come.