Constantine the Great

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Constantine was born in Naissus on 27 February in AD 285. He was the son of Helena, an inn keeper's daughter, and Constantius Chlorus. Constantine became a member of the court of Diocletian when his father, Constantius Chlorus was elevated to the rank of Caesar. He proved an officer of much promise serving under Diocletian's Caesar Galerius against the Persians. Later on, He was leading a battle against Maxentius, and on his way to rome, he saw a flaming cross in the sky that said “By this sign, thou shall conquer.” The next day his army was victorious against the more numerous army.

Constantine saw this victory as directly related to the vision he had had the night before. Henceforth Constantine saw himself as an 'emperor of the Christian people'. With his victory over Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine became the dominant figure in the empire. The senate warmly welcomed him to Rome and the two remaining emperors, Licinius and Maximinus II Daia could do little else but agree to his demand that he henceforth should be the senior Augustus In this position, he ordered Maximinus to cease his repression of the Christians. Despite this turn toward Christianity, Constantine remained for some years still very tolerant of the old pagan religions.

As time went on Constantine should become ever more involved with the Christian church. He appeared at first to have very little hold of the basic beliefs governing Christian faith. But, gradually he became more acquainted with them, So much so that he sought to resolve theological disputes among the church itself. This willingness to resolve matters through peaceful debate showed one side of Constantine, and his brutal enforcement of the decisions reached at meetings showed the other.

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