Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen
The story behind the legend
Yesterday, all Christians around the world celebrated Saints Constantine and Helen. Many of you probably know one or two things about this Roman Emperor of the 4th century. He built the city of Constantinople, modern Istanbul, and recognized Christianity as an official religion of the Roman Empire. But who was this fascinating figure and why is he celebrated along with his mother? Let's find out.
A statue of Constantine I
Born around 280 CE in Moesia, modern-day Bulgaria, as Flavius Valerius Constantinus, he was the son of Flavius Valerius Constantinus, an army officer. Back then, the empire was ruled by 2 senior emperors named Augustus, each one of them having a deputy emperor, named Caesar. This system was called the ''Tetrarchy''. In 293 CE, his father became deputy Emperor of the Roman Empire (Caesar). As a result, Constantine was sent to serve under the senior Emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia (modern Izmit, Turkey).
Constantinus I
Emperor Diocletian. He is the one who established the ''Tetrarchy'' system in the Roman Empire. He is also famous for persecutions against Christians
In 305, following the abdication of both senior emperors, Constantinus became Augustus, but died a year later while campaigning in Britain with his son. Having the support of his father's legions, Constantine became the new Augustus of the Roman Empire. By 324, he had defeated all his rivals, abolished the ''Tetrarchy'' and become the sole ruler of Rome. Constantine ascribed his success to his conversion to Christianity. The legend says that before his greatest battle at the Milvian Bridge, he had received instructions in a dream to paint the Christian monogram on his troops shields. Therefore, his army was victorious. However, many critics argue that his conversion to Christianity was purely political. Even so, his laws, especially the Edict of Milan, allowed Christianity to develop and expand throughout the Roman Empire.
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