Constantine: An Absolute Leader Of The Christian Empire

Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman Emperor who reigned between 306 and 337. He was the son of Constantius I, who was appointed Augustus of the western regions of the Roman Empire, under Diocletian’s tetrarchy, and his first wife Helena. He was acclaimed emperor of the Roman army following the death of his father in 306. Following the defeat of his co-emperor Maxentius in 312 at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine became the sole emperor of the Western Roman Empire. His victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge has been credited as the catalyst for his conversion to Christianity and subsequent legislation such as the edict of Milan which allowed Christians the freedom to worship and facilitated

Constantine was a very influential leader throughout his life. He was able to accomplish many things, everything from making a major world religion possible, to running a successful empire. It all started when he was born in around 280 CE in Naissus, Moesia, to father Flavius Valerius and mother Helena. His father became Roman emperor in around 305 CE. He was elected to the position of emperor by Maximalla, who was the emperor of Western Rome at the time. While his father was alive, Constantine was sent off to Eastern Rome, where he received a great education and became fluent in both Greek and Latin. This is when most historians agree that he was introduced to Christianity. Constantine then went back to Western Rome where he would take over the position of emperor after his father died. At the age of 57, Constantine got sick and died in Constantinople on May 22, 337 CE. Throughout his whole life, Constantine made many efficacious and influential contributions as a leader, and he was a great example of the Gerstell academy definition of leadership and the Principles and Attributes.

Constantine the Great was the emperor of Rome and was the Roman Emperor from 306 to 337 AD. During his reign he was the first Christian Emperor; and in various different ways, Constantine changed the lives of his people. Constantine kept his empire stable and his people from turning on him by allowing Christianity in the empire, conquering and gaining more land, and lastly creating Constantinople.

In 306 C. E Constantine became Emperor of the Rome. In the Roman Empire Constantine was the first Christian Emperor to rule. In 337 Constantine the great died.

Constantine is best remembered in modern times for the Edict of Milan in 313, which fully legalized Christianity in the empire for the first time. Constantine’s edict gave Christians the right to openly practice their faith. Until then, they had met in the homes of fellow believers. Within a year of edit, Constantine ordered the building of churches throughout the empire. Although some Christians were very worried about the future of the churches if it became too close with the empire. The only people edit mentioned by name were the Christian, and the laws that came afterwards radically limited the rights of Jews as citizens of the Roman Empire.

Constantine issued the Edict of Milan to proclaimed and promoted religious tolerance in the Roman Empire. The edict of Milan allowed people to live together as one and have heart of toleration of Christianity religion within the Empire. It was the historic agreement between Emperor Constantine the great and the brave and wise Licinius in Milan. The agreement also brought peace and stabilities among people of west and eastern of Roman Empire governed by two different emperors. Constantine the great was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity and he did so for many reasons. Constantine I converted to Christianity because he wanted to become a true believer of God and united the Roman Empire. Constantine also converted to Christianity

The conversion of Roman Emperor, Constantine, marked the start of a reform that would change Rome forever. A once pagan society, Rome was one of the last to grasp the Christianity concept. The start of “Christianizing” Rome began with two of Jesus’ disciples, Peter and James, as well as the apostle Paul in the Roman province of Antioch during the first century ("New Women of Color Study Bible" 1742). From this, Christianity spread all over the province, by the time it got to Rome it was not widely practiced. It wasn’t until the reign of Constantine that Christianity took its place as the empires forefront religion. Since Rome was known for its worship and idolizing of gods, how and for what reasons did Constantine transform his subjects’ beliefs? According to authors, Ramsay MacMullen, John Curran, and A.H.M. Jones, a number of tactics were used to sway the masses’ minds. Use of coercion, money, and campaigns aided Constantine’s questionable Christian “cleanse”.

