Constantine The Great
Farah Alkurdy, and Eliza Stougaard
Who was Constantine
Constantine was born in Naissus, upper Moesia in roughly AD 285. He was the son of Helena, and Constantius Chlorus. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to accept Christianity and become Christian. From Constantines time Christianity became an accepted Roman Religion. He was baptized on his deathbed, and made Christianity the official Roman Religion solely for political gain.
Constantine's Parents
Constantine comes from a family of very successful people. His father Constantius was an officer in the Roman army. Constantine once joined his father and assisted him in Britain in a campaign against the Picts. Constantius later died on the 25th of July. Constantine's mother, Helena also known as Saint Helena is traditionally credited with finding the relics of the True Cross.
Contantine's Rule as Emperor
In AD 306 Constantius Chlorus died of illness at Ebucarum (York), shortly after, the troops hailed Constantine as the new Augustus. He later married Fausta, whose father was named Maximiam. Maximiam got in an argument with Maxentius and seeked shelter at Constantine's. Then well away on a conference Maximiam turns against Constantine trying to take his thrown he was either executed or he committed suicide. Then Constantine and Maxentius have a battle and the night before the battle its said that Constantine had a dream that he saw the symbol of Christ shining above the sun. Maxentius is defeated and Constantine sees this as a sign so he fights the other Augustis until there is only one left Licinius. In the end after many battles Linicius was imprisoned and later executed. Now Constantine was the sole emperor of the entire roman world. He was said to make very harsh laws, but he also had great achievements like making the city Constantinople.
What did Constantine do?
Aside from making Christianity an accepted religion in Rome, Constantine did much more to help the community. Constantine was a great ruler. He defeated many emperors including Maxentius and Licinius. He also fought succesfully against the Franks, Alamanni, VIisigoths, and Sarmatians. Not only did Constantine defeat these major emperors, he also resettled parts of Dacia, which had been Abandoned in the previous century. Constantine was a great influence on Romans, and a great ruler as well.
Constantine's Last Months
Constantine in his old age wore false hair of various colors carefully arranged, a diadem of costly gems, and a robe of silk embroidered with flowers of gold. There had been no important wars during the last fourteen years of his reign. Constantine the Great reigned thirty years,which is the longest period for any Augustus. Constantine, even though he professed the Christian faith, wasn't baptized until a short time before his death. Constantine died on May 22, A.D. 337, at his palace at Nicomedia, he was sixty-four.