Constantine I

Constantine I (or Constantine the Great, lived c. 272—337 AD, ruled 306—337 AD) was a Roman emperor and the first emperor to convert to Christianity. His mother, Helena, was a Christian and probably had much to do with his conversion. When he became emperor, he enacted numerous reforms to strengthen the empire and built a new imperial residence in the city of Byzantium, naming it “New Rome.” He later named the city “Constantinople,” after himself. Constantinople is today’s Istanbul. Constantine was influential in the proclamation in the Edict of Milan in 313, which declared tolerance for Christianity in the Roman Empire. He also convoked the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325, which produced the Christian statement of belief called the Nicene Creed. Today, Constantine is venerated as a saint in Eastern Christianity.