Constantine the Great was a Roman emperor who ruled in the early 4th century AD. He is perhaps best known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. His conversion helped transform Christianity from a persecuted minority religion into an officially favored and powerful religion in the Roman Empire.
Constantine was born around 280 AD in Naissus, in the province of Moesia Superior. His father was Constantius Chlorus, a prominent military leader who became one of the four emperors ruling the Tetrarchy (a system of multiple emperors introduced by Emperor Diocletian). Constantine’s mother was Helena, a woman of humble origins but great faith.
As a young man, Constantine served in the court of Emperor Diocletian and accompanied his father on military campaigns. When Constantius died in 306 AD, Constantine was proclaimed emperor by the army. However, the elevation was controversial, as another emperor, Maxentius, held power in Rome. After years of rivalry, Constantine finally defeated and killed Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, becoming the sole ruler of the western half of the Roman Empire.
According to Christian tradition, the night before this decisive battle, Constantine had a vision or dream in which he saw a flaming cross in the sky with the words “In this sign, conquer.” He ordered his soldiers to adorn their shields with a Christian symbol, the Chi-Rho. After his victory, Constantine became the patron of Christianity and began enacting policies favorable toward Christians.
In 313 AD, Constantine and his co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, a decree that granted religious toleration and effectively legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. This brought an end to the waves of persecution Christians had faced in the previous centuries under pagan emperors. As sole emperor from 324 AD onwards, Constantine took active steps to promote Christianity and establish it as the preeminent religion.
Some of Constantine’s key contributions to Christianity include:
- Halting the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire and granting them full legal rights.
- Confiscating the treasures and estates of Roman temples and bestowing them on the Christian church.
- Building grand Christian basilicas, including the original St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
- Granting the church clerical authority and various privileges.
- Publicly displaying Christian symbols like the Chi-Rho and dedicating the city of Constantinople to the Virgin Mary.
- Establishing Sunday as an official day of rest in the Empire.
- Convening the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD to address the Arian heresy that denied Christ’s divinity. This council produced the Nicene Creed defining orthodox Christian belief.
However, while sympathetic to Christianity, Constantine likely continued to revere some pagan gods as well. He did not make Christianity the sole legal religion of the Empire and tolerated pagan practices. He was not actually baptized as a Christian until just before his death in 337 AD.
Constantine helped reshape the Roman world through his military and political accomplishments. He reunited and reorganized a fractured Empire, building a new imperial capital at Constantinople (modern Istanbul). His victories strengthened and expanded the Empire. Internally, he implemented reforms stabilizing the economy and strengthening the government. Externally, he secured the Empire’s borders and achieved dominance over the Goths, Franks, and Sarmatians.
By granting official toleration and his personal patronage to Christianity, Constantine allowed the faith to flourish and become fully integrated into Roman society. Christianity went from being a persecuted fringe movement to the dominant religion. Constantine’s embrace of Christianity was a major turning point in history that fundamentally changed the development of Europe and Christendom.
Some key verses related to Constantine and early church history include:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 ESV)
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 ESV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Hebrews 1:1-2 ESV)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. (Acts 2:42-43 ESV)
In conclusion, Constantine was a pivotal ruler who dramatically changed the fate of Christianity in the Roman Empire. By ending state-sanctioned persecution and actively promoting the faith, Constantine enabled Christianity to become the dominant religion. His reign marked a key turning point as the faith transitioned from a marginalized group to an institution intertwined with imperial power. Constantine’s policies touched off major changes that still impact Christian tradition today.
While Constantine had flaws and cannot be considered an orthodox saint, he nevertheless occupies an enormously influential place in church history. His decision to embrace Christianity altered the course of Western civilization. Centuries of subsequent social and political developments were shaped by Constantine’s acts of religious toleration and promotion. For better or worse, his towering legacy looms large over Christianity’s rise to preeminence in Europe and beyond.