edia , ▁an ▁A rian ▁bishop ▁and ▁cousin ▁to ▁Const antine ▁I , ▁used ▁his ▁influence ▁at ▁court ▁to ▁s way ▁Const antine ' s ▁favor ▁from ▁the ▁proto - orth odox ▁Nic ene ▁b ish ops ▁to ▁the ▁Ari ans . ▁ ▁E ust ath ius ▁of ▁Ant io ch ▁was ▁de posed ▁and ▁ex iled ▁in ▁ 3 3 0 . ▁Ath anas ius , ▁who ▁had ▁succeeded ▁Alexander ▁as ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Alexand ria , ▁was ▁de posed ▁by ▁the ▁First ▁Syn od ▁of ▁Ty re ▁in ▁ 3 3 5 ▁and ▁Mar cell us ▁of ▁An cy ra ▁followed ▁him ▁in ▁ 3 3 6 . ▁Ari us ▁himself ▁returned ▁to ▁Constantin ople ▁to ▁be ▁read m itted ▁into ▁the ▁Church , ▁but ▁died ▁shortly ▁before ▁he ▁could ▁be ▁received . ▁Const antine ▁died ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁after ▁finally ▁receiving ▁bapt ism ▁from ▁A rian ▁Bishop ▁E use b ius ▁of ▁Nic om edia , ▁and ▁" with ▁his ▁passing ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁after ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁N ica ea ▁was ▁ended ". ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁Const antine ▁▁ ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁illegal ▁in ▁the ▁emp ire ▁until ▁the ▁em per ors ▁Const antine ▁and ▁Lic ini us ▁agreed ▁in ▁ 3 1 3 ▁to ▁what ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Ed ict ▁of ▁Milan . ▁However , ▁Nic ene ▁Christian ity ▁did ▁not ▁become ▁the ▁state ▁religion ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁until ▁the ▁Ed ict ▁of ▁Th ess al onica ▁in ▁ 3 8 0