Constantine I

  • Constantine I (307-337 CE), also known as Constantine the Great and St. Constantine, was the first Christian Roman Emperor.
  • He reunited the eastern and western Empires and ended the Roman Persecution of Christians by the Edict of Milan (313 CE).

1. BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

2. GOOD OR BAD EMPEROR

  • CONSTANTINE’S CHARACTER:
    • During his Rule, Constantine was portrayed as a virtuous Emperor.
  • CONSTANTINE’S POPULARITY:
    • He was an authoritarian figure, but had granted religious tolerance for the first time in over 300 years.
  • CONSTANTINE WAS FAMOUS BECAUSE:
    • Constantine was the first Christian Roman Emperor.
    • He is called ‘Constantine the Great’ because he was the Roman Emperor who passed the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, giving Christianity a legal basis within the Roman Empire and ending the Diocletianic Persecution.
    • He founded Constantinople as the ‘New Rome’, the new capital of the Roman Empire. This laid the basis for the split between the Eastern Roman Empire and Western Roman Empire.
  • FAMOUS QUOTES BY CONSTANTINE:

3. CONSTANTINE’S RISE TO POWER

Constantine’s early life

Constantine’s Rise to Power (305-307 CE)

  • On 1st May 305 CE Diocletian announced his succession: But instead of promoting Constantine and Maxentius to become Co-Emperors as everyone anticipated, Maxentius was made Assistant to Constantius, whilst Constantine was made Assistant to Galerius. This put Constantine in considerable danger. Constantius made a request for Constantine to join him in Britannia. Constantine was granted permission from Galerius, but fled on horseback during the night, in case Galerius changed his mind.
  • 25 July 306 CE Constantius I Chlorus his Father, the Co-Emperor in the West, died at York. The Legio VI Victrix then declared Constantine Emperor, as his Father’s heir. Constantine then requested recognition of his claim from Galerius, who reluctantly acknowledged him and sent him the purple robes.
  • After consolidating defensive works in Britannia, Constantine moved to Trier.
  • During the winter of 306-307 CE the Franks invaded Gaul. Constantine captured the Frankish Army and two Frankish Kings, who were afterwards fed to the wild animals in the Amphitheatre at Trier.
  • From Trier he commanded the eight Legions on the Rhine, and proceeded to expand Trier as a major Capital City with many great buildings, in particular the Constantine Basilica completed in c.310 CE.
  • He ruled over Britannia, Gaul and Spain.
  • Constantine then conquered an uprising by the Alemanni.

Rebellion of Maxentius (306-312 CE)

  • On 28 October 306 CE, Maxentius crowned himself Emperor, instead of Constantine.
  • Galerius sent Severus with his Legions to remove Maxentius, but the Legions defected to Maxentius and took Severus prisoner.
  • In 307 CE, Maxentius‘ Father, Maximian, offered his daughter Fausta in marriage to Constantine in exchange for a political alliance and military help. Constantine divorced Minervina and married Fausta.
  • Maximian then joined his son Maxentius in Rome. By 308 CE, after failing to take over power, he returned to Constantine’s Court at Trier.
  • In 308 CE Instead of sending the Rhine Legions to Italy, Constantine conducted Raids on the Bructeri across the Rhine.
  • In 11 November 308 CE Galerius summoned a Council at Carnuntum, to discuss the crisis, bringing Diocletian out of retirement to attend.
  • Maximian was forced to attend, and made to abdicate. Licinius, Galerius’ General, was made Emperor of the West.

Rebellion of Maximian (310 CE)

  • In 310 CE Constantine attacked the Franks, but sent Maximian with an army to Arles to prevent Maxentius from trying to attack. However, Maximian announced that Constantine was dead, declared himself Emperor and wore the purple robes.
  • Constantine descended with his Legions down the Rhone to Lyon (Lugdunum) and arrived in Arles (Arelate).
  • Maximian meanwhile, moved to a better position at Marseille (Massilia), but the city opened its gates to Constantine, and Maximian was captured. In July Maximian was forced to commit suicide.

