CONSTANTINE

(Feb. 27, 272 – May 21, 337)

Constantine, Lat. constans, ‘constant’. Official title: Emperor Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantinus Augustus. The first Christian emperor, coequal with the apostles. Made Christianity the chief religion; creator of a state doctrine of Christianity, founder of the Flavian dynasty and the city of Constantinople; initiator of the Oecumenical Councils that determined the dogma of Orthodox belief. Roman, from an Illyrian family. Born in the town of Naiss (now Niљ in Serbia). Son of Constantius I Chlorus (‘the Pale’), Roman commander and caesar, from 305 augustus of the western Empire. His mother Helen was later made a saint coequal with the apostles. In one version her father was the King of the Britons, in another she was the landlady of a roadside inn. Among Constantine’s close relatives: the second wife of Constantius Chlorus Theodora (eldest daughter of Augustus Maximianus) and her children Julius Constantius, Annaballianus, Dalmatius, Eutropia, Anastasia and Constantia. Tall, well developed athletic build. Facial appearance: large deep-set eyes, aquiline nose, middle section of the face elongated in relation to upper and lower parts, prominent chin. His refusal to wear a beard was viewed by his contemporaries as a sign of adherence to the new religion, Christianity (Christ was depicted at that period without a beard). Coins and colossal statues erected during his rule (fragments of one statue are preserved in the Capitol Museum, Rome) provide most of the images made in his lifetime. Married twice. His first wife Minervina, the Christian daughter of a rich merchant from Drepanum (on the outskirts of Naiss) gave him a son, Crispus. His second wife Flavia Maxima Fausta (youngest daughter of augustus Maximianus Hercules and Eutropia, half-sister of Theodora) was the mother of Constantina (his eldest daughter), Constantine, Constantius, Constantus and another two daughters. Initially he professed the state Roman religion – polytheism with prevalence given to the cults of Apollo, Helios and Victoria. Possibly Constantine turned to Mithraism for a while, then converted to Christianity. On May 19th, 337 he was baptised by Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia. Showed a predilection for Arianism towards the end of his life. Constantine received advanced military training at the court of Diocletian. At a mature age he made an independent study of philosophy, the Bible and Christian theology. Founded the Society for Christian Enlightenment. Began his career as a centurion in Diocletian’s personal guard. Progressed through the ranks of first tribune, chief of Diocletian’s personal guard, commander of the Roman army in Britain and first deputy of the Augustan Constantius I, his father, who declared him Caesar of Britain. On July 25th, 306 he was proclaimed Augustan, in 307 Augustan of the West (from 312, also of Greece, Italy and North Africa) and supreme Pontiff (high priest). From 324 he was sole Emperor. Visited Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Persia, Armenia, Britain and Gaul. The African letters, the 313 Edict of Milan, an address written to the Society of Saints and other letters, speeches and decrees are attributed to him, as well as co-authorship of the Nicaean Symbol of Faith. Died in the palace at Ancyrona (Nicomedia) at the age of 65. Buried in the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Constantinople, between columns with relics of the apostles. The whereabouts of his mortal remains are unknown.