Constantine the Great

Roman Emperor Constantine I whose full name is Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus lived from 280 AD to 337 AD. He became a ruler in the still growing empire in the year 306. While his tenure ws littered with accomplishments, he is first and foremost remembered as the first Christian Emperor, who did much for the spread of Christianity.

Constantine was born to Constantinius Chlorus and Helena. Before she married Constantinius, Helena worked at an inn. Her meager background ws very influential to her son Constantine. As a child, he was educated, and he became proficient in Greek as well as an expert in philosophy. After the death of his father Constantinius, Constantine, as part of the newly incorporated tetrarchy, became the ruler of the west.

His portion covered Britain, Gaul, Spain, and Germania. Constantine built a bridge across the Rhine, so he could build a stronghold. He brought stability to the region, which saw little fighting while he ruled. Constantine conquered Italy and convinced the other rulers to promote religious tolerance.

Licinius, ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire, was executed for plotting the assassination of Constantine. This meant that Constantine was now the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He immediately began making changes. He chenged the name of Byzantium to New Rome. He also gave the East the role of learning, cultural preservation, and prosperity. He gave New Rome its own Senate and civic offices, and he protected the city with numerous holy relics.

There is much consternation about when he became a Christian; however, Constantine was forty before he actually revealed his Christianity. This was a watershed event for the christian community. Not only was Christian persecution ended, but Constantine also saw to it that confiscated church property was returned. hile similar edicts had been enacted by other rulers, no one took the laws serious until a self-proclaimed Christian was ruler.

Constantine made it well known that he credited the Empire's success to the Christian God. During his life, he supported the church in many ways. He gave money, built more churches (including the Church of the Holy Roman Sepulchre and Old Saint Peter's Basilica), and was the first to incorporate church exemptions into the tax laws. He also allowed Christians to become high ranking officials. In addition, Constantine felt that he was personally responsible for the spiritual health of his people, and he did his best to eradicate heresy. For this reason, he made many laws that restricted the rights of Jews.

Constantine outlawed the repair of pagan holy sites. Instead, he felt the money should go to Christian clergymen. He also made many laws which improved the lives of his people. He made jobs like butchery and bakery hereditary., and he changed the occupation of tenant farming into serfdom, which influenced all of Europe well into the middle ages.

Constantine earned the respect of his people by making laws that banned elopements and the over taxin of citizens. He instituted a law that entitled prisoners to daily outdoor time. He endd the practice of crucifixion, and he instated a day of rest.

Since his death, much of Constantine's life has been overhsadowed by myth. Stories tell of a miraculous cure from leprosy, and Geoffrey of Monmouth goes as far as to dub him a King of Briton. Monmouth wrote, in his Historia, that Helena, Constantine's mother, was in fact the daughter of the mythical King Cole. While these stories are obviously false, they only add to the mythos that is Constantine the Great.