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Hellenistic Bithynia was an independent kingdom from the 4th century BC. Its capital Nicomedia was rebuilt on the site of ancient Astacus in 264 BC by Nicomedes I of Bithynia. Bithynia was bequeathed to the Roman Republic in 74 BC, and became united with the Pontus region as the province of Bithynia and Pontus.
Nicomedia was the metropolis and capital of the Roman province of Bithynia under the Roman Empire. It is referenced repeatedly in Pliny the Younger's Epistles to Trajan during his tenure as governor of Bithynia. [5]
Constantine I[g] (Latin: Flavius Valerius Constantinus; 27 February c. 272 – 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.
- Early Life of Constantine The Great
- Civil Wars
- Later Rule of Constantine The Great
- Importance and Historical Significance of Constantine The Great
- Constantine The Great FAQs
Constantine the Great was born in Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia) in the province of Moesia Superior on 27 February 272 or 273. His parents were Constantius Chlorus and Helena, an innkeeper’s daughter who at the time was only sixteen years old. His father left his mother around 292 and married Flavia Maximiana Theodora, who was the daughter or step-da...
Battle of Milvian Bridge
In the summer of AD 311, Maxentius proclaimed that he wanted to take revenge for his father’s death. Therefore, he mobilized against Constantine while Licinius was occupied with affairs in the East. However, to stop Maxentius from forming an alliance against him with Licinius, Constantine forged his own alliance with Licinius over the winter of 311–12, and offered him his sister Constantia in marriage. Constantine was very successful in defeating a large force of heavily armed Maxentian caval...
Rome
Constantine entered Rome on 29 October AD 312. Maxentius’ body was fished out of the Tiber and decapitated, and his head was paraded through the streets for all to see. Constantine visited the Senatorial Curia Julia, promising to restore its ancestral privileges and give it a secure role in his reformed government. There would be no revenge against Maxentius’ supporters. In response, the Senate decreed him “title of the first name”, which meant that his name would be listed first in all offic...
Edict Of Milan
In 313, Constantine met Licinius in Milan to secure their alliance by the marriage of Licinius and Constantine’s half-sister Constantia. During this meeting, the emperors agreed on the so-called Edict of Milan, officially granting full tolerance to all religions in the empire, especially Christianity. This document had special benefits for Christians, as it legalized their religion and granted them restoration for all property seized during Diocletian’s persecution. Christianity had previousl...
New Rome
In the year 320, Licinius, emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, went back on his decisions on the religious freedom promised by the Edict of Milan in 313 and began another persecution of Christians. This was a puzzling inconsistency since Constantia, half-sister of Constantine and wife of Licinius, was an influential Christian. This became a huge challenge for Constantine in the west, and it climaxed in the great civil war of 324, in which the armies were so large that the size of them would...
Council of Nicaea
In 325, Constantine summoned the Council of Nicaea, which was effectively the first Ecumenical Council. This was significant because it was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. Christians within the empire were divided over what they believed about Jesus and the Trinity. In Alexandria there was a group who were followers of Arius with whom the majority of Christians disagreed, leading to threats to close the port and economic...
Other Reforms
Throughout his reign, Constantine passed numerous laws. While many of these reflected his Christian reforms, they also improved many of the laws set out by his predecessors. For example, he made laws that a prisoner was no longer to be kept in total darkness, but must be given access to the outdoors and daylight, and young females could not be abducted. Slave master’s rights were limited, although a slave could still be beaten to death, and a condemned man was allowed to die in the arena, but...
Constantine the Great is most significantly remembered for being the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity. His accession as emperor is generally considered the beginning of Christendom, and he made Sunday a holiday and day of rest throughout the empire. He also supported the church financially built various basilicas, granted privileges to c...
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If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content. Link will appear as Hanson, Marilee. "Constantine The Great" https://englishhistory.net/romans/constantine-the-great/, May 10, 2022
Founded in the 4th century BCE, the city rose to prominence as the capital of the Kingdom of Bithynia and later as the eastern capital of the Roman Empire under Diocletian. The archaeological remains of Nicomedia, including its city walls, public buildings, imperial residences, and religious sites, provide valuable insights into its history and ...
First the capital of the Bithynian kingdom (Memnon 20.1), and later of the Roman province of Bithynia, Nicomedia was astride the great highroad connecting Europe and the East, and was a port as well; Nicaea was its rival.
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The Kingdom of Bithynia was a significant Hellenistic state that played a crucial role in the geopolitics of Asia Minor. Its strategic location, rich culture, and eventual incorporation into the Roman Empire highlight its importance in ancient history.