Civil War with Maxentius (311-312 CE)

  • Constantine I formed an alliance with Licinius, who ruled half the Eastern Empire. Maxentius allied with Maximinus Daia, who ruled the other half of the Eastern Empire. In effect, the Tetrarchy went to war with itself.
  • Maxentius now had an army of 100,000 men. To meet an expected invasion by Licinius from the East, he based himself and most of this army in Verona. The rest were sent to reinforce the frontier towns.
  • Although Constantine I had a bigger army, he dared not withdraw the Rhine Legions for fear of a Germanic Invasion. He then made a strategic decision to strike quickly with a small force of 40,000 men.

Constantine invades Italy

Constantine defeats the Cataphractii

  • At Turin he was opposed by a large force of Maxentius’ heavily armed cavalry, the Equites Cataphractarii. The riders and their horses were fully coated in armour, making them the ‘tank’ of the ancient world.
  • However, Constantine I knew they were vulnerable to a flank attack. He allowed the Cataphractii to advance into his lines without resistance, then his own cavalry charged from the side, attacking them with clubs tipped with iron. Maxentius‘ Equites Cataphractarii were soon knocked down and dismounted.
  • Constantine I then gave the order for his infantry to attack Maxentius‘ infantry, and the defenders soon fled back to Turin. However, the city refused to allow them back in, and changed sides, welcoming Constantine I‘s army instead.
  • The other Italian cities all welcomed Constantine I and he made his base in Milan.

Battle of Milvian Bridge (28 October 312 CE)

  • In October, Constantine I marched down the Via Flaminia which leads into Rome, and camped to the north of the Milvian Bridge.
  • Constantine I had a dream the night before the Battle, in which he was told to put the sign of the Cross on his shields. In the sky, he also saw the first two initials of Christ’s name in Greek Chi Rho.
  • Instead of withstanding a prolonged siege behind the Aurelian Walls, Maxentius decided to confront Constantine I with a pitched battle. After consulting the Sibylline Books, he chose the date of his attack as the same date of his proclamation as Emperor, 28 October in 306 CE.
  • On the 28 October, Maxentius‘ army sallied out across a temporary bridge laid beside the fortified Milvian Bridge. Constantine I‘ cavalry again defeated Maxentius‘ cavalry, and the defenders were forced back towards the Tiber. A rout ensued in which many soldiers fell or were pushed into the Tiber, including Maxentius.
  • Maxentius‘ body was later recovered from the Tiber, his head decapitated and displayed in a parade around Rome.

Constantine and Licinius

Licinius defeats Maximinus Daia

  • On the 30 April 313 CE, the two armies met at the Battle of Tzirallum. Before the battle, Licinius received a vision in which an angel recited a prayer to him, which he passed on to all the soldiers. The words of the prayer were written so that it could be freely recited whatever the man’s religious faith. Licinius‘ army then crushed the bigger army of Maximinus Daia, who was forced to flee disguised as a slave. He later killed or committed suicide in Tarsus.

Constantine campaigns against Licinius

  • Licinius and Constantine now agreed to divide the Roman Empire between them. Licinius became Augustus in the East, and Constantine became Augustus in the West.
  • However, in 314 CE, Constantine accused Licinius of offering refuge to Senecio, a man accused by Constantine of trying to overthrow him. Constantine sent an army east and confronted Licinius at the Battle of Cibalae on 3 October 316 CE. Licinius was forced to retreat to Adrianople and in December 316 CE, proclaimed his Commander Valerius Valens as Co-Emperor. In early 317 CE, Constantine defeated Licinius again at Campus Ardiensis, forcing him to recognise him as the senior Emperor and have Valerius Valens killed.
  • In 318 CE, Licinius was preoccupied with a campaign against the Sarmatians.
  • In 321 CE, Constantine also conducted a campaign against the Sarmatians, continuing on to wage war against the GGoths, who had attacked Thracia. Licinius accused Constantine of entering his territory and breaking their agreement.
  • First, in 323 CE, Constantine defeated Licinius‘ navy, consisting of 350 vessels.
  • Then, on 3 July 324 CE, Constantine defeated Licinius‘ army of 170,000 men at the Battle of Adrianople.
  • Licinius was forced to withdraw to Bithynia.
  • Meanwhile, also in July, Constantine’s son, Crispus, defeated Licinius‘ navy at the Battle of the Hellespont, which is the last time that the Trireme was used.
  • Constantine then crossed over the Hellespont to pursue Licinius‘ army.

