Constantine I, called Constantine the Great, was the
first Roman ruler to be converted to Christianity. He
was the founder of Constantinople (present-day
Istanbul), which remained the capital of the Eastern
Roman (Byzantine) Empire until 1453. Constantine
the Great unified a tottering empire, reorganized the
Roman state, and set the stage for the final victory of
Christianity at the end of the 4th century. Many
modern scholars accept the sincerity of his religious
conviction. His conversion was a gradual process; at
first he probably associated Christ with the victorious
sun god. By the time of the Council of Nicaea (325),
however, he was completely Christian, but still
tolerated paganism among his subjects. Although
criticized by his enemies as a proponent of a crude
and false religion, Constantine the Great
strengthened the Roman Empire and ensured its
survival in the East. As the first emperor to rule in the
name of Jesus Christ, he was a major figure in the
foundation of medieval Christian Europe.
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