Why constantine converted to christianity

He decides to invade the Italian peninsula from Gaul. This is no easy task, as he must maintain an elaborate supply chain for his army while leaving behind some troops to defend the Rhine frontier while he is gone. This left him with forces much smaller than that of his enemy. Constantine decides to cross the Alps into the Italian peninsula near Mt.

His armies fight their way south until they begin to approach Rome. As a sign of confidence, Maxentius moves his army to meet Constantine outside the safety of the city's defenses. There are two accounts of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. The first is by Lactantius, a tutor to Constantine's son and a good authority. He states that in Gaul, before setting out towards Rome, Constantine and his army saw a great cross in the sky. Underneath were written the Greek words en toutoi nika , "In this sign, conquer.

But the Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, a Roman historian who would later write a favorable biography of Constantine, tells that he and his army experienced this vision just before the battle outside of Rome began.

Both accounts tell of Constantine not fully understanding the meaning of this vision and praying for an explanation. He dreams of a common Christian symbol, the Greek symbols chi and rho , an X with an R, which looks like a long P, drawn through the middle.

The emperor explains the heavenly dream to his army and tells them to make the battle standard that is described, placing the symbol of the "Highest God" on their shields. Constantine advanced to the forefront of the battle behind the initials of Christ interwoven with a cross.

Maxentius displayed the banner of the Unconquerable Sun as his battle standard. Constantine's infantry, many of whom were Christians, decisively win the battle. His cavalry chased the remnants of the enemy's forces across the Tiber river. In , Constantine's father left Helena to marry the stepdaughter of Maximian, the Western Roman emperor. Constantine's father was elevated to deputy emperor under Maximian in Constantine himself was sent to the court of Diocletian, the Eastern Roman emperor.

There, Constantine was educated in Latin and Greek. He likely also witnessed the persecution of Christians. Constantine then joined his father on a military campaign and fought alongside him in Britain. The next year, Constantius died at Eboracum now York. Constantine was declared emperor by his troops. To make the designation official, he began to fight for power.

During a period of civil war, Constantine defended his position against different Roman factions, including Maxentius, Maximian's son. Accounts of Constantine's life state that, following a vision, he had ordered a Christian symbol to be painted on his soldiers' shields. Under this emblem, Constantine was successful in battle and entered Rome.

Constantine now became the Western Roman emperor. He soon used his power to address the status of Christians, issuing the Edict of Milan in This proclamation legalized Christianity and allowed for freedom of worship throughout the empire.

For a time, Constantine stood by as others ruled the Eastern Roman Empire. In , Licinius, who had been sharing power with Maximinus, became the only Eastern emperor. In , Constantine defeated Licinius and took control of a reunited empire. Image Source: en. Center portion, with both left and right ends of the painting cropped, showing Constantine at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, as painted by Giulio Romano Vatican City, Apostolic Palace.