ABSTRACT
Flavius Valerius Constantinus was born c. 274 in Naissus. Constantine converted to Christianity on the spot and ordered his troops to paint the Greek letters symbolizing the faith on their shields. At the Battle of Milvian Bridge the next day, Constantine was indeed victorious as Maxentius and thousands of his troops were driven into the river and drowned. In 324 Constantine defeated the remaining armies of the tetrarchy and assumed sole rule. Constantine I set the Roman Empire on a course of development that would last for centuries. As the state became the protector of the Church, Christianity grew to become Europe's dominant faith. Finally, the freedom of the Church to establish missions and to worship publicly led ultimately to the conversion of millions of people throughout Europe. This proved to be Constantine's greatest legacy and is symbolized by the Orthodox church's later decision to canonize him as Saint Constantine the Apostle—Like.
