ABSTRACT
Constantine became emperor in 306 CE and went to war to consolidate his rule over the whole empire. He defeated his rival Maxentius after having a dream/vision of his victory with Christ’s support. With his support of the Christian church, everything changed: The church acquired property, including converting Jerusalem to a Christian city. The Emperor also wanted to unite Christians who had differing views into a single worship, and called the Council of Nicaea to unify belief. In addition, he raised the visibility of martyrs as force for orthodoxy and began the medieval practice of persecuting those who disagreed, who came to be called “heretics.”
