Constantine I

Constantine I was a Roman emperor who ruled from 306 to 337 CE. He is best known for being the first emperor to convert to Christianity and for establishing Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire. He also played a crucial role in the development of Christian doctrine and church organization. Constantine was born in Naissus, Moesia (now Niš, Serbia) around 272 CE. His father was Constantius Chlorus, a Roman army officer who later became one of the four rulers of the Tetrarchy. His mother was Helena, a Greek woman of low birth and a Christian. Constantine served with distinction under the emperors Diocletian and Galerius in the eastern provinces. He fought against the Persians and the Sarmatians and earned the title of tribune. In 305 CE, Diocletian and Maximian abdicated as senior emperors and Constantius and Galerius became their successors. Constantine joined his father in Britain and helped him defeat the Picts. When Constantius died in 306 CE, his troops proclaimed Constantine as augustus (emperor) in York. However, this was not recognized by Galerius, who appointed Severus II and Maximinus Daia as his caesars (junior emperors). Thus began a series of civil wars that lasted until 324 CE. Constantine faced several rivals for the imperial throne. The most formidable ones were Maxentius, the son of Maximian who controlled Italy and Africa, and Licinius, a friend of Galerius who ruled over the Balkans and Asia Minor. Constantine defeated Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 CE, after he reportedly had a vision of a cross in the sky with the words "In this sign conquer". He attributed his victory to the Christian God and issued the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, which granted religious freedom to all subjects of the empire. Constantine also allied himself with Licinius against Maximinus Daia and defeated him in 313 CE. However, he soon fell out with Licinius over religious and political issues. He fought against him in several battles and finally defeated him at the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324 CE. He became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire and moved his capital to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (now Istanbul) after himself. Constantine was a patron of Christianity and a protector of the church. He convened the first ecumenical council at Nicaea in 325 CE, which condemned the heresy of Arianism and affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity. He also built several churches and basilicas in Rome, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Antioch, Nicomedia, and Constantinople. He promoted Christian clergy and officials to high positions in his administration. He also reformed the coinage system by introducing the solidus, a gold coin that became the standard for Byzantine and European currencies for more than a thousand years. Constantine died on May 22, 337 CE at Achyron, near Nicomedia (now İzmit, Turkey). He was baptized on his deathbed by Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian bishop. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, where he had prepared a splendid mausoleum for himself. He was succeeded by his three sons, Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans I, who divided the empire among themselves. Constantine is regarded as one of the most influential and significant emperors in Roman history. He is also revered as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and some Lutheran churches. His feast day is May 21 in the Eastern churches and June 3 in the Western churches. He is also known as Constantine the Great or Saint Constantine.