Battle of Chrysopolis:

  • On the 18 September 324 CE Constantine I defeated Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis near Chalcedon. During this battle, whereas LLicinius' soldiers carried pagan images of the Roman Gods, Constantine’s soldiers displayed the Labarum, a banner hanging from a military standard displaying the Chi Rho symbol of Christianity. Licinius ordered his men not to attack it or even to look at it. When Constantine attacked with a full frontal assault, Licinius‘ army fled.
  • Licinius retired to Nicomedia with 30,000 remaining men, but realised the end had come and surrendered through his wife’s negotiations, Constantine’s half sister.
  • In Spring of 325 CE, although he had been initially pardoned, Constantine ordered Licinius to be hanged on the army’s insistence.

4. REIGN OF CONSTANTINE

  • CONSTANTINE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ROMAN SENATE:
  • CONSTANTINE’S MILITARY CAMPAIGNS/ REFORMS:

The Frontier System:

    • Constantine dramatically changed the Frontier Defense System of the Roman Empire mostly for reasons of cost: Instead of Legions placed on the Frontiers, the Army was changed into highly mobile forces that were positioned deep behind the Frontiers.
    • An invading army could easily penetrate the Border, but would be caught on its way back.
    • However, Zosimus, writing during the fifth century CE, blamed these changes for the collapse of the Western Empire.

Praetorian Guard:

  • CONSTANTINE’S DOMESTIC POLICY: TAXATION
  • CONSTANTINE AND THE PROVINCES:
    • Constantine I completed the removal of military command of the legions from the Provincial Governors.
    • It was the same structure as the Tetrarchy but instead of the Praetorian Prefects assisting the Co-Emperors, they themselves became the Chief Executives.

Four Praetorian Prefectures:

  • Each Prefecture was administered by a Praefectus Praetorio, reporting directly to the Emperor:
    • Prefecture of the Gauls:
      • Trier, Germany: Augusta Treverorum
    • Prefecture of Italy and Africa:
      • Milan, Italy: Mediolanum
    • Prefecture of Illyricum:
    • Prefecture of Oriens:
      • Izmit, Turkey: Nicomedia
  • OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:

Constantinople:

    • Constantine founded the ‘New Rome’, where the city of Byzantium stood. During his reign it was called Constantinople.
    • It became the Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire for the next 1,000 years. In 1930 it was renamed Istanbul.
    • He created a second Roman Senate of Eastern Roman Senators, and encouraged Roman Senators to move from Rome to Constantinople with a free gift of land and grain.
  • CONSTANTINE’S RELIGIOUS REFORMS:

Christianity:

5. CONSTANTINE’S PERSONAL LIFE

  • CHILDHOOD:
  • PERSONAL INTERESTS:
  • LANGUAGES SPOKEN:

6. CONSEQUENCES OF CONSTANTINE’S REIGN

  • EXPANSION OR CONTRACTION OF THE EMPIRE:
    • After decades of fragmentation and civil wars, the Roman Empire was reunited until 364 CE.
  • ENRICHMENT OR BANKRUPTCY OF THE STATE:
    • By ending the civil wars and reviving the economy, he enriched the State.
  • CONSTANTINE’S MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS:
    • He reunited the two halves of the Roman Empire.
    • He gave Christianity a legal basis for acceptance within the Roman Empire and ended its Persecution.
    • He restored and revived the Economy.
    • He Founded Constantinople formerly known as Byzantium, which became the Capital of the Eastern Empire for the next 1,000 years.

7. THE SUCCESSION

8. BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS TO VISIT

9. BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • CLASSICAL SOURCES:
    • Eusebius ‘De Vita Imperatoris Constantini’.
      • Meaning ‘On the Life of the Emperor Constantine’.

 

Posted in .