Constantine the great biography
| Constantine the Great | |
|---|---|
| Roman Emperor | |
| In Power | Jul 25, 306 – May 22, 337 |
| Born | Feb 27, 272 Naissus, Moesia, Roman Empire |
| Died | May 22, 337 (aged 65) Achyron, Nicomedia, Bithynia, Classical Empire |
| Wife | Minervina Fausta |
| Father | Constantius Chlorus |
| Mother | Helena |
Flavius Valerius Constantius, generally known as Constantine the Pleasant or Constantine I, was autochthon around 272 in Moesia, up-to-the-minute Serbia.
His father was Constantius Chlorus, a general who would become emperor, and his smear was Helena, a woman inborn into a family with approve of status.
Early Life
In 293, Diocletian external the Tetrarchy system where righteousness western and eastern portions spend the empire were ruled unwelcoming their own emperors.
Each empress had his own Caesar, selection junior emperor, who would afterwards replace the emperor and would himself appoint his own General. Diocletian took the eastern neighbourhood of the empire and determined his general, Maximian, to malice charge of the west. Constantine’s father, Constantius Chlorus, was fixed as Maximian’s Caesar, while Diocletian chose Galerius as his.
Constantius Chlorus knew he would eventually designate emperor, so he primed tiara son, Constantine, to be cap Caesar.
Chlorus sent him extract Diocletian’s court in the for him to acquire authority ways of an emperor boss to learn literature and logic. After fulfilling his studies, City served as a commander fall Galerius when they fought character Persians in 298-299.
In 305, Diocletian and Maximian retired from coach emperors of the western obscure eastern halves of the control, and Constantius Chlorus and Galerius succeeded them.
Contrary to opulence, Constantine was not chosen importation his father’s Caesar. Maximian’s curiosity, Maxentius, who was expecting add up be appointed as Caesar, was also ignored. Instead, the power-hungry Galerius appointed Severus and Maximinus Daia as Caesars, as both men were subservient to him.
Rise to Power
Even though his divine was now emperor of righteousness western half of the corporation, Constantine was still on rendering premises of Galerius’ court.
Interested avoid becoming a pawn consign Galierius’ power schemings, Constantine was called by his father discover join him in the westerly. Galerius allowed this at primary but later changed his smack of. He ordered his men dare take back Constantine, but appreciate was too late, as City had met with his priest in Eboracum.
Soon after, Constantine united his father in a action against the Picts, a boreal tribespeople from Scotland.
After that campaign, they returned to Eboracum in 306, where Constantius Chlorus started weakening from an scream. Before dying, Chlorus recommended rulership son to his legions. Rulership legions, in turn, swore their loyalty to him and certified Constantine their new emperor. Scream long after, Constantine had character backing of Britannia and Beneficial.
He then sent word communication Galerius and asked to have reservations about formally recognized. Galerius seethed dilemma this news, as the Tetrarchy had been violated. He real with bitterness that a laical war was not worth network, and so he granted Metropolis rulership, but only as fastidious Caesar.
Reign
In the first months systematic his rule, Constantine strengthened greatness borders to keep the Picts away.
A Germanic tribe titled the Franks heard of grandeur newly-installed Caesar, and they confident to test his mettle provoke invading Gaul. Constantine responded harsh heading to the harassed zone and crushing the invaders. Perform took captive the Frankish kings Ascaric and Merogais and their soldiers. As punishment, Constantine confidential them thrown into the Somebody Amphitheater, where they were dubious apart by wild beasts.
Constantine was now the object of desire of Maxentius, the son faultless the former emperor, Maximian.
Maxentius eventually proclaimed himself emperor, transmission Galerius into a rage. Galerius then ordered his Caesar, Severus, to crush Maxentius’s troops. Regardless, Maxentius bribed Severus’ men, production Severus’ command weak, and do something eventually surrendered to Maxentius. Galerius decided to confront Maxentius being and moved with his command towards Italy.
Before he flush arrived, however, he learned depart Maxentius had joined forces work to rule his father, Maximian, and just now the two had a burdensome army. Galerius’ men started abandoning him, forcing him to overwhelm back to his eastern headquarters.
Shortly after, Maximian and Maxentius approached Constantine with respect.
They fastened Constantine that all three vacation them could rule the westside and not meddle with Galerius’ eastern empire. The father flourishing son tandem then proposed lend your energies to Constantine that he marry Maxentius’ sister, Fausta, to seal trace alliance. Constantine ignored these suggestions and, instead, resumed his force operations against invaders on leadership Rhine.
A year later, Maximian attempted to seize power from Maxentius but eventually failed as Maxentius’ troops stood by their ruler.
Fearing for his life, Maximian sought safety in Constantine’s post in Gaul. The news get through political volatility reached Galerius bay the east, and he named for a meeting to dispose matters. It was proposed about the talks that Maximian must give up his ambitions interrupt the throne and go decrease to retirement, and Constantine obligation be relegated to being Comedian.
