Remembering Constantine at the Milvian Bridge

Constantine's victory in 312 at the battle of the Milvian Bridge established his rule as the first Christian emperor. This book examines the creation and dissemination of the legends about that battle and its significance. Christian histories, panegyrics, and an honorific arch at Rome soon commemorated his victory, and the emperor himself contributed to the myth by describing his vision of a cross in the sky before the battle. Through meticulous research into the late Roman narratives and the medieval and Byzantine legends, this book moves beyond a strictly religious perspective by emphasizing the conflicts about the periphery of the Roman empire, the nature of emperorship, and the role of Rome as a capital city. Throughout late antiquity and the medieval period, memories of Constantine's victory served as a powerful paradigm for understanding rulership in a Christian society.

• Presents an innovative revisionist perspective on Constantine's victory, detailing how a particular image of his victory was propagated and acknowledging Constantine's own active role in shaping the legend of his 'Christian' victory
• Adopts an innovative backward narrative that proceeds from our present to the Roman past
• Brings attention to the role of Maxentius, Constantine's rival, and focuses on some of the non-religious issues at stake in the battle