right|thumb|Coin struck by Constantine I to commemorate the founding of Constantinople thumb|4th century sardonyx cameo with Constantine and the Tyche of Constantinople Diocletian had chosen Nicomedia in the East as his capital during the TetrarchySherrard, ed. Krieger, Byzantium, Silver Burdett Company, Morristown, NJ, 1966 p. 15.—not far from Byzantium, well situated to defend Thrace, Asia, and Egypt, all of which had required his military attention.Sinnigen & Boak, A History of Rome to A.D. 565, 6th ed., Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1977 pp. 409–10. Constantine had recognised the shift of the empire from the remote and depopulated West to the richer cities of the East, and the military strategic importance of protecting the Danube from barbarian excursions and Asia from a hostile Persia in choosing his new capitalNorwich, Byzantium: The Early Centuries, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1988, p. 40. as well as being able to monitor shipping traffic between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.Sherrard, ed. Krieger, Byzantium, Silver Burdett Company, Morristown, NJ, 1966 p. 18. Licinius' defeat came to represent the defeat of a rival centre of pagan and Greek-speaking political activity in the East, as opposed to the Christian and Latin-speaking Rome, and it was proposed that a new Eastern capital should represent the integration of the East into the Roman Empire as a whole, as a centre of learning, prosperity, and cultural preservation for the whole of the Eastern Roman Empire.Gilbert Dagron, Naissance d'une Capitale, 24. Among the various locations proposed for this alternative capital, Constantine appears to have toyed earlier with Serdica (present-day Sofia), as he was reported saying that "Serdica is my Rome".Petrus Patricius excerpta Vaticana, 190: Κωνσταντίνος εβουλεύσατο πρώτον εν Σαρδική μεταγαγείν τά δημόσια· φιλών τε τήν πόλιν εκείνην συνεχώς έλεγεν "η εμή Ρώμη Σαρδική εστι." Sirmium and Thessalonica were also considered.Ramsey MacMullen, Constantine, Routledge ed., 1987, 149. Eventually, however, Constantine decided to work on the Greek city of Byzantium, which offered the advantage of having already been extensively rebuilt on Roman patterns of urbanism during the preceding century by Septimius Severus and Caracalla, who had already acknowledged its strategic importance.Dagron, Naissance d'une Capitale, 15/19. The city was thus founded in 324,"Constantinople" in The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1991, p. 508. dedicated on 11 May 330 and renamed Constantinopolis ("Constantine's City" or Constantinople in English). Special commemorative coins were issued in 330 to honor the event. The new city was protected by the relics of the True Cross, the Rod of Moses and other holy relics, though a cameo now at the Hermitage Museum also represented Constantine crowned by the tyche of the new city.Sardonyx cameo depicting constantine the great crowned by Constantinople, 4th century AD at "The Road to Byzantium: Luxury Arts of Antiquity". The Hermitage Rooms at Somerset House (30 March 2006 – 3 September 2006). The figures of old gods were either replaced or assimilated into a framework of Christian symbolism. Constantine built the new Church of the Holy Apostles on the site of a temple to Aphrodite. Generations later there was the story that a divine vision led Constantine to this spot, and an angel no one else could see led him on a circuit of the new walls.Philostorgius, Historia Ecclesiastica 2.9. The capital would often be compared to the 'old' Rome as Nova Roma Constantinopolitana, the "New Rome of Constantinople".According to the Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, vol. 164 (Stuttgart: A. Hiersemann, 2005), column 442, there is no evidence for the tradition that Constantine officially dubbed the city "New Rome" (Nova Roma or Nea Rhome). Commemorative coins that were issued during the 330s already refer to the city as Constantinopolis (Michael Grant, The Climax of Rome (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1968), 133). It is possible that the emperor called the city "Second Rome" (Deutera Rhome) by official decree, as reported by the 5th-century church historian Socrates of Constantinople.
right|thumb|Coin struck by Constantine I to commemorate the founding of Constantinople thumb|4th century sardonyx cameo with Constantine and the Tyche of Constantinople Diocletian had chosen Nicomedia in the East as his capital during the TetrarchySherrard ed Krieger Byzantium Silver Burdett Company Morristown NJ 1966 p 15—not far from Byzantium well situated to defend Thrace Asia and Egypt all of which had required his military attentionSinnigen & Boak A History of Rome to AD 565 6th ed Macmillan Publishing Co Inc New York 1977 pp 409–10 Constantine had recognised the shift of the empire from the remote and depopulated West to the richer cities of the East and the military strategic importance of protecting the Danube from barbarian excursions and Asia from a hostile Persia in choosing his new capitalNorwich Byzantium The Early Centuries Penguin Books Middlesex 1988 p 40 as well as being able to monitor shipping traffic between the Black Sea and the MediterraneanSherrard ed Krieger Byzantium Silver Burdett Company Morristown NJ 1966 p 18 Licinius' defeat came to represent the defeat of a rival centre of pagan and Greek-speaking political activity in the East as opposed to the Christian and Latin-speaking Rome and it was proposed that a new Eastern capital should represent the integration of the East into the Roman Empire as a whole as a centre of learning prosperity and cultural preservation for the whole of the Eastern Roman EmpireGilbert Dagron Naissance d'une Capitale 24 Among the various locations proposed for this alternative capital Constantine appears to have toyed earlier with Serdica (present-day Sofia) as he was reported saying that "Serdica is my Rome"Petrus Patricius excerpta Vaticana 190 Κωνσταντίνος εβουλεύσατο πρώτον εν Σαρδική μεταγαγείν τά δημόσια· φιλών τε τήν πόλιν εκείνην συνεχώς έλεγεν "η εμή Ρώμη Σαρδική εστι" Sirmium and Thessalonica were also consideredRamsey MacMullen Constantine Routledge ed 1987 149 Eventually however Constantine decided to work on the Greek city of Byzantium which offered the advantage of having already been extensively rebuilt on Roman patterns of urbanism during the preceding century by Septimius Severus and Caracalla who had already acknowledged its strategic importanceDagron Naissance d'une Capitale 15/19 The city was thus founded in 324"Constantinople" in The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium Oxford University Press Oxford 1991 p 508 dedicated on 11 May 330 and renamed Constantinopolis ("Constantine's City" or Constantinople in English) Special commemorative coins were issued in 330 to honor the event The new city was protected by the relics of the True Cross the Rod of Moses and other holy relics though a cameo now at the Hermitage Museum also represented Constantine crowned by the tyche of the new citySardonyx cameo depicting constantine the great crowned by Constantinople 4th century AD at "The Road to Byzantium Luxury Arts of Antiquity" The Hermitage Rooms at Somerset House (30 March 2006 – 3 September 2006) The figures of old gods were either replaced or assimilated into a framework of Christian symbolism Constantine built the new Church of the Holy Apostles on the site of a temple to Aphrodite Generations later there was the story that a divine vision led Constantine to this spot and an angel no one else could see led him on a circuit of the new wallsPhilostorgius Historia Ecclesiastica 29 The capital would often be compared to the 'old' Rome as Nova Roma Constantinopolitana the "New Rome of Constantinople"According to the Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum vol 164 (Stuttgart A Hiersemann 2005) column 442 there is no evidence for the tradition that Constantine officially dubbed the city "New Rome" (Nova Roma or Nea Rhome) Commemorative coins that were issued during the 330s already refer to the city as Constantinopolis (Michael Grant The Climax of Rome (London Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1968) 133) It is possible that the emperor called the city "Second Rome" (Deutera Rhome) by official decree as reported by the 5th-century church historian Socrates of Constantinople