THE LEGACY OF EMPEROR CONSTANTINE C. 272-337

Abstract

Constantine ruled as Roman emperor from 306 to 337. Christians consider him the first Christian emperor in history, receiving the title of “the Great.” Before his reign, Christianity faced persecution as a grass-roots movement, especially severe under preceding emperor Diocletian. In 313, Constantine’s Edict of Milan permitted the toleration of Christianity, but he encouraged and promoted this increasingly influential movement as a unifying force within his vast state. He ordered church construction projects and conducted financial, military, political, and social reforms across the empire. He oversaw the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to resolve doctrinal disputes and formulate a standard Christian profession of faith (Nicene Creed). Constantine proved overall to be an effective ruler who briefly was able to bring about unity to the declining Roman Empire. Though converting only upon his deathbed, his reign contributed to the Christian faith’s cultural flourishing in his empire. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians regard him and his mother, Helena, as saints. In particular, the Orthodox Church acknowledges him as the first East Roman (Byzantine) emperor, since he relocated the new imperial capital in 330 from Rome in Italy to Constantinople (City of Constantine) now in Turkey. Concerning his admittedly complex legacy, this period marked the beginning of state control in church affairs for many centuries.