Constantine the Great (c.272 - 337)
'The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer' by Jean-Léon Gérôme
'The Vision of the Cross' painting from 1520s by Italian Renaissance artist Raphael and his assistants
June 13th 313: Edict of Milan posted
On this day in 313 the Edict of Milan, establishing religious toleration across the Roman Empire, was posted at Nicomedia. Emperor Constantine was the first to convert to Christianity, a process which was accelerated in October of the previous year when he had a vision of God leading his forces to victory in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. This was a pivotal change in previous Roman policy towards Christians, with pagan emperors like Diocletian leading brutal persecutions of Christians. Movement towards toleration began before Constantine, but his leadership saw this come to fruition. The Edict of Milan was jointly issued by Constantine, who represented the Western empire, and Licinius from the East. This edict paved the way for the acceptance of Christianity within the Roman Empire. After the edict, Christianity spread throughout Europe and gradually became a dominant religion, giving birth to Christendom.
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