Roman Emperor from 306 to 337, Constantine I is renowned for establishing religious tolerance toward Christianity through the Edict of Milan in 313 and for founding Constantinople in 330. He marks the turning point of the Roman Empire toward Christianity and the East.
Constantine I(272 — 337)
Constantine I
Rome antique
7 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- 312: Victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, allowing him to take control of the western Roman Empire
- 313: Edict of Milan granting religious tolerance to Christians and all other cults
- 325: Convening of the Council of Nicaea to unify Christian doctrine
- 330: Foundation of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) as the new capital of the Empire
- 337: Death of Constantine and Christian baptism shortly before his passing
Works & Achievements
Creation of a new imperial capital on the site of Byzantium, endowed with a senate, a hippodrome, forums, and numerous churches. It would remain the capital of the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years.
Decree of religious tolerance granting freedom of worship to Christians and all religions. It marks the end of persecutions and the beginning of the Christianization of the Empire.
First ecumenical council in Christian history, convened and presided over by Constantine. It established the Nicene Creed and condemned Arianism as heresy.
Constantine ordered the construction of the first St. Peter's Basilica on the Vatican Hill, above the presumed tomb of the Apostle Peter. It was replaced by the current building during the Renaissance.
Built in Jerusalem on the site identified by Helena, Constantine's mother, as the location of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It remains a major pilgrimage site.
Introduction of the gold solidus as the standard currency of the Empire, ensuring remarkable economic stability. This currency remained in use until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Triumphal arch erected by the Senate to commemorate the victory at the Milvian Bridge. Still standing today near the Colosseum, it combines sculpted reliefs from different imperial periods.
Anecdotes
Before the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312, Constantine reportedly had a famous vision: a luminous cross in the sky accompanied by the words "In hoc signo vinces" (By this sign, thou shalt conquer). He had the Chi-Rho (monogram of Christ) painted on his soldiers' shields and went on to defeat Maxentius.
Constantine had his own eldest son Crispus executed in 326, most likely on the basis of accusations made by his second wife Fausta. Shortly afterward, he also had Fausta herself put to death, suffocated in an overheated bath. The exact reasons behind these family tragedies remain a subject of debate among historians.
Constantine was only baptized a Christian on his deathbed in 337, by the Arian bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. Throughout his reign, he had retained the title of pontifex maximus, head of the traditional Roman religion, which reflects a gradual rather than abrupt religious transition.
To build his new capital Constantinople, Constantine brought artworks and columns from across the Empire. He quite literally plundered the pagan temples of Greece and Asia Minor to adorn his city, provoking outrage among many communities stripped of their treasures.
Primary Sources
Eusebius of Caesarea reports that Constantine saw in the sky, above the sun, a trophy in the shape of a cross made of light, bearing the inscription "By this sign, you shall conquer", and that the entire army witnessed the marvel.
"We have decided to grant to Christians as to all others the freedom to follow the religion of their choice, so that the supreme divinity, whose worship we freely honor, may grant us in all things its favor and benevolence."
Eusebius describes Constantine as the instrument chosen by God to put an end to persecutions and restore peace in the Church, comparing him to Moses liberating the chosen people from tyranny.
Lactantius recounts that Constantine received in a dream the order to trace the heavenly sign of God on his soldiers' shields before the Battle of Milvian Bridge, and that he obeyed at once.
Key Places
Founded in 330 on the site of ancient Byzantium, this new capital established by Constantine became the center of imperial power and the largest city in the medieval world for centuries.
Site of the decisive battle of 312 where Constantine defeated Maxentius. It is here that, according to tradition, the vision of the cross changed the course of religious history.
City in Asia Minor where Constantine convened the first ecumenical council in 325, which formulated the Nicene Creed, the foundation of Christian doctrine.
Constantine's birthplace in the Roman province of Moesia. It is today the third largest city in Serbia, which preserves significant Roman remains.
Constantine's imperial residence in Gaul between 306 and 316. The Constantine Basilica (Aula Palatina) and the Porta Nigra are still visible there.
Typical Objects
Military standard bearing the Chi-Rho monogram (the Greek letters Chi and Rho intertwined), adopted by Constantine after his vision before the Battle of Milvian Bridge. It became the symbol of the Christian imperial army.
Gold coin introduced by Constantine around 309, weighing 4.5 grams. It became the reference currency of the Mediterranean world for more than seven centuries.
📷 CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Constantine was the first emperor to permanently wear a diadem adorned with precious stones, breaking with the tradition of the simple laurel wreath and asserting a power of divine right.
Toga and cloak dyed with murex, reserved exclusively for the emperor. Constantine reinforced the laws forbidding anyone else from wearing this color.
Scepter topped with a cross that Constantine adopted for official ceremonies, symbolizing the union of imperial power and the Christian faith.
Fragment of a gigantic statue of Constantine once installed in the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome. The head alone measures more than 2.5 meters tall, visible today at the Capitoline Museums.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
Constantine rose at dawn in his apartments in the imperial palace. After a toilet assisted by cubicularii (chamber servants), he donned the purple and received reports from his advisors and spies. He devoted the morning to official audiences, seated on a raised throne in the great consistory hall.
Afternoon
The afternoon was dedicated to military and administrative affairs: reviewing provincial reports, signing imperial rescripts, receiving foreign ambassadors. Constantine sometimes attended chariot races at the Hippodrome, the population's favorite spectacle, from the imperial box (kathisma) connected directly to the palace.
Evening
In the evening, Constantine attended official banquets where multiple courses were served on gold and silver tableware, accompanied by musical entertainment. He then withdrew for prayer and the reading of Christian texts, a practice he encouraged at court. Praetorian guards kept watch throughout the night.
Food
The imperial table offered refined Roman cuisine: roasted meats (pork, poultry, game), fresh fish from the Propontis, vegetables seasoned with garum (fermented fish sauce), white wheat breads, Mediterranean fruits, and honey. Wine, diluted with water, was served in chiseled silver cups.
Clothing
Constantine wore a white silk tunic embroidered with gold, covered by the paludamentum, a purple cloak fastened at the shoulder with a gold fibula set with precious stones. He permanently wore a gem-encrusted diadem, bracelets, and red leather shoes, a color reserved for the emperor.
Housing
Constantine resided successively in several imperial palaces: in Trier, in Rome, and then in the Great Palace of Constantinople, which he had built. The latter was an immense complex of marble halls, gardens, private baths, and chapels, overlooking the Bosphorus and connected to the Hippodrome.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Visual Style
Esthétique du Bas-Empire romain mêlant grandeur antique classique et premiers symboles chrétiens, avec mosaïques dorées, pourpre impériale et lumière divine, dans un style proto-byzantin monumental.
Sound Ambience
Ambiance d'un palais impérial à Constantinople au IVe siècle, mêlant chants liturgiques chrétiens, rumeur de la cour, acclamations de l'Hippodrome et bruits du port sur le Bosphore.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Fondation de Constantinople
324-330
Édit de Milan
313
Concile de Nicée
325
Basilique Saint-Pierre de Rome (première)
vers 326-333
Basilique du Saint-Sépulcre
vers 326-335
Réforme monétaire du solidus
309-312
Arc de Constantin à Rome
315
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