Then again, there are still no Christian symbols, and Victory and the Sun God are honored. Christians were more populous and vocal in the East than they were in Rome, so during the last 14 years of his reign, "Bullneck" could openly proclaim himself a Christian. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. So, bolstered by the prophecy, Maxentius left the city to meet his foe. … But the Almighty God, who sits in the court of heaven, granted what I did not deserve.". CTWeekly delivers the best content from ChristianityToday.com to your inbox each week. The short answer is, "Yes, Constantine was Christian," or seems to have said he was, but it belies the complexity of the issue. This praise-filled biography came from the hand of Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and perhaps Constantine's greatest admirer. Here are some responses from the Ancient / Classical History forum. Presiding at the council, Constantine was magnificent: arranging elaborate ceremony, dramatic entrances and processions, and splendid services. He ran the meeting himself. But Constantine was still miles away. He ruled during the 4th century, and some of his important accomplishments include his support of Christianity, construction of the city of Constantinople, and the continuance of the reforms of Diocletian. He may have been Christian since 312 when he won the Battle at the Milvian Bridge, although the accompanying medallion showing him with the Sol Invictus deity a year later raises questions. We especially, who had fixed our hopes upon the Christ of God, had gladness unspeakable. CTWeekly delivers the best content from ChristianityToday.com to your inbox each week. Maxentius, vying for supremacy in the West, waited in Rome with his Italian troops and the elite Praetorian Guard, confident no one could successfully invade the city. He had no desire to impose his newfound faith as a state religion. A contemporary of Constantine and a Christian, who became bishop of Caesarea in 314, Eusebius describes the series of events: The fifth-century historian Zosimus writes about the pragmatic reasons for Constantine seeming to embrace the newish faith: Constantine may not have been a Christian until his deathbed baptism. He proceeded to create the conditions we call "state-church" and bequeathed the ideal to Christians for over a thousand years. Historians remain uncertain about Constantine's reasons for favoring Christianity, and theologians and historians have argued about which form of Early Christianity he subscribed to. The story goes that Constantine had a vision of the words "in hoc signo vinces" upon the symbol of Christianity, a cross, that led him to promise to follow the Christian religion if victory were granted. Since the sins of worldly men, especially those with public duties, were considered incompatible with Christian virtue, some church leaders delayed baptizing such men until just before death. While the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (reigned 306–337) ruled, Christianity began to transition to the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. In 323 Constantine triumphed over Licinius and became the sole ruler of the Roman world. The first Life of Constantine describes its subject as "resplendent with every virtue that godliness bestows." The new capital was dedicated as New Rome, but everyone soon called the city Constantinople. "The struggle for deathlessness," he said, "must be free." For example, on the Arch of Constantine, which celebrates his Milvian Bridge victory, pagan sacrifices usually depicted on Roman monuments are absent. When he awoke early the next morning, the young commander obeyed the message and ordered his soldiers to mark their shields with the now famous Chi-Rho. get one year free. Subscribe to CT and
As the story goes, Christ himself told Constantine in a dream to take the cross into battle as his standard. Please add your opinion to the forum thread. After the Council of Nicaea, the real fight for the divinity of Christ began. Constantine waited until death drew near to be baptized as a Christian. Once supreme in the West, Constantine met Licinius, the ruler of the Balkan provinces, and issued the famous Edict of Milan that gave Christians freedom of worship and directed the governors to restore all the property seized during the severe Diocletian persecution. Constantine —also known as Emperor Constantine I or Constantine the Great—decreed tolerance for Christians in the Edict of Milan, convened an ecumenical council to discuss Christian dogma and heresy, and constructed Christian edifices in his new capital city (Byzantium/ Constantinople, now Istanbul) How Old Is 'the Dream of the Rood' and What Does It Mean? What religion he had, many argue, was at best a blend of paganism and Christianity for purely political purposes. 41, No. In 314 Constantine sent a message to the assembled bishops at the Council of Arles. He seemed to begin where his father left off: more or less a monotheist opposed to idols, and more or less friendly toward Christians. While many of his actions cannot be defended, he did bid farewell to the old Roman gods and make the cross an emblem of Victory in the world. N.S. Most people consider Constantine a Christian from the Milvian Bridge in 312, but he wasn't baptized until a quarter century later. He gave his sons an orthodox Christian education, and his relationship with his mother was generally happy, but he continued to act as a typical Roman emperor. Get the inside story with this official newsletter of the global media ministry. Some think him an unprincipled power seeker. [For this theory, read "Constantine's Conversion: Do We Really Need It?" To settle the matter, Constantine called together a council of the bishops at Nicea, a city near the capital. Meanwhile, Constantine saw a vision in the afternoon sky: a bright cross with the words By this sign conquer. Christianity Today strengthens the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel. The victory enabled Constantine to move the seat of government permanently to the East, to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium (now Istanbul). For a decade, though, he wavered. Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Constantinople: Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Why Nat Turner's Rebellion Made White Southerners Fearful, Perun, Slavic God of the Sky and Universe, Garden of Gethsemane: History and Archaeology, M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota. ", Constantine's faith was still imprecise, but few questioned its authenticity. Was the deathbed conversion of Constantine the act of a moral pragmatist? 420-438.] By adopting Christianity as the religion of the vast Roman Empire, he elevated a once illegal cult to the law of the land. His decision was not unusual in a day when many Christians believed one could not be forgiven after baptism. Maxentius turned to pagan oracles, finding a prophecy that the "enemy of the Romans" would perish. Constantine I was one of the famed emperors of Rome and the first to profess Christianity. The would-be emperor attempted to escape over the wooden bridge erected to span the stream, but his own army-turned-mob, pressing through the narrow passage, forced him into the river, where he drowned by the weight of his armor. Constantine entered Rome the undisputed ruler of the West, the first Roman emperor with a cross in his diadem. 4 (Winter, 1987), pp. Subscribe to CT magazine for full access to the. "You are bishops whose jurisdiction is within the church," he told them. 1-12. "I have experienced this in others and in myself, for I walked not in the way of righteousness. "But I also am a bishop, ordained by God to oversee those outside the church.". Certainly, Constantine held to ideals we no longer share. Constantine may have been Christian since before he became emperor. 1 (Jan. 1975), pp. Emperor who made Christianity "the" Roman religion, Converting the Empire: Early Church Evangelism, The first Christian emperor inaugurated a new era in Palestine. 55, No. Get the best from CT editors, delivered straight to your inbox! Roman Empire: Battle of the Milvian Bridge, The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicea. Constantine's Christian mother, St. Helena, may have converted him or he may have converted her. The achievement brought new difficulties. It is the classic image that prevailed in Eastern Christianity for more than a thousand years. He ordered the execution of his eldest son, his second wife, and his favorite sister's husband. Yet he clearly believed he was a Christian, and he looked back to a battle at the Milvian Bridge, just outside the walls of Rome, as the decisive hour in his newly found faith. Today, depending on which branch and denomination of Christianity you're following, Constantine might not count as a Christian without the baptism, but it's not an event that clear in the first few centuries of Christianity when Christian dogma had yet to be fixed. By the time Constantine was 31, he was in line to become emperor of the western empire—and more. His father, Constantius Chlorus, was already a Roman official on the rise. In the spring of 311, with 40,000 soldiers behind him, Constantine rode toward Rome to confront an enemy whose numbers were four times his own. This praise-filled biography came from the hand of Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and perhaps Constantine's greatest admirer. Historians now debate whether "the first Christian emperor" was a Christian at all. The Journal of Religion, Vol. by T. G. Elliott; Phoenix, Vol. He enlarged and enriched the city at enormous expense and built magnificent churches throughout the East. He wrote about how God does not allow people "to wander in the shadows" but reveals to them salvation: "I have experienced this in others and in myself, for I walked not in the way of righteousness. In 325 the Arian controversy threatened to split the newly united empire. Why Did Constantine Wait Until He Was Dying to Be Baptized? Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Helena, the daughter of an innkeeper and Constantius's wife, gave birth to Constantine around A.D. 280 in Naissus, just south of the Danube. The Roman Emperor Constantine (c 280 - 337 A.D.) was one of the most influential personages in ancient history. Unfortunately he could not follow abstract arguments or subtle issues and often found himself at a great disadvantage at these councils. Maxentius's troops fled in disarray toward the surging Tiber. A daily newsletter featuring the most important and significant events on each day in Christian History. No one seems to be able to explain fully his reasons. Christianity made state religion of Roman Empire. Of Constantine's early years, we know only that he was born in Illyria, a region in the Balkans. Constantine—also known as Emperor Constantine I or Constantine the Great—decreed tolerance for Christians in the Edict of Milan, convened an ecumenical council to discuss Christian dogma and heresy, and constructed Christian edifices in his new capital city (Byzantium/Constantinople, now Istanbul). He knew nothing of religion without politics or politics without religion. See: "Religion and Politics at the Council at Nicaea," by Robert M. Grant. Only through the years did his Christian convictions grow. Ancient Historians on the Conversion of Constantine. He was also a gifted mediator, now bringing his skill in public relations to the management of church affairs. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. … But the Almighty God, who sits in the court of heaven, granted what I did not deserve.". For Expats and Missionaries, COVID-19 Was a Crossroads, How the ‘World’s Largest Family’ Survived a Global Pandemic. At the Council of Nicea, Constantine the Great settled Christian doctrine for … Though accounts vary, Constantine apparently believed the omen to be a word from God. But Constantine's army was already overwhelming his foes in Italy as he marched toward the capital. Eusebius in his Church History recorded the Christian jubilation: "The whole human race was freed from the oppression of the tyrants.