Constantine the Great

About Constantine the Great

Constantine ruled the Roman Empire from 306 to 337 and was a central figure in the legalization and public patronage of Christianity. Eusebius’s *Life of Constantine* preserves important evidence about imperial policies and the emperor’s public religious presentation, but it is also a panegyric and should be checked against other evidence. Eusebius reports that Constantine was baptized near the end of his life; exact details of the earlier vision and conversion narrative remain debated. Eastern Orthodox calendars commemorate Constantine with Helena on May 21. The catalog’s January 7 source is an incidental mention, not his feast.