C. E. 280-337 First Christian Roman Emperor

to become a Christian, although he was not

baptized until near his death in C.E. 337.

He first came to believe in Christianity many

years earlier, when he was a military leader.

Constantine believed he had seen a flaming

cross in the sky that said, “ By this sign thou

shall conquer.” The next day his army was

victorious in an important battle. He believed


Constantine
that the cross was a call to the Christian God.
During his reign, Constantine granted new opportunities to Christians and helped advance the power of early Catholic Church. At the Council of Nicea in C.E. 325, he encouraged discussion about the acceptance of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He also boosted the political positions and power of the bishops with in the Roman government.


Even though Constantine had many political and religious successes, his life was filled with controversy and tragedy. Constantine married a woman named Fausta. His eldest son from a previous marriage was named Crispus. Fausta


↑ Modern Day Constantinople
accused Crispus of crimes and claimed that he was planning to seize the throne. Constantine was so shocked that he had his son killed. Constantine later discovered that Fausta had lied because she wanted her son to be in line throne. He then had her Killed.
Directions – Answer each question in a complete sentence
1. What incident occurred in Constantine’s life to shift his belief towards Christianity?

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