because in his old age he wore a wig. After the death of his father on, #4 He defeated Maxentius in the famous Battle of the Milvian Bridge, In 311 AD, Maxentius declared war on Constantine, vowing to avenge his father. By mid-311 AD, Constantine, Licinius and Maximian’s son Maxentius were the major powers in Rome. This was following up the work of his great predecessor Diocletian. Relations between these two were full of intrigue. Gibbon wore his own hair tied with a becoming black avow and a diadem and magnificent robes. With this agreement at the end of the year 314, the Empire was divided into two parts. Eusebius gives a curious account of this strange gathering, over which the Emperor, although he was not yet a baptized Christian, presided. Constantine’s share of the Roman Empire consisted of Britain, Gaul, and Spain. This led to the great civil war of 324. Gibbon, however, is of opinion that there was a valid marriage. But Constantine needed to prove his title. Several towns and cities held by Maxentius surrendered in the next few months and Constantine then marched towards Rome where Maxentius had prepared for a siege. It was then decided that the Emperor would not enter the province of another Emperor except when barbarians invade. Sources: Burkhard J. He was baptized by. He was baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia on his deathbed. However, as you learn more about this remarkable figure, you’re going to discover that over the course of his life and rule, he accomplished a great … He is buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Constantine considered it his capital and made it his permanent residence. All these things point to a lonely and forcible mind. 10 Interesting Facts About Constantine The Great, #1 He was the son of Constantius Chlorus and St. Helena, #2 He received his formal education at the court of Roman Emperor Diocletian, In 289 AD, Constantius Chlorus left Helena to marry Theodora, stepdaughter of, #3 Constantine became emperor after the death of his father on July 25, 306 AD, After the retirement of Diocletian and Maximian in May 305 AD, Constantius was promoted to Augustus. His debut self help book "Happiness Decoded" was released in early 2014. Constantine fell seriously ill in the spring of 337. He made a great effort to reconcile these differences in order to have one uniform and harmonious teaching in the community, and at his initiative a general council of the Church was held at Nie ea, a town near Nicomedia and over against Constantinople, in 325. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity and played a crucial role in the spread of the religion. He was comparatively illiterate, he knew little or no Greek. Was Constantine instrumental in translating the Bible from Hebrew to Greek and did he remove the name Yahweh (in the Hebrew) to God in the Greek translation. Due to her influence over her son, Helena played an important part in placing Christianity at the heart of Western Civilization. xviii.). He sat in the midst of the council of Nicaea upon a golden throne, and as he had little Greek, we must suppose he was reduced to watching the countenances and gestures of the debaters, and listening to their intonations. He is buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Historically, it was accepted in many cultures. Constantine’s victory over Licinius marked the rise of Christian and Latin speaking Rome and the decline of Pagan and Greek speaking population. The supply of slave labour had fallen off because the empire was no longer an invading but an invaded power; he turned to serf-dom as the remedy. Despite being nomadic people, they still conquered a good portion of land during their Golden period. We use our own and third party cookies to improve your experience and our services; and to analyze your use of our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you accept their use. He made his real capital at Nicomedia in Bithynia; Constantinople across the Bosphorus was still being built when he died. He was more of an autocrat than any previous emperor had been that is to say, he had less counsel and help. The couple had a son named Crispus. Several towns and cities held by Maxentius surrendered in the next few months and Constantine then marched towards Rome where Maxentius had prepared for a siege. After a short illness in 337 A.D., he died in the suburbs of Nicomedia. Constantine’s first wife was Minervina, whom he married in 303 AD. In 310 AD, Maximian, who had come out of retirement, rebelled against Constantine. No class of public-spirited and trustworthy men remained ; no senate nor council shared and developed his schemes. By defeating Licinius, Constantine became the sole Emperor of the Roman Empire. Century of Constantine the Great, Gibbon E. History of the decline and destruction of the Roman Empire, Kerensky VA Literature on the St. Constantine the Great, Brilliantov AI The Emperor Constantine the Great and the Milan Edict of 313. Here he witnessed Diocletian’s “Great Persecution”, the most severe persecution of Christians in Roman history. Sarmats quickly forget the help they received and begun incursions into the territory of the Empire. When old Arius rose to speak, one Nicholas of Myra struck him in the face, and afterwards many ran out, thrusting their fingers into their ears in affected horror at the old man's heresies. While some scholars believe that he adopted his mother Helena’s Christianity in his youth others say that his conversion to Christianity started after his vision of Christ promising him victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. Constantine triumphantly enters Rome. It appears to be true that he banished his