Constantine the Great was born on 27 February 272 CE in Niš. A Roman emperor born in what is now Serbia, Constantine was proclaimed emperor by his troops in York in 306. After his victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, he became ruler of the western empire and, in 324, defeated Licinius to rule the whole. He and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which gave Christians legal toleration, and he later presided over the Council of Nicaea in 325, which addressed disputes in the church. In 330 he dedicated a new capital at Byzantium, renamed Constantinople. He was baptized shortly before his death, and his policies helped set the course of Christianity and the Byzantine Empire.
Before and after
- from 250 CE to 538 CEKofun period
- from 266 CE to 420 CEJin dynasty
- 271 CEOrigins of Gundeshapur
- 271 CEConstruction of Aurelian Walls
- 27 February 272 CEBirth of Constantine the Great
- 274 CEAurelian reunifies the Roman Empire
- 278 CEDiscovery of 278 Paulina
- from 284 CE to 306 CERoman Tetrarchy
- from 284 CE to 565 CEDominate
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 499 BCE to 449 BCEGreco-Persian Wars
- from 431 BCE to 404 BCEPeloponnesian War
- 335 BCEAlexander the Great crosses into Asia
- from 218 BCE to 201 BCESecond Punic War
- 217 BCEHannibal destroys the Roman army at Cannae
- from 59 BCE to 51 BCECaesar begins the conquest of Gaul
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century.