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 Constantine I, the Great, (Co-emperor 313-324, sole emperor, 324-337) is considered a saint in the Eastern Church, sometimes referred to as "the Thirteenth Apostle.” He is not included in the list of saints in the Latin West. He was the son of Constantius I Chlorus and Helena (later St. Helena), born in c. 272 in Nis, Serbia. When his father died in 306, Constantine was proclaimed emperor by his troops in York, England. Between 306 and 312 he defeated rivals to the throne of the Empire, defeating Maxentius (his brother-in-law) at Milvio Bridge outside Rome on 28 October, 312. Prior to that battle, Constantine saw a vision in the sky of a cross and the words, “in hoc signo vinces,” (in this sign conquer). The cross emblem was displayed during the battle and Constantine was convinced that the Christian God favored his cause. In 313, Constantine and co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan which granted toleration to all religions in the Empire, including Christianity. In 324 he defeated Licinus at the Battle of Adrianople and became the sole emperor. That same year he founded the city of Constantinople (formerly Byzantium), which was dedicated in 330 as the new capital of the Roman Empire. Before he left Rome for the east, Constantine encouraged the construction of Old St. Peter’s Basilica over the tomb of St. Peter, and also favored the construction of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Constantine summoned the Council at Nicea (325) which defined Christianity’s creed. He granted extensive land and property to the Church and supported the spread of the Christian faith. Constantine was baptized on his deathbed and died on 22 May, 337 in Nicomedia. He was initially buried at the Church of Holy Apostles in Constantinople (destroyed in 1458 by the Ottoman Turks). The Basilica contained thirteen niches for the Apostles, while the thirteenth was designed for Constantine. Constantine’s very significant contribution to Christianity is that he set it on a legal foundation which allowed it to spread within the Roman Empire. In 380, Emperor Theodosius I, the Great declared Christianity to be the official religion ot the Roman Empire, a remarkable development for a religion periodically persecuted from the first century until 313 (and for a brief time under Emperor Julian, the Apostate, 361-363). A fresco by students of Raphael is displayed on the €4,40 souvenir sheet issued jointly with Italy to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Reference: • James C Hamilton,“Vatican City New Issues: September 2012” : Vatican Notes, Vol. 60, No. 354 p. 4 (2012) Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1507 - 1507 Date Issued - 13 September 2012 Face Value - €4,40 Perforations - 14x13.25 Printing Process - Offset Printer - Joh Enschede (Netherlands) Max Printed - 70,000 Joint Issue - Italy |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 60 Issue: 354 Page: 4-6) |
