Constantine And Christianity Of The Roman Empire - 1350 Words

Constantine and Christianity in the Roman Empire Religion has always been an important force in the lives of common people. In the early centuries, Christianity was developing with a great influence to affect the Roman world. Constantine came to power in the Western provinces of the Roman Empire as an advocate of religious toleration. Constantine’s advocacy for religious toleration alongside his conversion marked a turning point of the Roman world and drove the spread Christianity. With Diocletian’s abdication in 305 A.D., Constantine’s troops acclaimed him as Caesar. The age of persecution began in 303 A.D. under Diocletian as an effort to rid the Roman Empire of Christians. It was known since antiquity as the â€Å"Great Persecution† (Markus 70). The reasons why individual Christians were persecuted varied. After six years of fighting wars, the famous battle of the Milvian Bridge marked Constantine’s association with Christianity. Constantine won the battle of Milvian Bridge near Rome by defeating Emperor Maxentius, his last Western rival in 312 A.D. However, the victorious battle paved the way for the spread of Christianity. It is well known that before the battle, Constantine had a â€Å"heavenly vision†, in which he saw the â€Å"trophy of a cross of light right above the sun† with the message â€Å"by this, conquer† (Keresztes 27). Later on, Constantine also had a dream in which he was commanded â€Å"by Christ† to mark the â€Å"heavenly sign of God† on to the â€Å"shields of his soldiers† and theShow MoreRelatedConstantine and His Effect on Christianity1518 Words   |  7 PagesConstantine and his effect on Christianity When we look back at Christianity over the years, there are several people who are remembered for their impact on the religion. The first most important figure was Jesus Christ. However, if we travel forward a bit, into the 4th Century we come across Constantine. 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Unfortunately the end of the persecution of Christians was cause for the persecution of pagans, resulting in cultural, political, andRead MoreThe Rise Of The Century King Cyrus And Emperor Constantine1302 Words   |  6 Pagesand Emperor Constantine you will discover that these to historical leaders dramatically influenced the change of direction for Judaism and Christianity. There are some scholars who would argue that these to ruler’s conversion to god was not sincere and they were just political masterminds. Either way Cyrus and Constantine are two central figures in Judaism and Christianity, two of the worldâ⠂¬â„¢s major organized religions. Cyrus and Constantine took over many lands and built their huge empires on a religious