Constantine I
Constantine I
Emperor of the Roman Empire
Head of Constantine’s colossal statue at the
Capitoline Museums
Reign
25 July 306 AD – 29 October
312 AD (Caesar in the West;
self-proclaimed Augustus from
309; recognized as such in the
East in April 310)
29 October 312 – 19 September
324 (undisputed Augustus in
the West, senior Augustus in the
empire)
19 September 324 – 22 May 337
(emperor of united empire)
Full name
Flavius Valerius Aurelius
Constantinus
Born
27 February ca. 272[1]
Birthplace
Naissus, Illyria (modern-day
Niš, Serbia)
Died
22 May 337 (aged 65)
Place of
death
Nicomedia (modern-day Izmit,
Turkey)
Predecessor Constantius Chlorus
Successor
Constantine II, Constantius II
and Constans
Consort to Minervina, died or divorced
before 307
Fausta
Offspring
Constantina
Helena
Crispus
Constantine II
Constantius II
Constans
Dynasty
Constantinian
Father
Constantius Chlorus
Mother
Helena
Caesar Flavius Valerius Aurelius Con-
stantinus Augustus[2]
(27 February c.
272[1] – 22 May 337), commonly known in
English as Constantine I, Constantine the
Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox, Coptic
Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Byzantine
Catholic Christians) Saint Constantine
(/’kɒnstɛntaɪn/), was Roman emperor from
306, and the undisputed holder of that office
from 324 until his death in 337. Best known
for being the first Christian Roman emperor,
Constantine reversed the persecutions of his
predecessor, Diocletian, and issued (with his
co-emperor Licinius) the Edict of Milan in
313, which proclaimed religious toleration
throughout the empire.
The Byzantine liturgical calendar, ob-
served by the Eastern Orthodox Church and
Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite,
lists both Constantine and his mother Helena
as saints. Although he is not included in the
Latin Church’s list of saints, which does re-
cognize several other Constantines as saints,
he is revered under the title "The Great" for
his contributions to Christianity.
Constantine also transformed the ancient
Roman colony of Byzantium into a new im-
perial
resi