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Constantine The Great

Constantine the Great:
More than an Emperor
Akbar the Great, Suleyman the Magnificent, and Tzar Ivan the Terrible all have one thing in common; they each were given a title by their people because of the ways that they ruled. Flavius Valerius Constantinus was no different, he became known as Constantine the Great by instituting unprecedented policies which would come to affect the entire future of the Western Civilization. Constantine did many amazing things for his empire: he was the first ruler to acknowledge and allow Christianity as a religion, he created many laws to benefit Christianity and the people, he created a very active capital, and he acknowledged religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The products of Constantine's rule made a huge impact during his time and are still felt to this day.
Constantine's appreciation for Christianity began at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312. Before the battle he saw a cross appear in the sky, accompanied by the words "in signus, vinctus," which translates to "in this sign, conquer" (Stone 104). Following this apparition, Constantine defeated Mexentius-the ruler of the western half of the Roman Empire-in a battle for the throne. In return for the apparition, Constantine felt obliged to spread Christianity in all possible ways (Boak and Sinnigen 435). He knew that this meant Christianity should eventually become the official religion of the empire. About a year later, Constantine met with his co-emperor, Licinius, and issued the Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan allowed Christians, as well as other religions, the freedom of worship without punishment (Stone 104). This was a huge step for the Christian religion, as this would be the first time they could worship without being persecuted by the government. The Edict of Milan not only allowed free worship, it also gave the Christians back the land and churches that the government confiscated (Firth 108). Although Christianity was not yet declared...