“By This Sign Conquer”: Emperor Constantine Outside of York Minster, the location of his initial crowning

“[Polytheists] celebrate the rites of an outmoded illusion.” – Constantine I, Emperor of Rome

It is Christmas time around most of the Western World: miniscule white lights, red ribbons, and pine-themed laurels adorn our bustling streets and buildings. As the beginning of December saw a rise of menorahs decorating streets and shops, the frosty commercial windows of late December now feature Santa, elves, and reindeer. The bitter cold outside has not dampened holiday spirits but, rather, enlivened them and brought people together. In the United States, there is another, somewhat frustrating, reminder that December has arrived: the ongoing debate between those who say “Happy Holidays”, and others who opt for the, more traditional, “Merry Christmas”.

The philosophies behind the two opposed sayings are easy enough to comprehend; Used as a catchall phrase, “Happy Holidays” does not assume a passerby to be of any particular faith, let alone a Christian, and celebrator of Christmas. Those who utter Merry Christmas insist on continuing to do so, preferring not to alter what they have heard for years without issue. In some cases, the more fervent supporters of Merry Christmas accuse the Holiday camp of trying to undermine Christianity as a whole. As silly as the concept of a mere saying destroying an entire religion may sound, the emergence of “Happy Holidays” does display, to some degree, the civilised world outgrowing the tall tales of religion.

How many of us who live comfortably in a modern society actually celebrate the divine birth of Christ as the most important time of the year? After all, that is the root of Christmas, is it not? Jesus of Nazareth was born in a tiny manger (no room at the inn), proclaimed King of the Jews, and later instructed man on morality with the supposed word of God. I suspect that the number of us celebrating that story during Christmastime is likely to be a small number–most of us simply need a festive time of year to be generous and good-hearted to our fellow man in a world that is exceedingly merciless and cruel.

Wishing someone a “Happy Holiday” is not only a culturally neutral phrase, but also a subconscious acknowledgement of the fact that Christmas is not so much about Christ, but man’s desire for good will. Moreover, it is because of the shedding of Christ from Christmas that has the “Merry Christmas” supporters riled–a fear of change and a fear of a world that no longer needs the stories of Christianity, or Judaism, or Islam. The root of this holiday, though at first glance superficial, is, in actuality, a monumental religious feud between progressive and reactionary.

Perhaps the more conservative well-wishers need not worry about any religious watersheds as history, once again, shows that mankind has already experienced such a dilemma and emerged relatively unscathed. In the 4th century AD, the Roman Empire had begun to show signs of decline. A long tradition of greed and mismanagement by corrupt emperors combined with unrest and rebellion in many of Rome’s far-reaching provinces had threatened the unity of the empire. Only when a gifted young man was crowned Emperor in York, England did things start to turn around for Rome.

By This Sign Conquer

It was July 306 AD in York, known as Eboracum in Roman times. The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth and the mightiest era of Rome had since passed 300 years prior. What was once a vibrant, powerful form of government–initiated by Julius Caesar and perfected by his adopted son, Augustus–had degraded into a bureaucratic and flaccid system riddled with multiple “Caesars” and “Augusti”. That year, Constantius, co-Augusti of the empire, lay dying; he his rule was soon at end. Constantius sent a local Celtic leader to deliver the news that Constantine would be the new emperor. In the area now outside of York Minster, Constantine was proclaimed Emperor of Rome.

His newfound authority did not come without question; the empire was not universal in its acceptance of Constantine’s rule. The various territories under Rome sided with either Constantine, or his brother-in-law and rival claimant Maxentius. For six years, there were disputes to the imperial throne, and in 312 AD, Constantine’s struggle with Maxentius turned into a full-scale civil war.

This war should have been, by historical standards, a common clash for power as both kings and emperors have had fight or manipulate for control–long before the Roman era, and long after. However, during the preparations and mobilisation for battle, something extraordinary happened to an anxious Constantine. In the sky above the sun, Constantine saw the symbol of a cross beaming its light down to him along with the words, “In hoc signo vinces”, or “By this sign conquer”. At that moment, Constantine realised that the recognition of one, Christian, God would ensure his victory and imperial authority over Maxentius. He embraced Christianity and had the “chi rho”, one of its earliest symbols, adorned on his armies’ military regalia.

The two armies met at Milvian Bridge, just outside of Rome. Maxentius’s army was fitted with all of the proper polytheistic imagery that had decorated the legions of the past; a sharp contrast to the peculiar symbols adorning Constantine’s forces. The Battle of Milvian Bridge was a quick and resounding victory for Constantine, as Maxentius lay dead in the Tiber River.

The Battle of Milvian Bridge by Giulio Romano. Note the angels and heavenly light guiding Constantine’s army.

A Christian Emperor?

To fully appreciate Constantine’s abandonment of the Roman gods it should be understood that in 312 AD, most subjects in the Roman Empire were polytheists; Christianity was a mere cult from the east, both tiny and bizarre. The polytheistic system was deeply rooted in Roman society and their gods had existed for almost a thousand years prior. The earlier Greeks had inspired the tales and figures of the Roman religion, and earlier eastern religions inspired the Greeks. During Constantine’s rise, the Roman religion was as revered as Christianity is today.

It is certainly shocking that a Roman emperor converted to a small, cultish religion, and that he seemed to be empowered by some divine force in battle. Even more shocking was that Constantine essentially influenced the entire Western world to accept, and even embrace, Christianity as a religion. He ended all laws persecuting Christians in the empire, and returned land and property taken from them during prior harsh reforms. Christians we no longer forced into gladiatorial combat, tortured, or abused, as the emperor was now one of them. Furthermore, Constantine began a massive project of erecting churches and places of Christian worship, and he even built an entire city in the image of his new, Christian Rome. Breaking with almost all of the old traditions, styles, architecture, and religion, Constantine created Constantinople: a new capital of the Roman Empire.

Many Christians, and certainly those of other monotheistic faiths, do not realize the debt of gratitude they owe Constantine. Without his conversion, Christianity and Judaism may have remained small cults, eventually to be stamped out by intolerant future emperors. Constantine’s skillful rule, conversion, and commitment to Christianity changed the world he lived in, as well as those of his subjects: the Constantinian era of the Roman Empire was a milestone in western religious and cultural history.

Science

Christianity has been a major religion in our world for thousands of years now. Despite its inherently positive messages, Christianity has had its share of violence and shameful episodes. The dark areas of its past have, to a degree, rendered its lessons contradictory to those who find themselves questioning its veracity. Furthermore, much of Christianity and other faiths are becoming irrelevant as our society changes and makes new discoveries as time progresses. The advance of science in the last few hundred years has not only revealed truths about our universe that Christianity did not even think to answer, but even flatly disproved teachings of the bible that were assumed truths for many.

On our small planet, there are chapters that occur through its history; epochs that rise and later fall. Christianity may not be immune to time’s unwavering erosion. As precious as the many gods of Rome were to the Romans, their time had come when both Constantine and Roman society decided they were no longer fit to be worshipped in their world. There very well may be a day when Christianity is no longer an assumed part of everyday life; it will inevitably become a relic of past. Science will continue to answer questions not yet conceived of as humankind moves through time awaiting the meaning of everything. If there was a leader from the past who could so gracefully usher in a new era for man, then there very well could be a future atheistic or agnostic president; one who is committed to science and sees to its advancement and universal acceptance in the world. But until that day, have a Merry Christmas.