- born at Naissus. Son of Canstantius I and Helena.
- When father appointed Caesar (293) Constantine remained at the court of Diocletian as a tribune.
- Fought in a series of campaigns until 305 in the east.
-306 his father Constantius (then Augustus) died while fighting Picts in York. Constantine had joined in during the campaign. His fathers troops proclaimed him Augustus.
- Ruled Spain, Gaul and Britain.
-Gradually built his political claims through a series of alliances with the other major claimants to the titles of Augusti and Caesari.
- Defeated Maxentius's forces near Turion and Verona, then marched on Rome
- Maxentius fought him at Saxa Rubra was defeated and drowned at the Milvian Bridge which crosses the Tiber River
- Defeat of maxentius gave Constantine control of the western provinces.
Key was The Battle at Milvian Bridge – There according to Constantine’s biographer, Constantine received a vision from the Christian God declaring that ‘by this sign you shall conquer.’ The sign was the Chi-Rho, the first two letters in the Greek Cristos (Christ).
(Note: 310 Constantine claimed that Apollo (sun god) appeared before him with winged Nike and the symbol XXX which signified the number of years he'd rule)
From 312 on - Constantine was an advocate of the Christian church.
He issued the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity within the empire.
In the East Constantine vied with Licinius until 324 when he defeated him at the battle of Adrianople, in the Hellespont, and at Chrysopolis. He forced licinius's abdication at Nicomedia that year.
8 November 324 Constantine made his third son Constantius II Caesar and est. Constantinople on the site of Byzantium. The city's dedication 11 May 330 included both pagan and Christian rituals and est. Constantinople as the 'New Rome' second though to Rome itself. One noticeable difference between old and new: the lack of pagan temples in constantinople.
Constantine completed Diocletian's reforms and built upon them.
Constantine and the church –
Constantine was an advocate and supporter of the Christian church. He patronized it, making it a wealthy and powerful ‘imperial’ institution.
He also became its defacto leader