February 27 - Happy birthday, Constantine

Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus, better known as Constantine the Great, ruled the Roman Empire for 31 years, AD 306-337. He was the son of Constantius Chlorus and St. Helena (known for having discovered the True Cross in the Holy Land). Following his father’s death, Constantine obtained the emperorship in AD 306, serving with Maxentius, Maximinus Daia and Licinius. Civil War broke out and, with the battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312, Constantine and Licinius were the victors.

A champion of Christianity, Constantine legalized the religion the following year with the Edict of Milan and sponsored the construction of many churches in Rome and the Empire, including “Old Saint Peter’s”.  Among his other architectural achievements in Rome are the Arch of Constantine and the Baths of Constantine, located on the Quirinal Hill. After co-ruling the Empire for 12 years, Constantine defeated Licinius in a war in AD 324 in Asia Minor. A year later, he oversaw the Council of Nicea, where the fundamentals of Catholicism as we know it were developed. It was also at this time that the Emperor decided to build a new city. Located on the Bosphorus, the Emperor monumentalized the existing city of Byzantium, but changed the name to Nova Roma in time for its inauguration on May 11, 330 AD. Constantine died in May 337 AD and was buried in “New Rome”, better known as Constantinople, a capital city that would endure for nearly 1000 years after the original Rome fell.