Title: Constantine I: Contributions to Christianity and Other Accomplishments
Headings: Constantine I: Contributions to Christianity and Other Accomplishments
Constantine I: Contributions to Christianity and Other Accomplishments
Roman emperor Constantine’s victory at the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD and the accompanying conversion to Christianity is considered to be one of the crucial events in Western history. Yet, the genuineness and completeness of Constantine’s conversion has been under scrutiny for several centuries now. Why?
Constantine and Christianity
Constantine’s Sincerity in Conversion
Contradictions of Constantine, the Christian
Constantine, the Interventionist
Constantinople, the Eastern Capital
Embracing the Diocletian’s Reforms
Common Questions about Constantine I
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Augustus: Paving the Way for Hereditary Succession
The Making of Constantinople: Constantine’s “New Rome”

Content: Constantinople, the Eastern Capital
One of the most significant achievements of Constantine was the construction of the impressive city of Constantinople to serve as the eastern capital of the empire. He selected the old Greek colony of Byzantium and completely rebuilt it into a spectacular new capital, and named it after himself, Constantinople. The ancient city is located in modern-day Turkey and now known as Istanbul. The grand new eastern capital of Constantinople was officially dedicated on May 11, 330 AD. It was endowed with the same features as the western capital of Rome and included a grand palace, an amphitheater, a hippodrome for chariot racing, a senate, and libraries. The city was divided into fourteen districts, and Constantine resided there for most of the rest of his reign. The eastern capital was strategically located to overlook and control Bosphorus, the narrow strait which linked the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea. The natural harbor coupled with the geographical position between Europe and Asia soon turned Constantinople to a thriving port city. It was also situated on a highly defensible peninsula of land surrounded by water on three sides. Moreover, the massive concentric walls around Constantinople were so impervious that it could fortify the city from assaults for over 1,000 years.