Constantine the Great (c.272 - 337)
'The Vision of the Cross' painting from 1520s by Italian Renaissance artist Raphael and his assistants
Arch of Constantine in modern Rome
October 27th 312: Constantine’s vision
On this day in 312 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine I had his famous ‘Vision of the Cross’. The vision occurred before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in which Constantine would fight Maxentius. Constantine supposedly saw a cross in the sky with the words ‘By this sign conquer’. He was commanded by the Christian God to draw the mark of Christ on his soldiers’ shields in order to secure victory. Constantine then proceeded to win the battle and many consider this a pivotal moment in his conversion to Christianity. Constantine’s conversion led to the end of Christian persecution in the Roman Empire and, through imperial patronage, Christianity spread throughout Europe and became the dominant religion.
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