Constantine, Christianity and the Battle of Verona
The Battle of Milvian Bridge is remembered as the moment when Constantine I secured the future of Christianity. The real turning point took place a few months earlier.
In history it is often events on the battlefield that mark decisive turning points. Kings and emperors die or establish or destabilise their regimes to the detriment or betterment of those living under them. More recently, in the last century, social change was a consequence of the two most destructive wars ever fought. Today we see civil war in the Arab world threatening the status quo. Such a paradigm was never more evident than at the beginning of the fourth century ad when an increasingly popular new eastern religion achieved respectability and an emperor’s patronage. With the benefit of hindsight the year 312 marked the turning point for Christianity and world history. The battle associated with this decisive moment has always been that of the Milvian Bridge, when Constantine (c. 272-337) and Maxentius (c. 278-312) fought for the imperial throne on and around the crossing of the River Tiber a few miles north of Rome. Its 1,700th anniversary is marked on October 28th.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
