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Constantine was born in Naissus (today Niš, Serbia), part of the Dardania province of Moesia on 27 February, [29] c. AD 272. [30] His father was Flavius Constantius [j] an Illyrian who was born in the same region (then called Dacia Ripensis) [34] [35] [31] and a native of the province of Moesia. [36]
- Overview
- A change of scene
- Constantinople, the new Rome
Constantine made Christianity the main religion of Rome, and created Constantinople, which became the most powerful city in the world.
Emperor Constantine (ca A.D. 280– 337) reigned over a major transition in the Roman Empire—and much more. His acceptance of Christianity and his establishment of an eastern capital city, which would later bear his name, mark his rule as a significant pivot point between ancient history and the Middle Ages.
The Roman Empire that Constantine was born into was one of chaos and anarchy. Civil wars, invasions, and disease were rending the empire so badly that the era is regarded as the Crisis of the Third Century. Emperor Diocletian tried to bring order by distributing power to a four-ruler tetrarchy that would govern the four quarters of the empire. Constantine’s father, Constantius I, was one of the rulers.
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Diocletian’s plan fell apart. After the death of his father in A.D. 306, Constantine was declared emperor by his father’s soldiers. He spent the next 18 years battling the three other Roman rulers—his rivals—to become the sole emperor.
The Battle of Milvian Bridge outside Rome in A.D. 312 was a watershed moment for Constantine. He defeated one rival, his brother-in-law Maxentius, and gained the mantle of western Roman emperor. But of far greater import was a revelation he experienced before the battle.
Constantine assumed sole control over the empire in A.D. 324. Rome, however, was losing its luster for him. Tensions remained high between the city’s pagans and the Christian emperor. Moreover, from a military standpoint, Constantine realized it would be easier to fend off threats from the east and to protect valuable territory—and granaries—in Egypt if he moved his capital to a more defensible eastern location. He left Rome for good to build an imperial city that would glorify both his power and his faith.
Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), his capital, was dedicated in A.D. 330. Previously known as Byzantium, it had been under Roman control for well over a century, but Constantine rebuilt and expanded it on a monumental scale. He tripled the size of the existing city and offered full citizenship and free bread to encourage men of rank to move there with their families. A large palace and imposing legislative halls established the city’s gravitas as the new capital. Churches began to punctuate the skyline; Christians were welcomed, and other faiths were generally tolerated.
By the time Constantine established his new capital in A.D. 330, the city that would be called Constantinople had changed hands multiple times among regional superpowers. Darius I of Persia, the Delian League, the Spartans, and Alexander the Great all had ruled the strategic port known as Byzantium on the Bosporus, a strait between the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara. Roman emperor Septimius Severus destroyed the city in A.D. 196 and rebuilt a grander version, which Constantine expanded upon for his New Rome. The city became a prosperous and important center of faith, power, trade, and architecture. The landmark Hagia Sophia (above) was built by Emperor Justinian during the sixth century, the peak of Constantinople’s glory.
This text is an excerpt from the National Geographic special issue The Most Influential Figures of Ancient History.
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Apr 4, 2021 · Constantine the Great, born in Naissus, Upper Moesia, around 27 February AD 272 or 273, was a Roman emperor. He was the son of Helena, who was an innkeeper's daughter, and Constantius Chlorus. The exact details of his parents' marital status are uncertain, leading to the possibility that Constantine might have been an illegitimate child.
Dec 7, 2022 · Flavius Valerius Constantius, future emperor Constantine the Great, was born in 272 CE in the Roman province of Upper Moesia (present-day Serbia). His father, Constantius Chlorus, was a member of Aurelian’s bodyguard, who later became emperor in the Tetrarchy of Diocletian.
May 10, 2022 · Reign: 25 July 306 – 22 May 337. Constantine I, known as Constantine the Great or just Constantine, born Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was Roman emperor, reigning from 306 to 337. He was born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea (now Niš, Serbia) and was the son of Flavius Constantius (who had been one of the four emperors of the Tetrarchy) and ...
Constantine I, known as Constantine the Great officially Flavius Valerius Constantinus, (born Feb. 27, after 280? ce, Naissus, Moesia—died May 22, 337, Ancyrona, near Nicomedia, Bithynia), First Roman emperor to profess Christianity. The eldest son of Constantius I Chlorus, he spent his youth at the court of Diocletian.
Roman Emperor. Birth Location. Naissus, Serbia. Birth Date. February 22, 272. Death Location. Nicomedia, Byzantium. Death Date. May 22, 337. Constantine became the first Christian Roman Emperor and founder of Constantinople, which brought about the beginning of the East Roman Empire known today as Byzantium.