While Constantine I ruled the Roman Empire, Christianity became the overriding faith of Rome. 5 While Constantine I had been exposed to Christianity during childhood through his mother, Helena, he was never a true believer. Many Christian sources write that Constantine received a revelation in 312 before the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

Once Constantine became the ruler of the entire Western Roman Empire, he met with Licinius, the co-emperor of the eastern empire, in Milan in 313. The intended purpose of this visit was to secure an alliance between the two rulers by the marriage of Constantine's half-sister Constantia to Lucinius. It was at this time that the emperors established what is now known as the Edict of Milan. It granted the freedom to pursue any religion within the empire, not just Christianity. Christianity was merely made legal at this point, not the state-sponsored religion. The edict also granted the return of properties seized from Christians by governors. Maximinus Daia, who was the co-ruler of the eastern empire invaded Lucinian territory in the Balkans and was defeated by Lucinius' army. After a time, relations soured between Constantine and Lucinius. Lucinius eventually went back on the agreement made during the Edict of Milan and in 322 and began persecuting Christians once again (Constantine I). This led to the conflict between him and Constantine in 324, which was viewed as a war of religious beliefs in which Lucinius and his army of Goth mercenaries represented ancient pagan beliefs, and Constantine and his army of Francs represented Christianity. The opposing armies met at Adrianople on the third of July and eventually led to Constantine besieging the city of Byzantium with his ground troops and naval fleet.

Constantine I widely known as Constantine the Great was a Roman Emperor that became the first Roman Emperor to declare his religion as Christianity. Constantine led the Roman Empire from 313 – 337 A.D. until his death in May of 337 A.D. Constantine played a great role in the history of Christianity and the creation of a new capital in the Roman Empire – Constantinople.

Christians went from being persecuted to dominating Rome rather quickly. In a world where separation between church and state does not exist, a Christian becoming the sole emperor of Rome symbolized a huge turning point in history. The power switched and the Pagans in turn became persecuted. Christians rose up and took control of all aspects of Roman society. The Pagan past was destroyed, banned, or forgotten about. Those Christians that did not agree with how things were being run either left the empire and became monks or formed their own sect. All of Rome changed.

In 527 AD, Justinian took control of the Byzantine Empire. Although it is currently referred to as the Byzantine Empire, many citizens and leaders, including Justinian, considered themselves to be Roman and part of the Roman Empire. This mentality led to the revival of the Roman Empire in Byzantine and in its capital, Constantinople. During his rule, Justinian led the empire to its greatest size both in the amount of controlled land and influence over groups in Europe and Asia. He also contributed to the spread of Christianity both within the Byzantine Empire and without. Finally, Justinian preserved Roman laws for the Byzantine Empire and other European systems of government. Justinian’s successful emulation and revival of the Roman Empire through his beautification and improvements on Constantinople and other parts of the Byzantine Empire, strong support of Christianity and role in its growth as a major religion, and his codification of Byzantine law benefited the Byzantine Empire and the surrounding regions.

Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was the first Christian Roman Emperor to establish the Christianity religion among his own establishment, Constantinople, and spread it to neighboring cities. In 324, Constantine became a sole emperor and moved his capitol from Rome to Byzantium with worries that it will divide the kingdoms. The kingdoms were not pleased about the transition so to resolve its internal disputes, Constantine legalized Christianity and made himself leader of the Christian Church.

When we look back at Christianity over the years, there are several people who are remembered for their impact on the religion. The first most important figure was Jesus Christ. However, if we travel forward a bit, into the 4th Century we come across Constantine. Historians agree that Constantine served as an important component in the spread of Christianity. Although he spread the religion in a massive way, others wonder if his methods were more harmful then anything. In this paper I will be discussing Constantine in his rise to power and his impact on Christianity. Constantine provided a mean for the word of God to be spread, which is a major benefit. However, He also used violence and hate as

Next, Constantine moved the capital from Rome to the east. He chose the Greek city of Byzantium. In 330, after expanding and enriching the city, it was dedicated as New Rome, but it was called Constantinople, meaning “the city of Constantine.” Constantinople became the capital of Christianity in the east, while Rome dominated the religion in the west.