Constantine I (Co-Emperor 307-24)

Category
People (Government)
Begin
306
End
337
Region
Europe
Reference
Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"Constantine was acclaimed as emperor by the army at Eboracum (modern-day York) after his father's death in 306 AD. He emerged victorious in a series of civil wars against Emperors Maxentius and Licinius to become sole ruler of both west and east by 324 AD. . . . He restructured the government, separating civil and military authorities. To combat inflation he introduced the solidus, a new gold coin that became the standard for Byzantine and European currencies for more than a thousand years. . . . Constantine pursued successful campaigns against the tribes on the Roman frontiers . . . " Baptized on his deathbed--the first Christian emperor; "The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built on his orders at the purported site of Jesus' tomb in Jerusalem and became the holiest place in Christendom. . . . His reputation flourished during the lifetime of his children and for centuries after his reign. The medieval church upheld him as a paragon of virtue, while secular rulers invoked him as a prototype, a point of reference, and the symbol of imperial legitimacy and identity." [Wikipedia]