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Historical Figure

Constantine the Great

Also Known As Flavius Valerius Constantinus
Monarchs and Rulers

Constantine the Great (c. 272-337 CE) was Roman emperor from 306 to 337, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. After years of civil war against rival claimants, he reunified the empire under his sole rule and, with the Edict of Milan in 313, extended legal toleration to Christianity throughout the empire, ending the era of state persecution. He founded a new eastern capital at Byzantium, renamed Constantinople in his honor, which remained the seat of the Roman and later Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years. He also convened the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to settle a major doctrinal dispute within the early Christian church. His reign marks a decisive turning point in both Roman and Christian history.

Facts
Death Year
337 1
Role
Roman emperor (324 to 337 CE); presided over the Council of Arles and the First Council of Nicaea. 1
Death Date
0337-05-22 1
Death Place
Ancyrona, near Nicomedia, Bithynia (now Izmit, Turkey) 1
Disputed
Birth Year
280 1
Britannica states the birth year for Constantine only as after 280 ce, marked with its own question mark, reflecting genuine scholarly uncertainty over the exact year; no birth-date property is recorded for the same reason.
Classification
Gender
Male 1
Role
Role (category)
Monarch / Royalty 1
Connections

In Era

Late Antiquity, Eras

Ruled

Roman Empire, Polities

Succeeded By

Constantius II, Historical Figures

Constantius II was Constantine the Great's surviving son and became sole Roman emperor by 353 after eliminating his co-ruling brothers.

In the Other Atlases
  • Also in Geography Atlas: Serbia, originated there.
Sources
1. Constantine the Great (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • Quick Facts: Born
    February 27, after 280 ce?, Naissus, Moesia [now Nis, Serbia]
  • Quick Facts: Died
    May 22, 337, Ancyrona, near Nicomedia, Bithynia [now Izmit, Turkey]
  • Quick Facts: Title / Office
    emperor (324-337), Roman Empire
  • Quick Facts: Latin in full
    Flavius Valerius Constantinus
  • Constantine the Great: Gender
    After years of civil war against rival claimants, he reunified the empire under his sole rule and, with the Edict of Milan in 313, extended legal toleration to Christianity throughout the empire, ending the era of state persecution.
View the Source
Wikidata: Constantine the Great
Wikidata Q8413, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source

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