eldest son Crispus, and caused him to be executed at the instigation of the young man's stepmother, Fausta; and it is also recorded that he was afterwards convinced of the innocence of Crispus and caused Fausta to be executed-according to one account by being boiled to death in her bath, and according to another by being exposed naked to wild beasts on a desolate mountain while there is also very satisfactory documentary evidence that she survived him. Constantine won a series of victories and finally forced Licinius to surrender after defeating him at the Battle of Chrysopolis. Today Constantinople lies in Turkey, is known as Istanbul and is the most populous European city. While Licinius gained control of the eastern part of the empire, and the diocese of Pannonia. It is in his manifest understanding of the need of some unifying moral force if the empire was to hold together that his claim to originality lies. This led to the, #7 He founded the city of Constantinople in 324 AD, Constantine’s victory over Licinius marked the rise of Christian and Latin speaking Rome and the decline of Pagan and Greek speaking population. Glima is a Scandinavian martial arts system used by the fearless Vikings. The victory was swift and decisive, and Maxentius was killed in the river. The reason behind the executions of Crispus and Fausta is not known with certainty. Gibbon, because of his anti-Christian animus, is hostile to Constantine; but he admits that he was temperate and chaste. In 326 AD, Constantine had his eldest son Crispus, seized and put to death by “cold poison”. In the early spring of 312, he moved from Gaul to Italy against Maxentius. The views that prevailed at Nicaea are embodied in the Nicene Creed, a strictly Trinitarian statement, and the Emperor sustained the Trinitarian position. Constantine I, who came to be known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman Emperor at the beginning of the 4th century, who won several important battles to reunite the Roman Empire under one emperor after decades of internal conflict. In the ensuing Battle of the Milvian Bridge, Constantine the Great decisively defeated Maxentius, who drowned in the Tiber River during the battle. With co-Emperor Licinius, he issued the Edict of … Rome, however, was losing its luster for him. In fact he sought to make them serfs. His head was paraded through the streets. It was dedicated on 11 May 330 and renamed Constantinople or “Constantine’s City”. Due to his popularity and accomplishments, 10 succeeding Emperors took his name. The figure of Constantine the Great is at least as cardinal in history as that of Alexander the Great or Augustus Caesar. In 289 AD, Constantius Chlorus left Helena to marry Theodora, stepdaughter of Maximian, who had been recently appointed co-emperor by Roman Emperor Diocletian. Constantine saw an opportunity here, the Maxentius army clambered between the hills and the river, was exposed to the attack from the left wing. The same year Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, which made Christianity an officially recognised and tolerated religion in the Roman Empire. In 324, there is a final conflict between these two rulers. Constantine was raised to become a soldier like his father. Century of Constantine the Great The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and Old St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome were built on his orders and numerous other churches owed their development directly or indirectly, to Constantine’s interest. Twins in History – A Blessing or a Curse? All Rights Reserved. Know more about the life, reign, accomplishments, death and contribution to Christianity of Constantine the Great through these 10 interesting facts. Glima – The Nordic Martial Art Practiced by the Vikings, Burkhard J. You have entered an incorrect email address! Copyright @ Turiya Infotainment Private Limited. Constantine fell seriously ill in the spring of 337. The civil war stopped for a short time, then continued with more intensity and greater violence. The second battle between them was in the Mardini Field in Thrace with an undecidable outcome. After a short illness in 337 A.D., he died in the suburbs of Nicomedia. By building a new capital, Byzantium on the Bosfor 330 A. D. (Constantinople) the center of the Empire moved east. After the death of his father Constantius Chlorus on July 26, 306 in York, the Army declared Constantine Augustus. Constantine enters an alliance with Maximianus Herculius, who regained the throne by violence. Constantine the Great (27 Feb c. 272/273 – 22 May 337) Constantine was Roman Emperor (A.D. 306-337). You ended an entire civilisation’s culture by converting your dumb ass to Christianity and killing off the Roman gods. Which ended with the battle of Chrysopolis where Licinius was injured and later killed. Like Diocletian, he seems to have realized the broken-backed outline of his dominions, and to have concentrated his attention on foreign affairs and more particularly on the affairs of Hungary, South Russia, and the Black Sea. Clearly there is nothing solid to be got from this libellous tangle, and such souffle as is possible with these scanty materials is to be found admirably done by Gibbon (chap. Yet if the personality of Constantine the Great remains phantom-like, if the particulars of his domestic life reveal nothing but a vague tragedy, we can, still guess at much that was in his mind. His creative efforts necessitated unprecedently heavy taxation. In March 293 AD, Diocletian established a system of Tetrarchy by appointing two Caesars (junior emperors); and Constantius Chlorus was appointed as Maximian’s Caesar. Licinius resigned Illyria except diocese of Thrace.