Biography
The Holy Emperor Konstantin I was left in history as a great defender and a jealous Christian faith. The church assigned the title of equivalent to him, despite the fact that in the biography of the ruler there were a lot of unpleasant episodes, including the execution of his own wife and son.Childhood and youth
The future Roman emperor was born in Nais - the city in the upper mesia (today he belongs to Serbia and is called NIS). His full name sounded like Flavius Valery Aureli Konstantin; He was the son of Caesar (the younger emperor) Constance of Chlorine, but not from his official wife Feodora, and Elena's competitance (cohabitant).
The exact year of birth is not installed, according to the information of the sources, it can be assumed that it was the 272nd. Later, the Constance had to disperse with Elena and political reasons to marry Padherce Maximilian. As a result of the next marriage, Konstantin appeared three brothers and three sisters.
War
Young Konstantin entered the service in the army in Nicomedia and participated in the campaigns to Egypt and Persia. In 305, his father, who became an emperor in the western part of the country, called his son to himself so that he helped him in the British battle against Pictites. When after a year of Constance died, the troops immediately recognized Konstantin by a legitimate heir, but officially he received only the status of Caesar.
At that moment, 6 people were claimed to the title of chief executioner of the empire, which caused political intersubs. In 307, Konstantin secured the rights to the throne, marrying Faust, the daughter of his main opponent Maximilian. That later made an attempt to illegal capture of power, after which it was forced to commit suicide. The remaining rivals Konstantin also removed with the help of a device for profitable marriages and other political intrigues.
Politics and religion
In 312, Konstantin moved to fight in the Roman suburb near the Mulserian bridge, where, according to legend, he saw the sign of his destination - the fiery cross in heaven. According to another version, the emperor saw a prophetic dream, in which he was ordered to place the monogram from the first letters of the name of Christ to the shields of Warriors. One way or another, the battle was won, and after the victory on the imperial banner - Labarum - the same symbols appeared.
After that, Konstantin in the Milan Edicut gave citizens of the empire freedom of religion. Christianity gained the status of "permitted religion", the legality of the emperor was prohibited by persecution of the followers of Christ and attempt to take away the property from the Church.
Later, Konstantin had a conflict with his relative with lycium, which helped him in state administration. That, for the time being, obediently playing the role of the governor in the eastern part of the country, rebelled and declared war, passing the persecution of Christians on his territory. Konstantin broke lycinia in 2 battles and removed him from power, becoming the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.
It was his rule that he started the spread of Christianity in Europe. Konstantin has placed her mother Elena, and father also patronized Christians, considering them by respectable and honest citizens. Even more, the emperor liked the hardness and loyalty of representatives of this religion to their teachings, especially considering how horrifics then their persecution was turned around.
The arrival of the ruler to Christianity was gradually - so, he celebrated his first victory over the opponents in the temple of Apollo, bringing God abundant sacrifices. Sympathy for another faith began to appear in Constantine after the military victories. The aristocratic top of the ruler is not approved. In Rome, the power of pagan beliefs was particularly strong that in the end influenced the decision of the emperor to deprive the city of the capital status.
The baptism of Constantine took only at the end of life, but in every way encouraged the representatives of the Christian church and consistently carried out the policy of their protection. He actively interfered with church management issues: in 325, at the first universal council, he took part in the resolution of disagreements about the teachings of Arians and was subsequently present at his meetings. After another 5 years, the ruler suffered the capital to Constantinople, later became the spiritual and political center of the Byzantine Empire.
Personal life
Only fragmentary information are preserved about the personal life of the ruler. It is mentioned that the Mother of Minervin's Mother of Minervin gave birth to Him Matrona Minervin, but whether she had the status of the official spouse or competitors, it is definitely not known. She was not the first woman in his life, but it was left of her predecessors in the documents.
In 307, Konstantin married Flavia Maxim Faust, Maximilian's daughter. It was a dynastic marriage to strengthen political influence, but the emperor very much respected his educated and energetic spouse that gave him six children (three sons and three daughters). Faust was involved in the overthrow of his father and became the culprit of the tragedy, which was crushing the last years of the life of the famous Roman ruler.
In 326, Konstantin ordered the execution of his own son Flavia Julia Crispia along with the nephew of Licinian. The reasons for this solution are called different, the most popular version that Krisp was executed by the Navalta Faust, who accused him of an attempt to rape. The accusation was false - she got rid of the main heir to clear the way to the throne to her sons.
The treacherous Faust of Complete paid for his atrocities - in a month Konstantin revealed the deception and ordered it to lock it in the bath, where she suffered (according to another version, an angry husband fell into hot water). For the execution of his wife followed violence over the friends of the emperor, whom he counted involved in the case. Later, he betrayed the name of the Fausts to the curse of memory (forbade any posthumous mention of her), and his heirs left this order in force.
According to the legend, it is moral torment after the death of loved ones led Konstantin to the Christian faith. However, a number of modern historians reject this version: there are facts that indicate that by the time of the death of his wife and son, he has been confessed this faith for 10 years and his baptism was a long-considered solution.
Death
In 336, the emperor felt ailment and, fearing the sudden death, began to put his business in order. He successfully completed the war against the Gothic and Sarmatian tribes and ordered that after his death the empire was divided between three sons: the Constance got Asia and Egypt, Constant - Africa, Italy and Panonia, and Konstantin II - Britain, Spain and Gallium.
At the beginning of next year, the ruler went to treatment. He began with a bath in Nicomedy, later traveled to the hot sources of Drepan and visited Elenaopolis baths, but he did not become better. The last months of the life of Konstantin spent on the villa in Ankiron. Feeling the approach of death, ordered to transport himself to Nicomedia and there was baptism on the mortal app.
The dream of the emperor was to paint in the waters of Jordan, but he could no longer get there. What kind of illness was the cause of death, it is unknown, but the mention has been preserved that he leaned towards the Arian course of Christianity, and the baptism rite was held by the Father Sylvester.
A lot of scientific, religious and artistic works is written about the life of the emperor and his contribution to the spread of faith, several films are shot. The most famous Italian-Yugoslav film directed by Lionello de Felice "Konstantin Great", released on screens in 1961.