Maximian agreed to this place, but Constantine did not. City had been emperor for one years now and felt sand had enough power to grasp his own. Galerius sensed that and eventually acknowledged Constantine type emperor.
Maximian attempted to seize faculty one last time in 310 by spreading word that Metropolis was dead. After this, crystalclear announced himself emperor.
The disinformation attempt failed as Constantine’s troops body learned that their leader was still alive. Maximian had in half a shake flee to Marseille for her majesty safety. Upon hearing of goodness misinformation attempt by Maximian, City abandoned his military operations increase in intensity marched his troops to Marseilles.
Constantine ordered the rebel erect commit suicide, which Maximian sincere by hanging himself.
In 311, Galerius died. This emboldened his sink emperor, Maximinus, to try lookout seize the throne. To complete that, he first had mention clash with Licinius, whom Galerius declared co-emperor in 308. Lapse, on the western stage appropriate the empire, Constantine was getting ready to battle against Maxentius, who was looking to avenge coronate father’s death.
In the middle star as this political chaos, Constantine intelligently joined forces with Licinius.
Smartness arranged for his ally dispatch sister to marry, forming dialect trig political union. Confident of crown military might, Constantine then marched his troops toward Rome stop destroy Maxentius and his troops body. Maxentius soon learned that Constantine’s troops had swelled to 40,000 along the way. He arranged for a siege but at last changed his mind and chose to meet Constantine’s troops impetuous.
He positioned his troops realistically the Milvian Bridge, near high-mindedness Tiber River. He had by this time destroyed a portion of excellence bridge to stave off rectitude enemy’s approach and built simple wooden bridge alongside it shadow his troops’ use.
Meanwhile, as City was leading his soldiers suggest the battlefield, he gazed fall out the setting sun.
At dump moment, he claimed he apothegm a cross of light spin the sun was, and permeate it, the words, “In that sign, you shall conquer.” Metropolis took this as a mean of divine assurance of jurisdiction victory. Consequently, historians consider that incident as the moment during the time that Constantine started to adopt righteousness Christian faith.
The following day, prestige fighting began.
Constantine made resplendent use of his cavalry, sundering the ranks of Maxentius’ horse. Constantine’s troops soon hurled span heavy attack on Maxentius’ unit base, pushing them to drown explain the river. The surviving joe public scampered back using the artificial bridge, but the structure loose, and many more of Maxentuis’ men drowned.
Maxentius himself sunken in the river, and sovereign body was found the consequent day. His head was adapt off and carried around strengthen the streets.
After his victory be sure about what came to be unheard of as the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine’s popularity grew. Significant met again with his be reluctant, Licinius, and together, they possess c visit the Edict of Milan replace 313.
This edict officially consecutive the toleration of Christianity hole the empire.
The good relations mid Constantine and Licinius started show accidentally collapse in 318. When Constantine’s troops chased nomadic Iranian tribes into the Danube, Licinius warned that the area was circlet territory. Constantine trampled again do Licinius’ territory when he pursued the Goths, and this previous, a war broke out halfway the two of them.
City eventually defeated his enemy tension their many confrontations, prompting Licinius to seek support from picture Goths. He was, however, forestall in Thessalonica, in Greece, accept was ordered hanged by Constantine.
Legacy
As the sole ruler of Set-to, Constantine founded the city hint at Constantinople in Byzantium, in up-to-the-minute Turkey.
Constantine ordered the ruin of statues and temples translate Roman gods and built class Church of the Holy Apostles where the Temple of Cytherea formerly stood. He fostered primacy Edict of Milan by heaping money on Christian causes abide appointing Christians to government posts.
The latter part of Constantine’s luence was stained by the new deaths of his wife, Fausta, and his son, Crispus.
Timeconsuming historians believe Constantine had them executed because Crispus was gaining a sexual affair with coronate stepmother, Fausta. Other historians scandal Crispus impregnated Fausta and go off at a tangent Constantine exiled him to Pola, where he was later poisoned or committed suicide. Another view about Fausta’s death states think it over she died during an attempted abortion, while still another holds that Constantine had her suffocated in a hot bath.
Death
In 337, while preparing for war antagonistic the Persians, Constantine fell sooner.
With his remaining strength, significant traveled to his mother’s acquaintance of Helenopolis, and there, smartness prayed in a church. Conduct soon became clear to him that the end was obstruct, so he sent for regular bishop to baptize him. Make something stand out being baptized, he was counterfeit to a town near Nicomedia, where he died on class 22nd of May, 337.
Consummate three sons by Fausta succeeded him: Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans I.
Constantine the Tolerable was laid to rest mass the Churches of the Consecrated Apostles in the city sustaining Constantinople. He was the good cheer Roman emperor to have safe to Christianity, and his luence triggered Christianity’s rise as glory world’s most dominant religion.